A question we are often asked by business owners, installers and people wanting to install a hand dryer at home, is “how do you install a hand dryer?”. So to make life a little easier we have put together a guide on how to install your new hand dryer.
Most hand dryers are supplied with a back plate which is mounted to the wall, the hand dryer can then simply be attached to the plate with a screw or two, making for easy maintenance and simple replacement of HEPA filters and fuses.
Warning: Please do not attempt installation unless you are a qualified electrician. Before carrying out any of the steps in this guide please ensure that the main power supply has been disconnected.
Siting Your Hand Dryer
The main thing to consider when installing a hand dryer is the proximity to water sources, such as sinks, baths or showers. As you cannot install a hand dryer within 600mm (60cm) of such a source (i.e. outside of electrical zones 0,1 or 2). More information on this can be found at the government website for electrical safety in dwellings.
When choosing a location for your hand dryer, try to choose a wall which is set back from the main thoroughfare. Areas that receive heavy footfall can become slippery if hand dryers are located too close due to water droplets being blown onto the floor.
Hand Dryer Heights
When considering siting, it is also important to ensure your dryer is positioned at the appropriate height for the primary user group, hand dryers in a school, for instance, will need to be lower than in an office. At Tekflo® we recommend the following heights for a standard ‘hands under’ dryer*; measurements given are from the base of the unit to the floor:
- Mens – 45” (114cm)
- Ladies – 43” (109cm)
- Teenagers – 41” (104cm)
- Disabled – 39” (99cm)
- Small Children – 35” (89cm)
*Blade dryers (‘hands in”) will usually be situated lower due to users needing to adopt a stooped position to dry hands.
Many internal walls in an office are plasterboard so care will need to be taken over the choice of fixings. In such a case, depending upon the weight of the unit, it may be necessary to place a brace on the side of the wall into which to attach your fixings. For more detailed information on this – please take a read of our “what height to install a hand dryer” blog post.
Electrical Power Input
Most automatic hand dryers have a standard AC voltage of 220V – 240V but please check the individual instruction manuals for your chosen model, of which are all available to download from the documents and downloads section of our website.
Tools Required To Install A Hand Dryer
To install your hand dryer, you will need a drill/driver, spirit level and pencil, as well an electrical screwdriver and pliers for stripping the wires ready for wiring.
