When installing a wall mounted hand dryer, you need to be careful to position the unit correctly for safety and ease of use. Here are some important points to consider before deciding your hand dryer mounting height and position.
Proximity to water sources
Electricity and water don’t mix, so you need to be careful not to install the unit too close to any sources of water such as sinks or toilets.
The IEE Wiring Regulations (BS 7671) dictate where you can and can’t install a wall mounted hand dryer, based on how resilient the dryer is to water and other particles.
This resilience is defined by the IP rating, which uses a two-digit number to show its resilience to solid particles (the first number) and water (the second number). Most hand dryers are rated IPX1, which means that they cannot be within 60cm of a water source.
If this distance is not feasible, a hand dryer with a higher IP rating is required.
Hand dryer mounting height
There are different recommended installation heights for wall mounted hand dryers depending on the intended user.
The height for installation also varies depending on the particular hand dryer design. For example, ‘hands-in’ dryers like the Blade would be positioned differently than ‘hands-under’ dryers like the Jet, Ultra and Edge models.
For ease, the following heights are for our Classic model, as this is one of the most popular hand dryer designs in the industry. Measurements are from the base of the unit to the floor.
- Men: 45″ (114 cm)
- Ladies: 43″ (109 cm)
- Teenagers: 41″ (104 cm)
- Small Children: 35″ (89 cm)
- Disabled: 39″ (99 cm)
Washroom configuration
The layout of your toilet facilities is a key factor when determining the position of your wall mounted hand dryers.
Consider the flow of people in and out of the washroom and try to avoid placement that could cause crowds or bottlenecks. Hand dryers should be positioned at least a metre away from baby changing units to prevent damage to the sensitive ears of children. Distance should also be kept from urinals and bins to prevent anything getting unintentionally caught in the airstream and causing a mess.
If your space is small or narrow, following these guidelines may be difficult. To avoid overcrowding or unsafe installation, you may be able to place individual sinks and hand dryers in cubicles to avoid overcrowding.
Wall mounted hand dryer experts
Tekflo®’s entire range of hand dryers is suitable for wall mounting, allowing you to position them exactly where needed.
If you’re not sure which hand dryer model best suits your needs, or you’d like some advice about where you can and can’t install a hand dryer, send us a message and we’ll be happy to help.
