hand dryers in a nursery school

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jaylectricity

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
Installing XLerator hand dryers. The specs state that they draw 7.0 amps at 208 Volts. It's a nursery school with 4 classrooms. Each classroom has a bathroom which will have a hand dryer, and another hand dryer just outside of the bathroom.

I have 2 groups of four that I'd like to feed with two 30 amp circuits, supplied by 10-2 MC. There will also be 2 other units that are grouped together in the hallway bathrooms. Is it safe to assume that all 10 units won't be used at the same time? Or should I just run one more circuit (20 amp) for the 2 other units? Or am I maybe pushing it by trying to fit 4 of them on one 30 amp circuit? All units are within 100' of the circuit panel. 4 of them are within 20' of the panel.
 
ceb58

ceb58

Senior Member
Location
Raeford, NC
jaylectricity said:
Installing XLerator hand dryers. The specs state that they draw 7.0 amps at 208 Volts. It's a nursery school with 4 classrooms. Each classroom has a bathroom which will have a hand dryer, and another hand dryer just outside of the bathroom.

I have 2 groups of four that I'd like to feed with two 30 amp circuits, supplied by 10-2 MC. There will also be 2 other units that are grouped together in the hallway bathrooms. Is it safe to assume that all 10 units won't be used at the same time? Or should I just run one more circuit (20 amp) for the 2 other units? Or am I maybe pushing it by trying to fit 4 of them on one 30 amp circuit? All units are within 100' of the circuit panel. 4 of them are within 20' of the panel.
Click to expand...

I think I would be safe and run the 20amp circ. Are the units the type that turn off when the button is released? Wouldn't want little Johnnie running around seeing how many he can get running at once
 
jaylectricity

jaylectricity

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Occupation
licensed journeyman electrician
iwire said:
Do the instructions allow a 30 amp supply circuit?
Click to expand...

I don't have the instructions yet. Just a spec sheet the supplier provided for me. I'm just trying to give a quote (which I'm terrible at), maybe I'll just assume the worst. The supplier already showed me the quote from the other guy.

westelectric said:
may even be a pain in the butt with solid #10's in the wiring compartment
Click to expand...

Yeah, maybe I should consider only putting two per circuit.

Mgraw said:
I agree. Many of these hand dryer manufacturers limit 120v models to 20 amp circuits and 208-240v models to 15 amp circuits.
Click to expand...

A 15 amp circuit for 208? Why is that?
 
A

Article 90.1

Senior Member
I can see them all being used at once:

Teacher: "Ok as we go inside from the playground, I need all of you to wash your hands..."

Jay,
Sounds like a good job. But personally I hate those hand dryers, there too damn loud! What are they trying to do, deafen those kids?
 
renosteinke

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
Well ... since you asked a design question ...

What about GFCI protection? If it's a nursery school / day care center, there might very well be a "Dept. of Social Services" (or some such agency) with its' own requirements, and GFI protection might be needed.

This has bearing, as every motor is going to leak some current. Several dryers might result in nuisance tripping of the GFCI. Perhaps more circiuits is the way to go,
 
PetrosA

PetrosA

Senior Member
Location
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I have to agree with Article 90.1 on this. I don't use them myself anymore because they hurt my ears. I can only imagine what they do to the sensitive hearing of little kids. Aside from that, I agree that more circuits is probably better. I'd press for exact specs from the manufacturer for sizing and fusing.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
From the Excel website.

Units are 1500 Watts and available as Specified in:
110/120V 12.5 Amp 60 Hz
208V 7.0 Amp 60 Hz
220/240 6.5 Amp 60 Hz
277V 5.5 Amp 60 Hz
Click to expand...

I could not find instructions for these on the web site.

Now as far as the NEC.

422.11 Overcurrent Protection. Appliances shall be protected
against overcurrent in accordance with 422.11(A)
through (G) and 422.10.

(A) Branch-Circuit Overcurrent Protection. Branch circuits
shall be protected in accordance with 240.4.
If a protective device rating is marked on an appliance,
the branch-circuit overcurrent device rating shall not exceed
the protective device rating marked on the appliance.
Click to expand...
 
M

Mgraw

Senior Member
Location
Opelousas, Louisiana
Occupation
Electrician
From Excel's 3 part CSI specs
1. Power Source: 110/120 volt, 15 amp, 60 Hz.
2. Power Source: 110/120 volt, 20 amp, 60 Hz.
3. Power Source: 208/230 volt, 10 amp, 60 Hz.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Mgraw said:
From Excel's 3 part CSI specs
1. Power Source: 110/120 volt, 15 amp, 60 Hz.
2. Power Source: 110/120 volt, 20 amp, 60 Hz.
3. Power Source: 208/230 volt, 10 amp, 60 Hz.
Click to expand...


I believe that would be the current draw not necessarily the max OCPD.
 
M

Mgraw

Senior Member
Location
Opelousas, Louisiana
Occupation
Electrician
Well I couldn't find installation instructions on Excels website but there is a company called Sloan that sells the Xlerator under their own name. Here is their specs.
"Connect a 110/120V dryer to a 15 Amp. branch circuit using at least
#12 GA copper wire. (Do not exceed a 20 Amp. branch circuit).
Connect a 220/240V dryer to no more than a 15 Amp. branch circuit
using at least a #14 GA copper wire. Attach lines to terminals as
indicated by the schematic inside dryer cover. Be sure that an
equipment ground wire is securely fastened to green ground screw on
base plate. For runs over 50 feet or for multiple installations, increase
the size of the wire used. Dryers located in shower rooms or other wet
locations should be installed with circuits protected by ground fault
interrupter(s) or as local codes require."
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If 30 amp is allowed, why should 4 of them on a circuit be a problem?

7 x 4 = 28. They are not a continuous load, they automatically turn off after a short time.
 
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