Six essential preventive maintenance actions for your electric hand dryers

We totally agree that Han Solo's Millennium Falcon in Star Wars was a very "antiquated" interstellar ship. However, we are convinced that if the hero of our youth had done proper preventive maintenance to his space vehicle, it would be in better condition to fly from galaxy to galaxy and rescue Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan from the hands of the terrible and evil Darth Vader.

This is why we want to talk to you today about the importance of carrying out good preventive maintenance in general and on our hot air hand dryers in particular.

Any machine, installation, vehicle, mechanism, appliance, etc., from the Millennium Falcon to an electric hand dryer by Mediclinics requires preventive maintenance so that its daily functioning is optimal and its useful life is as long as possible.

First of all, it is very important to keep in mind that the preventive maintenance of a hot air hand dryer must be adapted to the amount of people passing through the facility. An airport or a large shopping mall is not the same as an office with five employees. It is difficult to establish time periods for each type of check, since all facilities are different, it is best for the maintenance manager to adapt times according to the facility. You can start with a monthly check and then adjust the periodicity depending on what you see in the machine.

Below you will find a series of six essential guidelines to follow in order to carry out good preventive maintenance on each of the parts in an electric hand dryer.

FILTER

If the machine has a filter, it should be checked periodically. If the filter is dirty, contains dust, hair or large particles, the layer of dirt can be removed manually or with the help of compressed air. When handling the filter, local protocols regarding medical alerts should be followed and the task should be performed in a ventilated environment, wearing gloves and a surgical mask.

If the filter is clogged with small particles, it should be discarded and replaced with a new one.

Note: The filters must not be cleaned with water or wetted with any liquid.

WATER TANK

If the machine has a water tank, it must be emptied and cleaned with soap and water periodically, adapting the frequency to the traffic in the facility.

The waste pipe requires periodic cleaning with a pipe brush. If it is completely clogged and is not draining, the pipe must be replaced by one with the same characteristics.

IR LED VISOR

Hand dryers detect users' hands with an infrared (IR) light system. These LEDs are protected by transparent plastic covers that must be cleaned periodically so that dirt does not interfere with the machine's detection system. They should be cleaned with a damp, non-abrasive cloth, otherwise the covers may get scratched, the detection distances may change, or even fail to detect, and the hand dryer will stop working.

MACHINE EXTERIOR (COVER)

The hand dryer cover should be cleaned with a damp cloth and soap and water. Abrasive cloths and corrosive chemicals should not be used.

If it has a stainless steel cover, specific products can be used for this type of material.

Cleaning of the exterior part of the hand dryer should be on a regular basis and established in the toilet cleaning procedures.

CIRCUIT BOARD (CONTROL BOARD)

The control board requires no maintenance other than the cleaning of any dust that may gather on the components. It can be cleaned with a dry brush or compressed air. To perform this checking/cleaning , the machine must be completely disconnected from the mains. This cleaning should not be done too regularly, and in facilities with high user traffic you could start by checking every six months, and in medium or low traffic facilities you could wait up to 12 months. This interval should be adjusted according to the amount of dirt seen on the board.

ELECTRIC MOTOR

The motor requires the same checking and cleaning as the board, and the machine must also be disconnected from the mains to do this. The checking/cleaning periods can also be the same.

In the case of motors with brushes, the length of the brushes should be checked and replaced if they are nearly worn out. Over-tightening the brushes may lead to motor deterioration and the entire motor may have to be replaced.

FINAL CLARIFICATION

This article aims to establish the basics of electric hand dryer maintenance. Maintenance and the intervals at which it is carried out must be adapted to the needs of each facility.

We can compare it to car tyres. How many miles do car tyres last? Well, it depends entirely on the type of driving and the terrain you drive over. Something similar happens with hand dryers, depending on the use of the machines and the cleanliness of the ambient air, the maintenance intervals may be completely different.

So to finally finish this post, if you follow these simple instructions, then your electric hand dryer will work much better and will last much longer. May maintenance be with you!

Antoni Travesa

Technical Manager at Mediclinics, S.A.

&

Alfredo Bueno

Quality Manager at Mediclinics, S.A.