Proper # of Dryers

[Avery]

Hi: I have always felt I needed more dryer pockets and am looking to replace some singles with stacks. I would appreciate your opinions on a good way to calculate the proper # of dryers in comparison to washers. Thanks

[Howard]

I have found that a one-to-one ratio works well. Now there is a caveat here. The one-to-one deals with two items. You should have as many or more dryers as washers. But the weight capacity of the dryers should also be the same or more than the weight capacity of the washers. Obviously, the more dryers you have the better, but this 1:1 rule seems to work fairly well.

[Trab]

I agree with Howard's analogy. I would say that a 1:1 ratio is the minimum. I know, my ratio is less than 1:1 and during peak periods I have people waiting. I am slowly but surely replacing single pocket dryers with stacks. However, I am only replacing the singles when I can afford it. Howard stated the capacity of the dryer is important too. I agree. Depending on the size of your laundry, I would have at least one dryer with a greater than 30 lbs. capacity. Charge a premium for the larger dryers. The customers will pay it.

[Gary_Crosby]

I would say to go more than 1:1 The last thing a customer wants to do is wait for a dryer. I have 2 extra dryers now and am looking at putting in 2 more.
Gary

[ndennis]

I just did a quick check with 3 other coin-ops in Melbourne Australia. The average mix is about 1# washing to 1.5# of drying. I have 1.7# of drying to 1# of washing. I was the highest, the lowest was 1.3# of drying. All coin-ops were approximately the same size. There was a mix of dryers in only 2 coin-ops (30# stacks and 50#'ers) the other 2 had single 30#er's.

It has been my experience that there is a lot more "Drying Only" in the cooler Southern part of Australia, this may be the reason that the mix is slightly higher than in the US. We not have a back-log of drying in the summer months. Yes there is ocassionally a back log in winter.

In my visits to the US we generally do our washing mid week and to the best of my memory (yeh I am starting to suffer from old timers)we have not had to wait for dryers.

That my threepence (trays) worth.

An amazing fact.

Did you know that the spin cycle on a washing machine does not make worms dizzy, However it sure as hell does make cats dizzy.

In 1981 Bill Gates is reputed to have said that 640K of memory ought to be enough for anyone.

[Howard]

Obviously, more dryers will give customers less wait time, but you must trade-off the cost for all the extra capacity and the value of that space in your mat. Twice the dryer capacity to washer capacity would be great, but not very economical. I have found that most of the mats I visit are around the 1:1 ratio. That seems to leave enough dryer capacity in all but the busiest peak periods. You need to justify if adding more capacity to prevent any waits ever is worth the cost to you.

[ndennis]

Point taken re the extra capacity and cost. As our coin-ops are much smaller we probably DO need a higher ration of dryers to washers to you guys.