Nozzles part two: Sound levels

Every force dryer is loud. Some moreso than others. There are numerous ways to lower the noiselevel from the motor of the dryer but there will always be air noise to deal with. There are many things you can do to reduce that noise level as well.

The way each nozzle is designed will result in a distinct sound and more or less decibles being created by the air noise. 

Cone shaped nozzles tend to be more high pitched (think whistling) due to the air being forced at a high rate of speed out of a  small, circular opening. Also, the way they hit the skin of the dog in such a concentrated way makes for more noise. They have their benefits, when removing matting or undercoat however because of the concentrated airflow. It will literaly push the mat away from the skin with the circular motion the air is creating.

Flat thinly shaped water strippers make much less noise because they are flat, which prevents the air from spinning and because the area is wider, the air makes less nosie when it hits the skin. Because it acts like a "peeler" the narrow flat action of the air moving sweeps water ahead of the nozzle, off the dogs. It will remove more water faster than a round or cone nozzle will.

Then there is the wider flat nozzle. It is the most quiet of the three types of nozzles I have been discussing. Because the nozzle is flat and wider it disperses the air over a larger area, softening the air pressure as it hits the skin. Since the air is dispersed it makes it a great nozzle for fluffing coats and for puppies or dogs that dislike the drying process.

Another issue to take into account when reducing noise levels is the table top material. Flat or pebbled surfaces will be much quieter than a ribbed table top. The air bounces off the ridged tops, making more noise whereas it slides across the smoother tops.

To avoid the air hitting the table top at ALL I use a table cover. tht provides an absorbent material to catch and hold water that is removed from the dog as well as making a smooth surface for the air to hit. By hanging a quilt or womsehitng like it, on the back of the drying area you reduce the backflow of water onto the dogs, reduce noise because the fabric absorbs the noise and it also catches water. Add into it that it makes cleaning the wall behind the staion a breeze because you simply toss it into the washer as needed.

Drying in a tub is less efficient AND louder than drying on a table. The tub surface allows for the air to bounce all around the tub echoing and amplifying, making the noise level much more of an issue than the table creates.  Also, because of the hard surfaces in the tub, the water bounces back up onto the dogs, making drying less efficient in my opinion.

I made this small video clip to show you the loudness differences in the drying nozzles. 

 

You can also see the size of the area covered by the nozzle on the drying table.

The next article on this subject will discuss how the different nozzles affect the lay of the coat as well ashow to dry correctly for the best results.

Comments

[Order Elier]

Very nice article. I certainly appreciate this website. Keep it up!