How to quickly choose the best hand dryer for any location – every time!

22-10-2020

If someone asks you to get the most suited product for their needs you don’t want to let them down, right?  Whether over the trade counter or specifying for a construction product, your customers and end users want a reliable product that’s fit for purpose, or it could come back to bite you.

Hand dryers are no different. A small part of your overall product line or specification, but no customer wants something that breaks down because it’s not up to the task, or doesn’t deliver on specific requirements. How do you make sure the one you’re choosing is the best for that location without doing hours of research and phoning round?

At Intelligent Facility Solutions, we know that your time is at a premium and a hand dryer is only one product you have to think about for a project or customer. So, what we have is an intelligent search tool which helps you to specify the perfect hand dryer in no time at all.

Dry speed, noise output, lifespan in relation to the use the dryer will get, cost and return on investment are all important considerations. So is the size of your product in relation to the area its being fitted. The IP rating will need considering if dryers need to be positioned close to water supply. This search allows you to intelligently pinpoint the best options in under 30 seconds!

Here’s a worked example of how it can work for you:

Firstly, there’s 5 key criteria questions (picture 1) to quickly populate. We’re going to use a school in this example. Simply, in the type of premises, you just select school from the drop down. The number of working staff are entered (40) and the number of pupils (650) are entered in the visitor’s section.

The next drop down lets the search know what the location currently has in place for hand drying, such as paper towels.  This allows the search to calculate cost savings the hand dryer will save the customer compared to existing solutions, as well as the payback period.

Finally, it asks you for the number of hand dryers you will be requiring. 

This information allows you to get the most cost-effective options available based on the number of uses a day, spread over the number of hand dryers installed.

^{Picture 1 - Five key criteria questions}

The next section (picture 2) looks at what's most important to you.  You can select one option, or all 6 and select them in the order of preference.

In this example, the most important aspect for the school is that they are relatively quiet as the bathrooms are located near to classrooms.

They then require them to be energy efficient as they want to keep running costs low and environmental improvements are the main reason for replacing paper towels.

Thirdly they are requiring hand dryers that are robust as they may be open to some abuse in a school environment.

To get the results you just click on the icon that says "Show me the most suitable dryers".

^{Picture 2 – Important requirements of your hand dryer}

Your perfect hand dryer

The search will match the star rating criteria based on performance assessments to the best matched products (Picture 3)

^{Picture 3 – Best matched hand dryers in order of suitability}

The hand dryers are rated against strict criteria and based on real life testing.  You can make an informed decision based on

• The percentage match, for example how much does it match the information you have entered
• Price
• Savings against your existing solution, in this instance paper towels
• Your return on investment
• Payback period per dryer
• Life expectancy relevant to you building and number of occupants.

If budget is a determining factor, you can scroll down the page to see all the price ranges available (picture 4), with budget options available, still with a good weighted match to the criteria you entered and a great payback period.

^{Picture 4 – Price points included to meet all budgets}

Narrowing down further to pinpoint the best for you

Once you have your results you can further narrow down the search (picture 5) based on other criteria, such as

• Selecting a certain category
• The finish you require
• The electrical compliance needed (IP Rating)
• Max Price
• Minimum or maximum dimensions
• Suitability for low, medium or high levels of washroom traffic

^{Picture 5 – Filtering down your selection}

This again will bring up the most suitable options.  As stated, you can use as many or as few of the filters you like to make your choice. But they are all there to help you pinpoint the perfect hand dryer for your location and unique requirements.

Use this online hand dryer search tool by clicking here.

Please do not hesitate to contact us via the contact page to allow one of our hand dryer experts to support you in your search.

For more information or for help in finding your ideal hand dryer or washroom product, please call us UK offices: North: 0114 3540047 South: 0203 3270448; Eire office: +353 19036387, use our contact us page by clicking here or click to visit the website.

In the trade? Don't forget we can set you up with a trade account for your purchases.

We have wholesaler, contractor, public sector and charity discounts available, please don't hesitate to ask or find out more information by clicking here.