Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel Provides Constant Operating Cost Savings

Hidden costs have been the undoing of many a good facilities' manager. Hand dryers that are used constantly can add a surprising amount to overall electricity bills, so efficient dryers will, over time, reduce costs significantly. Fawn Litchfield of Mitsubishi Electric looks at the benefits of air jet dryers.

Even a moderate sized building has running costs that can add up with alarming rapidity, unless they are carefully controlled. Anything electrical, for instance, will have a running cost - which will be difficult to account for until it is individually monitored.

Electrical equipment can be divided into three main categories: that which is on almost constantly (e.g. lighting, computers, production equipment); that which is used relatively infrequently (e.g. desk fans, demonstration equipment, alarms); and an intermediate class, which is used fairly frequently (e.g. photocopiers, security barriers, audio-visual presentation equipment).

Electric hand dryers fit into the intermediate or even constant use categories - an individual person may use a hand dryer only a couple of times a day, but each dryer is used by many people, so runs probably hundreds of times a day.

It is possible to get an idea of the number of hand-dryer operations in a given facility with some simple assumptions. In a place of work, full-time employees are likely to wash their hands upon arrival, just before departure, at lunchtime (possibly before and after lunch), plus a couple more times a day. School pupils and college students will follow a similar pattern. Theatre goers will probably visit the bathroom before the performance and during the interval, with perhaps half also doing so as they leave. Users of other facilities, such as hospitals, libraries, department stores, etc. can be similarly profiled.

Most facilities' managers who do this calculation will be surprised at the total number they get to. A more accurate, but more complicated, method would involve fitting each hand dryer with a counter and an energy meter and monitoring them over a period of time. Either way, it would be difficult not to start wondering about total running costs and how to reduce them.

The new generation of high-speed dryers and air jet dryers are generally perceived as being more energy-efficient than old-fashioned hot air dryers. In fact, a well-designed air jet dryer is superbly efficient, but in reality some are nothing like as good as others. As a very rough guide, some air jet dryers waste energy creating noise, so quietness is an indicator of energy efficiency.

Being a bit more technical, you need to multiply the power of the motor by the drying time. (There is a temptation to think that drying time will reduce in relation to motor power, but optimisation of the air nozzles and the shape of the drying chamber has a far greater effect on the overall system efficiency).

The Jet Towel hand dryer from Mitsubishi Electric was the world's first air jet dryer and it has been constantly redeveloped to keep it at the forefront of efficiency and design. At its heart is a 550W motor, which consumes only a quarter of the power of the 2400W motors typically fitted in other hand dryers. In addition to this, the air flow is so precisely generated that it creates two wafer-thin sheets of high-speed air, which dry the front and back of the hands from only 9 seconds, compared to 30-40 seconds used by other dryers. This leads to a net energy saving of around 90%!

It is notable that in operation the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel is whisper-quiet - at 58dB-61dB. This is indicative of high efficiency and also a very important factor in installations such as conference centres, medical facilities and hotels where a calm atmosphere can be punctured by dryer noise permeating the public areas.

The Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel hand dryer has been registered for the UK government's Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA) scheme (and similar schemes elsewhere) and therefore will improve cash flow through accelerated tax relief. The ECA scheme encourages businesses to invest in energy-saving plant or machinery, specified on the Energy Technology List (ETL), which identifies equipment that can prove significant energy advantages. It allows businesses to write off the whole cost of the equipment against taxable profits in the year of purchase.

It is notable that the Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel total cost of ownership is very low, due to its long service life, its low maintenance and minimal service requirement. Also, its integral drain means it does not cause drippage and the resultant unsightly puddles, slip and hygiene risks, or raised humidity.

Finally, comparison should be made to paper and textile towels. These have a very high service requirement: refilling dispensers and disposing of used paper towels or laundering cloth ones, which is far higher than the power bill for an electric dryer. In fact, their continued use can only be justified in facilities that are likely to experience sudden extreme rushes, allowing people to grab a towel or two and walk away from the dispenser.

With facilities' costs under scrutiny like never before, Mitsubishi Electric Jet Towel provides the best hand-drying solution in an ever wider range of installations.

About Mitsubishi Jet Towel

Mitsubishi Electric's first Jet Towel was launched in 1993 and the version now available in Europe is in the eighth generation of its development. It has proved a winner with installers for its high tech elegance, with operators for its low running cost and reliability, and with users for its convenience, speed, hygiene and innovative design. The Jet Towel has high environmental credentials, avoiding the use of paper towels or rolled cloth and lowering power consumption and noise levels to a fraction of alternative hot air dryers.

Further Information

Website: www.jettowel.co.uk