This Dyson hand dryer comes on sporadically and then won’t shut off. 

I have cleaned all the sensors.

Are there replaceable parts for this problem?

From: Jeff Brink, Masters Electrical

Jeff,

You may have an electrical problem, but most likely, the sensor has gone bad.  If the hand dryer is less than 5-years old, it is still under warranty.  Even if it is not, Dyson handles all parts and repair jobs themselves.  Please call them at 800-Dyson-AB.

HandDryerExpert

Dyson Airblade Turns On By Itself

I have a Dyson MK2 hand dryer that is going off intermittently.   I've cleaned the intake and the lenses but the unit still turns on by itself.

-Adam G

Hi, Adam,

Your MK2 Airblade is an older version of the current Dyson AB14 hand dryer.  Since it is likely more than 5 years old, this unit will not be under warranty.

There are a number of things that can cause a hand dryer to go off automatically.  I will list them by the most likely.

1. The sensors are bad.  They need to be replaced.  You can purchase sensors for many hand dryers at Restroom Direct, however, Dyson handles all of their parts and warranty work themselves, so you need to call them at 888-DYSON-AB (for Air Blade).  Your MK2 is probably too old for the 5-year warranty, so I am not sure how they will handle the replacement. 
2. You have a blockage over the sensors.  You have already addressed that by cleaning them, but make sure there are no permanent scratches or smudges that can’t be fixed by cleaning.  If so, you will have to contact Dyson for replacement parts. 
3. You have some sort of ghosting issue where bright lights and reflections in the bathroom are setting off the sensors.  In that case you need to either change the lighting or move the dryer.
4. You are having electrical surges in the wiring.  An electrician could test that for you.

If you need a new Dyson Airblade, please come to us and we will be happy to help.  The new Dyson 9kJ is a fabulous new hand dryer that you should look at.  https://www.restroomdirect.com/dyson-9kJ-HU03-hand-dryer.aspx

Best of luck and let us know if you have any other questions. 

Hand Dryer Expert

E88AO Saniflow Hand Dryer

Saniflow E88AO Heavy Duty Automatic Hand Dryer, Steel Cover, Gold Chrome Plate Price:$375.00

Hello,

Does this dryer simply need to be plugged into an electrical outlet? No gas connection is required, correct?

Thanks

- drpenfield

Dear Drip, 

This, and almost all hand dryers, are intended to be hard-wired, so you need an electrician to bring a power source to it.  You can purchase a cord and plug and add that yourself and then you will be able to plug it in, but otherwise, it is hard wired and that is the best and the safest way to use it.  Hand dryers are only electric.  Not gas.    

Upgrade a World Dryer XA5 Hand Dryer

Hello,

I have 10 XA5 dryers.  Is there any upgrade to my XA5’s that can make them more powerful?

Gary

Waveland Bowl, Chicago

Hi, Gary,

If you are willing to swap out your XA5-974 hand dryer with a new one, I  have the perfect upgrade for you.  The World Dryer Airmax, model XM5-974 is the same hand dryer as the XA5 that you have, however it is almost twice as fast.  The Airmax uses a faster motor and pushes more air through the same nozzle.  The World Dryer Model A, XA5-974 that you have takes about 30 seconds to dry hands.  The Airmax, XM5-974 takes about 20 seconds to dry hands (a little less, usually).  

In your situation, the good news is that both hand dryers are the same size and the same voltage, so it's easy to swap one out for the other.  The only downside is that the Model A is fairly quiet and the Airmax is fairly loud.  

You can purchase the World Dryer XM5-974 here:  World Dryer Airmax Hand Dryer

HDE

It's Super Tuesday as Dyson Displays Three New Airblade Hand Dryers

February 5^th is Super Tuesday for Dyson.  Dyson, the makers of high end vacuum cleaners and popular hand dryers, introduced three new commercial hand drying products.   With a marketing splash worthy of the Dyson name, TVs and blog all over the world were buzzing about these products throughout the day.  As distributors of the Dyson Airblade Hand Dryers, Restroom Direct will be selling the new Airblade hand dryers throughout the US and Bavada.com will be distributing them in Europe.  The new products are expected to be available for purchase beginning May to August of 2013.
 

All three of the new hand dryers will be utilizing Dyson’s new flagship digital motor.  Says Dyson: “The latest Dyson digital motor was seven years in the making - it's one of the world's smallest fully-integrated 1600W motors. It's the only hand dryer motor powerful enough to draw in up to 30 litres of air a second through a HEPA filter, and then dry hands in 10 seconds.  This long-life energy efficient motor is digitally switched at 6,000 times per second, making the high compression fan spin 90,000 times a minute. There are only three moving parts, so there are no slip rings or carbon brushes to wear down.”

 

Dyson Airblade MK2

The first of the Dyson Airblade products is the Dyson Airblade MK2.  The MK2 is similar to the existing line of Dyson products, the AB02 and the AB04 (AB01 and AB03 in Europe) hand dryers.  The size, shape look and function is essentially the same, however with the new Dyson digital motor, these hand dryers are expected to be more efficient and make less noise all at the same time.  Model numbers for the MK2 will be the AB06 and AB07.  The AB06 is similar to the current AB02 model with an aluminum “silver” color casing.  The aluminum casing is best for high traffic and vandal-prone areas. 

 

The AB07 will be similar to the current Dyson Airblade AB04 model.  This model comes with a polycarbonate casing in a choice of either white or grey.  The AB07 will not be available in the US at first, however it will be available throughout Europe.  The polycarbonate cover is also very durable and has the advantage that it will not rust. 

 

Dyson Airblade V

The second product in the Super Tuesday lineup is the Dyson Airblade V hand dryer.  The Dyson V is Dyson’s first foray into a traditional wall-hung hand dryer that blows down on the user’s hands (as opposed to the original Dyson Airblade Airblade in which you put your hands down into.)  However the V will not simply blow water off of the hands.  Like the other Airblades, the Dyson V is an air-knife and will scrape water off of the user’s hands.  The Dyson V model number is the Airblade AB08.  It comes in two finishes, sprayed nickel and white.  The V is a low profile hand dryer that will not take up much space and is expected to be ADA compliant.  With the new digital Dyson motor, this promises to be a good little hand dryer.

 

Dyson Airblade Tap

The third introduction on Dyson’s Super Tuesday was the Dyson Airblade Tap.  The Dyson Tap is truly the hand dryer of the future.  This is not just a hand dryer, but it is also a water faucet.  The user places his hands underneath the center of the tap to activate the water.  He then moves his hands to either side of the tap.  The water turns off and the Dyson digital motor is activated, creating an air-blade that scrapes the water off of his hands.  The beauty is that the water goes right back into the sink.  No water is sprayed on walls.  No water collects in puddles on the floor.  And every sink gets its own hand dryer.  No walking around the restroom with wet hands. 

 

As Sir James Dyson himself said, “Using laser cutting techniques to manipulate marine grade steel, Dyson engineers have created an intuitive, high performance tap that can wash and dry hands.” 

 

The Airblade Tap will come in three versions:  A “short” and a “long” counter top version will come up and out of the deck of the sink.  The “wall” version will come out of the wall behind the sink.  The model numbers for these three faucet / hand dryer contraptions will be the AB09, AB10 and AB11 respectively.   

Updated note: 2024!  The Dyson Tap is now the Dyson Wash + Dry.   The main models are the "short" Dyson Wash and Dry WD04 and the "wall" Dyson Wash and Dry WD06.  Both come in low volt and high volt versions.  

 

And now with the major network interviews out of the way, Sir James can rest for a while.  Or can he?  Dyson actually has quite a lot of work to do to complete the launch of these products.  None of them are yet available in the market place.  Units needs to be manufactured, shipped and put into distribution.   We are expecting all of these products to be available in the summer if 2013, starting first with the Tap in May.  All of the new Dyson Airblade hand dryers will be available for purchase at Restroom Direct when they have been fully launched.  In the meantime, the fast, efficient and very popular Dyson Airblade AB02 and AB04 hand dryers are in stock and continue to be sold.  Dyson has said that there is no plan to discontinue the AB02 or the AB04 in the near future. 

 

The entire range of the Dyson Airblade hand dryers can be seen at Berl's Commercial Supply (Previously Restroom Direct) at Dyson Airblade Hand Dryers.  In Europe, the Dyson Airblade hand dryer is available at Bavada Hand Dryers. 

UNDERSTANDING WORLD DRYER MODEL NUMBERS

Looking for a particular World Dryer Hand Dryer but you can't make sense of those World Dryer model numbers? In this installment, we help you to understand what the model numbers mean and how to use them. We are specifically going to talk about the most popular World Dryer models, the World Dryer Model A, AirMax and Airstyle hand and hair dryers. There is a little bit of a Method to the Model Number Madness and also some history. So pour yourself a strong cup of coffee and you will soon be in the model-number-know.

Here is the simplest World Dryer model number:

A-974

This is the basic Model A hand dryer, shown by the “A” in the primary location. This particular unit is the standard hand dryer and the first that was manufactured by World Dryer. It has a porcelain enamel cast iron cover, is push button, has a swivel nozzle, requires 115 volts, 20 Amps and is white. The A in the model number, with no other numbers or letters, indicates all of these base features except for white, which is indicated by the suffix of 974.

Technically, without an “A” at the end of the model number, this unit is a demo unit and not for sale. We usually ignore this last letter since it does not provide any other information, but when you receive your unit, you would see it written like this:

A-974A

At some point, World Dryer started offering these units with a fixed nozzle (does not swivel for using on the face and hair) option. To show the fixed nozzle, a “5” was introduced after the primary model letter as follows:

A5-974A

More recently, all of the model A hand dryers were converted to Universal Nozzles, meaning they can be adjusted with an Allen wrench to either swivel or fixed. Once World Dryer made that change, they began shipping all of their models in the fixed position. If you want a swivel nozzle, you need to adjust it yourself once you have the dryer. If you have a job that specifies a swivel nozzle (without the “5” in the model number), you would still order it fixed (with the “5”) and adjust it during installation. As a result, all World Dryer Models A and M (AirMax) come only fixed and therefore must have the 5 after the primary model letter.

To show that the nozzle is “Universal” ie adjustable in the field, World Dryer added a “U” at the end of the model number. So the standard unit now looks like this:

A5-974AU

However, since all model A’s now come fixed and we don’t need the last A anyway, most people completely drop the A and the U and write the model number like this:

A5-974

Many people drop suffix (the part after the dash) and call this unit simply an “A5 hand dryer”. But you really need the 974 to know the color and cover type. So don’t specify just an A5 hand dryer. Specify an A5-974.

As the options were added to this dryer over the years, other letters and numbers were added to model numbers.

An “M” instead of an “A” indicated an AirMax hand dryer. The AirMax is identical to the model A, but almost twice as fast. We specify the AirMax whenever we can unless there is a problem with the added noise of a high-speed hand dryer.

M5-974

= AirMax, push button, porcelain enamel, 115 volt, cast iron cover.

Since the AirMax blows such a large volume of air, World Dryer would prefer that users did not blow the air into their eyes, and so this unit does not come with the Allen wrench to convert it to swivel, and is therefore not a Universal Nozzle, so you will not see the “U” at the end of the model number, only the “A”. (M5-974A will be written on the box.) Can you convert it to swivel if you have the Allen wrench? Yes. Unless World Dryer used an old style nozzle.

A “B” for the primary model letter indicates the World Dryer Airstyle hair dryer. This is essentially the same as the model A but configured upside down so that long hair does not get pulled into the air intake at the bottom. These units only come with swivel nozzles, so you will not see the “5” in the model number. They also only come in push button – no automatics. If you want an automatic hair dryer, purchase a Model A, but you are taking your chances with long hair!

B-974

= Airstyle hair dryer, push button, 115 volts, 20 amps, porcelain enamel cast iron cover (good for a steamy locker room), swivel nozzle.

Electrical

As other wattage options were added to these models, they were represented by numbers just after the model number as follows:

No extra number: 115 volts, 20 amps, 2300 watts

“2” 115 volts, 15 amps, 1725 watts, 60 Hz
These units are more energy efficient because the heating element was dialed down.

A52-974

“4” 208 / 230 volts, 10 amps, 2300 watts

A54-974

“7” 277 volts, 8.5 amps, 2300 watts

A57-974

The “1” and the “3” are used only for the Model B hair dryer:

“1” 115 volt 10 amps, 1725 watts

B1-974

“3” 208 / 230 volts, 10 amps, 2300 watts

B3-974

International

If you are exporting or importing hand dryers outside of North America, the voltage requirement is usually 230 volts but with 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz used in the US. 50 Hz is indicated in an additional number slot by the an “8.”

A548-974 230 volts, 10 Amps, 2300 watts, 50 Hz “export only”

Sensor hand dryers

When automatic (hands free / infrared sensor) hand dryers were added to the model numbers, they were indicated by the letter “X.” So if you want an automatic unit (which we recommend) purchase the

XA5-974 for the Model A

or

XM5-974 for the AirMax

Other cover options

Cast iron has always been the standard in the hand dryer industry. But today there are many different cover options available. In the Model A, B and AirMax hand dryers, you can get steel (less expensive but easier to scratch or rust), or stainless steel, or World Stone, which is a bulk molded compound (BMC).

You can also have your cast iron in the alternate color of beige. (Almost everyone buys white or stainless.)

To change the color to beige (cast iron only) or to specify one of the WorldStone colors (automatic only – no push button), change the suffix number.

468 Beige cast iron

674 White WorldStone

668 Beige WorldStone

662 Black WorldStone

665 Granite Grey WorldStone

A5-468

Model A, cast iron, beige

XM5-662

AirMax, Black (ebony) WorldStone

A steel hand dryer is indicated by the prefix letter of “D”

DA5-974 or DXA5-974

white steel hand dryers

To indicate either brushed (satin) or polished (bright or mirror) stainless steel, you change the suffix number, but you also still need the “D” in the prefix.

972 polished

973 brushed

DA5-972, DXM5-972

polished stainless steel hand dryers

DA5-973, DXM5-973

brushed stainless steel hand dryers

Mounting options

All of the models we have looked at so far are surface mounted hand dryers. To get an ADA compliant, recessed hand dryer, you will need an “R” in the prefix. These hand dryers come with a wall box that fits into the wall. This option is only available in cast iron or brushed stainless steel. (One used to be able to purchase a recessing kit for the other cover options, but this is no longer the case.)

For the recessed version, you must also add a “Q” to the suffix. This indicates the squashed nozzle that helps the unit meet ADA compliance. You can make a special order for a recessed hand dryer with a regular, large nozzle, but it is not ADA compliant. You can also still purchase the old “E nozzle” which is a flat grid, but these are being replaced by the “Q” nozzles.

RA5-Q974

recessed model A, push button, 115 volt, cast iron cover with a fixed Q nozzle

DXRM5-Q973 recessed AirMax, automatic, brushed stainless steel cover with a fixed Q nozzle

RA5E-974

Recessed model A, cast iron, push button, 115 volts with a flat grill E nozzle. (Note that the “E” comes on the other side of the dash than the Q – this is just a model number glitch.)

Congratulations. You are now an expert in the World Dryer Model A, B and AirMax hand dryer model numbers.

Here is your quiz. Decipher these two model numbers - from the most basic to the most complicated:

B-974

DXRM548-Q973AU

Answers:

Which hand dryer should I buy?

Summary:
Our number one recommendation is the World Dryer AirForce hand dryer. This is a high-speed hand dryer at a great price and one of the most energy efficient hand dryers in the world. If you are concerned with vandalism or noise levels, we recommend the high speed World Dryer AirMax Hand Dryer or the Model A Hand Dryer (more on these below.)

The AirForce hand dryer is new by World Dryer in 2008 and has a number of great features:

High speed
12 to 15 seconds to dry hands vs 30 – 40 seconds for traditional hand dryers. This is part of a new category of dryers in the same class as the Xlerator or the Dyson.

A high-speed hand dryer means:

1. Your customers are happier. They will be out of the restroom quickly and they will not feel inconvenienced by using a hand dryer versus paper towels. No more jokes about drying their hands on their pants, which will be a welcome relief for me.
2. More people will get through the restroom in less time. Key if you have a high-volume situation like a sports or entertainment venue.
3. Lower energy costs since the machines run for less time.

Low Energy
The AirForce consumes only 1,100 watts of electricity. There are only a handful of dryers that consume less – for example the Nova 1 hand dryer. But since the AirForce is ALSO a high-speed hand dryer, it runs for less time. The combination of high speed and low energy makes this one of the, if not the, most energy efficient hand dryers available anywhere and earns it a Greenspec listing.

It is important to note that even the standard hand dryers like the Model A (2300 watts for 30 second dry time) still do not use a lot of energy. The cost to run one Model A hand dryer at a fast food restaurant for a year can be about $100 depending on usage and energy costs. That might replace $900 worth of paper towels! And even though hand dryers do use energy, it takes MORE energy to manufacture the roughly 2.5 paper towels that you would have used to wash your hands than it takes to run even a standard 2300 watt dryer.

Size, weight and look (of the AirForce)
At 7 lbs, this hand dryer can be mounted almost anywhere in the restroom. It is also modern and stylish.

Hygienic
The World Dryer AirForce Hand Dryer has a nice smooth surface that does not collect dirt and grime as easily as a dryer that has crevices. The AirForce is therefore easier to keep clean.

The World Dryer AirForce is embedded with Steritouch™ anti-microbial. The anti-microbial is embedded in the painted cover (white or black) and also in the plastic components that are on the bottom (the part you might touch) and the inside of the dryer.

Noise level
Most high-speed hand dryers are louder than their lower-speed counter-parts. This is one of the trade-offs of using a high-speed hand drier. In our opinion, the extra noise does not make a big enough difference to counterbalance the benefits of the higher speed, but if the hand dryer is very close to a noise sensitive area, such as an office or classroom, you might want to consider a lower noise hand dryer like the Model A or the Nova 5 hand dryer.

Still, the AirForce has a lower noise level than many other high-speed hand dryers. With hands present, (and be careful, because a hand dryer is used with hands, so don’t accept comparisons without hands present. The sound of high-speed air hitting hands can be quiet loud) the AirForce has a dB rating of 85.1 dB. This compares to over 90 dB for other high speed hand dryers, 83.3 dB for the AirMax high speed hand dryer, and a quiet dB rating of 75 for the World Dryer Model A hand dryer. One of the reasons the AirForce can acheive this is the 11 air outlets that spread the air over the hands instead of just one nozzle.

Others are even quieter, like the Electric-Aire LE hand dryer which is only 70 dB. The LE hand dryer and others in its class use induction motors, unlike the brush motors of the other hand dryers we have been discussing. This makes them quieter, but you are giving up on speed-of-dry performance at the same time.

The AirForce is unique in that it has 11 air outlets instead of just one like many other dryers. This is one of the reasons the noise is dispersed. It also, in our opinion, makes it more comfortable to use since it covers the entire hand and doesn’t direct a concentrated jet of air at your hand that can be, well, quiet exciting.

Vandalism and durability
If you are in a high-use, high-vandalism scenario like certain roadway rest-stops, football stadiums, schools or fast food restaurants then having a tough hand dryer may be your first concern. We recommend the World Dryer AirMax high speed hand dryer. The AirMax is a 15 second hand dryer, so about the same as the AirForce, but still about twice as fast as the standard World Dryer Model A hand dryer - which is closer to 30 seconds. Since it uses the same amount of energy as the Model A but is about twice as fast, the AirMax hand dryer is twice as energy efficient as the Model A, which is why it earns the GreenSpec listing along with the extremely efficient AirForce.

The AirMax is built with the same tried and true and incredibly durable base and cover as the Model A. One of the cover options is the cast iron cover with a white porcelain enamel coating. The cast iron is literally bullet-proof (World Dryer has the squashed bullet to prove it) and the porcelain enamel vitreous coating makes the cast iron cover nearly scratch-proof. This is similar to an old fashioned heavy duty cast iron bath tub with its thick porcelain enamel coating.
The AirMax has a 10-year warranty on parts, 5 years on the motor and sensor and 3 years on the replaceable motor brushes. The AirForce has a 5 year warranty throughout. The Model A is the same as the AirMax but with a full 10 years on the motor.

If you want the same durability and vandal-resistance as the AirMax, but you also are looking for a quieter hand dryer, we recommend the Model A. As a 30 second dryer, this is also a very good dryer – in fact it has been the standard for many years – and it is still faster than many other dryers.

The AirMax and the Model A hand dryers come with many cover options, including cast iron, stainless steel (both cast and stainless are very good vandal-resistant materials) steel – still quite strong, but easier to scratch or dent than cast iron, and WorldStone, a very nice bulk molded compound. For more on hand dryer cover optons, please see: Cover Options. For information on push button vs automatic hand dryers, see push button vs automatic hand dryers. (I like automatic.)

So far we have discussed high speed and standard hand dryers. Here are some other hand dryer questions you should be thinking about.

ADA compliant hand dryers / recessed hand dryers
The American with Disabilities Act asks that items that are in a passageway protrude 4 inches or less off the wall. This is primarily to keep a blind person from bumping into something as they are walking. For ADA standards, click here: ADA

The easiest way to meet this standard is to mount your dryer out of a passageway – the end of a wall, for example, near a sink or behind a partition. If this is not possible, some hand dryers come in either a recessed version or with a recess kit that will make them ADA compliant.

There are a few dryers on the market that are ADA compliant even without a recess kit. For example, you can purchase the Nova 1 or 2 hand dryers, which are 4” off the wall even if surface mounted. These are also lower cost hand dryers, but on the other hand are not as durable or fast as some other dryers, so not appropriate for all settings.

• Nova 1 hand dryer
• Nova 2 hand dryers (higher air volume than the Nova 1)

The World Dryer Model A and AirMax series hand dryers are offered in very durable cast iron or stainless steel recessed versions. (For example, models RA5-Q974, XRA5-Q974, M5-Q974, XM5-Q975.) The recessed kit is included as part of the hand dryer. A space will need to be made in the wall to insert the dryers, so there is a little more construction than a surface-mounted hand dryer requires.



The AirForce hand dryer can be purchased along with an additional recess kit (KJR-973) into which the dryer fits.

You can also purchase a recess kit for the Airspeed and NoTouch hand dryers, but the dryer will still protrude more than 4” and so will NOT be ADA compliant if in a passageway, but will still take up less room.

Quiet Hand Dryers:
Below is a list of the noise ratings for various hand dryers. As a very general rule of thumb, the higher the noise level, the faster and more durable the dryer.

Induction motors
• Electric-Aire LE hand dryers 70 dBs
• Airspeed and NoTouch hand dryers 71 dBs
• Nova 4 hand dryers 74 dBs
• Nova 5 hand dryers 74 dBs



Brush Motors
• World Dryer Model A hand dryers 75 dBs
• World Dryer AirMax hand dryers 83 dBs
• World Dryer AirForce hand dryers 85 dBs

FYI, there are some high-speed hand dryers that can spike above 90 dBs when hands are present. (None of the above.)

Low Cost hand dryers:
If cost is your number one concern, look at these two hand dryers which are great values:

• Electric-Aire LE hand dryers
• Nova 1 hand dryer

Plug-in hand dryers
Having a plug-in hand dryer can be very convenient and a big cost saver. You will not need an electrician to mount the hand dryer for you and you can use an existing wall socket. In the US, there is only one plug-in hand dryer that I know of that is also a UL certified hand dryer (in the plug-in configuration) and that is the Nova 1 plug in hand dryer, model 0833.

It’s fairly easy to add a plug and cord to a 115 volt hand dryer and you can purchase almost any model in a plug-in version from some vendors. If you are buying a plug-in hand dryer other than the Nova 1, you should check to see if the manufacturer’s warranty and the UL certification are still valid if the dryer was altered outside of the factory. When the Nova 1 plug-in hand dryer was developed, special precautions were made so that the dryer would be considered safer and qualify for UL approval.