TOP ACCESS HAND DRYERS FOR SCHOOLS

Question:

Hi, I am looking for a top entry hand dryer with push button operation for elementary schools.  There is existing 1/2" emt pipe surface mounted on the wall for the 220volt electrical supply.

David S

Assistant Supervisor

Electrical Department

District School Board

Answer:

David,

Thank you for your question.  Hand dryers are almost always intended to be hard-wired directly from the wall to the back of the unit.  Most hand dryers come with a bottom knock-out so that you can bring the wiring into the bottom of a hand dryer if you need to.  

There are a few hand dryers that come with a cord and plug such as the Nova 1 plug-in and the World Dryer V-Max.  Additionally, you can add a cord and a plug to almost any hand dryer, so long as you have the correct specifications.  This is easy to do, but be aware that (at least in the US and not so much in other countries like Australia where the practice is common) if you add a cord and plug yourself you are altering the way the dryer is intended to be used and this may void the warranty and / or the electrical certification (UL) that comes with the hand dryer.  As with anything electrical, you should have a certified electrician install it to make sure that it is done correctly and to code.     

There are a few hand dryers that come with a top-knock out.  These are most common in schools where they are dropping the conduit down from the ceiling and there may be a cinder block wall.  World Dryer used to offer the Model A, Airmax and Nova 4 hand dryers with a top knock-out.  (These all have cast iron covers, and so they have special moldings for these dryers.)  These units are generally still available for custom orders.  Restroom Direct is able to source these, so I recommend that you call them at 704-937-2673.

A 1/2" EMT pipe is going to be too thick to get into one of these openings, which are intended for 1/4" pipe, but World Dryer also offers a rigid offset connector that will solve this problem for you.  You can see this connector here:  World Dryer Rigid Offset Connector.  

The 220 volt power requirement is not a problem.  Most hand dryers in the US come with either a 120 volt configuration or a 208 - 240 volt configuration.  Performance is the same (if you look at the watts used, they are the same, meaning the motor runs at the same speed).  Dryers are also available in  277 volts, but not all brands.  

HDE