Airdri Quest You may have noticed that the specification of every hand dryer always contains something called a hand dryer IP rating. What you may not know is that this is an extremely important part of the specification because it dictates where in the washroom you are allowed to safely position the hand dryer.

IP stands for “Ingress Protection”, and is outlined under the EN60529 standard.

This international classification system deals with the effectiveness of enclosures of electrical equipment against entry of foreign bodies such as dust, tools, fingers and moisture.  The classification will be shown by the letters IP followed by two numbers which show the level of protection the appliance provides.  The higher the number, the greater the protection.

The first of these 2 digits represents the level that persons are protected against contact with moving parts of the hand dryer that could prove hazardous, and also the extent that the hand dryer is protected against solid foreign bodies accidentally entering the mechanics of the unit. (Note that it does NOT deal with deliberate interference, i.e. safeguarding against vandalism, of the unit.)

ip 2

Because this is less relevant for hand dryers, you will find that many hand dryers have an ‘X’ in this position, meaning that it has not been assessed.

The second digit, which is much more important for hand dryers, represents the level of protection against the ingress of moisture.

 

So for example, the Warner Howard Airforce has a hand dryer IP rating of IP24. The first digit of 2 means that the Airforce has “Protection against fingers or other objects not greater than 80mm in length and 12mm in diameter”, and the second digit of 4 means that it has “Protection from splashed water”. IP rating for hand dryers Digit 2

If you are unsure whether the hand dryer you are buying has the right level of IP rating for the environment you are placing it in, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss it further, on 01934 253600.