How to choose a heated towel rail for a comfortable and warm bathroom?
Even from a simple heated towel rail, designers can make an exquisite piece of furniture, completely changing our idea of household items and plumbing. Earlier, few people thought about how to choose the right heated towel rail. The object performed an exclusively utilitarian function - wet bath towels were thrown over it for quick drying. And now you want to choose heated towel rails with maximum efficiency, economy, benefits for the family and the bathroom.
What are the types of heated towel rails?
It is simply necessary to choose a heated towel rail in the bathroom in the following cases:
- the bathroom project is large, it needs to be regularly warmed up and the towel dryer will thus serve as a necessary source of heat;
- a large family lives in the house, which means that additional space for drying things after washing will not be superfluous;
- a good, solid repair has been made in the bathroom, therefore dampness and moisture in it are unacceptable. The heated towel rail will keep the air dry and at the optimum temperature.
How to choose a heated towel rail if you want to combine aesthetics and practicality in a single device? The market offers models of traditional forms and design solutions that will not let you get bored in the atmosphere of timeless classics.
Among the original, unusual proposals: models in the form of flowers, stars, futuristic shapes, with mirrors. They are designed more for heating the room, because drying things on them is not so convenient. Large towels cannot be hung up to dry thoroughly.
If you need a practical functional model, it is better to choose a heated towel rail in the traditional design - in the form of a snake or a ladder. The wide bars are designed for drying clothes and small textiles. Symmetry of forms will easily flow into a project of any design, and simple lines and laconic performance do not become obsolete over the years.
Which heated towel rail is better - water or electric?
Thinking about which heated towel rail to choose, you will come across two types of appliances: water and electric.
The heated towel rail is heated by hot water flowing through the water pipe. The temperature of the dryer is the same as the water supplied to the population - it can be cooler in summer and warmer in winter. In more expensive models, there is a power regulator that allows you to additionally heat the water to the desired temperature, up to 100 degrees. Some appliances have a temperature indicator to show if it's time to warm up the water in the appliance.
An electric heated towel rail is powered by an electricity source and can be placed on any bathroom wall that has a power outlet. This is a convenient option if hot water is not available in your area all the time, with different temperatures, and you do not want to depend on these factors.
Choosing a model for the required power
When choosing a specific model, you need to consider that the most powerful electric heated towel rail is not always the best. It is better to choose the device based on the size of the room. Otherwise, the over-consumed energy for heating the bathroom will be reflected in unpleasant numbers in the bills of payment for electricity.
How to calculate the required power of an electric heated towel rail?
For example, when calculating the power, we proceed from the fact that for 1 sq.m. accounts for 100 watts of energy and the temperature for warming up the room will be approximately 18 degrees.For the bathroom, this is a low temperature. Indeed, at high humidity, the human body is very sensitive to cold.
According to experts, the optimal parameter is 140 watts. for 1 sq. m. Thus, for a bathroom of 4 sq.m. a model with a power of 140x4 = 560 watts is required. Heated towel rails with lower power will not be able to properly warm up the room to 22-24 degrees. If you do not need to heat the bathroom from a heated towel rail, then you can get by with a low-power model. It will be powerful enough to keep the towels dry. In addition, if a breakdown occurs, then the repair of a low-power model will be cheaper.
Which heated towel rail is better than electric or water - compare characteristics
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Installation and connection
Electric models does not need to be connected to the water supply system... Connecting them is easier than installing a water heated towel rail. Very important: when installing an electrical device, maximum electrical insulation is required. In a room with high humidity - this type is the bathroom - the slightest leakage of current poses a threat to human life. It is necessary to carefully check the quality of the wiring to which the wires will be connected. When installing an electrical device, work is carried out on the installation of grounding and on the connection of the RCD. It will protect the device against voltage surges.
There are two options for connecting an electric heated towel rail:
- Connection to a socket in the bathroom.
- Plug into a socket outside the bathroom.
Option number 1 - connecting to an outlet in the bathroom
This option is convenient to use if the device does not have a thermostat that turns off the heated towel rail at a certain temperature. To prevent energy wasted, the plug is removed from the socket and the device is turned off.
For the bathroom it is necessary to apply sockets with waterproof housing... The cable to the outlet is either from the lamp or from another room. The socket should have an insulating cover, and the wires should lie deep in the strobe.
You cannot put an outlet on a wall adjacent to the street. The resulting condensation can cause a short circuit. It is better to put the socket on the wall overlooking the corridor or the room.
Option number 2 - outlet of the outlet outside the bathroom
This installation option is considered the most correct and safe.
Using a puncher, a hole is drilled in the wall into the adjacent room. This is usually the kitchen. If the cable has to be laid in the bathroom, then it must be led in a groove at a height of 10 cm from the floor. This is done to avoid short circuits in the event of a flood.
To connect the device to electricity costs call a professional electrician... Moisture and current are very dangerous together. It is better to trust a professional than to suffer from a mistake.
How to choose an electric heated towel rail?
To choose an electric heated towel rail, it is worth appreciating the advantages of this device: the ability to regulate the temperature of heating the water, freedom of installation site, elegant appearance.It is advantageous to choose electric heated towel rails due to their durability, because salts do not accumulate inside the pipes, and the inner coating does not deteriorate.
- When choosing, give preference to models with automatic shutdown when the water is heated to a predetermined temperature in order to economically use energy resources.
- Pay attention to the diameter of the dryer pipe. It must match the diameter of the water supply pipe.
- The installation of the device should be carried out only by a professional master who will select the sockets, carry out high-quality installation and protect the owners from electric shock.
Taking into account the requirements for water pipes when choosing a heated towel rail
Before buying, you need to find out what the operating and peak pressure in the DHW system and the inner diameter of the pipe are. And also determine the connection method: directly or according to the principle of a heat exchanger.
Before installing, inspect the DHW system for leaks, corrosion or kinks. If the pipes are old or the water is hard, you need to install special filters, which will have to be cleaned after a while.
If the pipe in the places of installation does not meet the requirement, the damaged section should be replaced.
It is best when the house has its own hot water or heating system, in which you can independently control the temperature, pressure and quality of water. Installation should be carried out by a specialist with a plumbing education or someone who has knowledge and experience in working with hot water systems. Before buying, you should study the passport of the heated towel rail, its strengths and weaknesses. And also compare the peak pressure in the DHW system with the maximum allowed for a heated towel rail.
Important!
To install the coil in the bathroom, you need to match the diameters of the heated towel rail with the DHW pipe. And also select a material that can withstand the peak pressure in the system. This is especially true in multi-storey buildings, where the pressure in the pipe is very high and the water is of poor quality.
Which is the best water heated towel rail?
How to choose a water heated towel rail among dozens of economical and practical options? Each of them seems decent in performance and interesting in design.
The dryer can be with bottom and side connections, this point needs to be thought out before buying so that the device fits in shape and size to the water supply pipe. The device operates under stressful conditions, dealing with strong pressure, high temperatures, in contact with hot water, the temperature of which can reach boiling. Scale accumulates inside the pipes, which can clog the pipes, after which repair or even replacement of the device is required. What to buy a water-type heated towel rail so that it can last a couple of decades?
- the device must be made of durable, thickened stainless steel, which is highly safe for use in hot water supply systems. The black steel model will also be of high quality;
- rotary models will appeal to everyone who loves multifunctional devices. In the catalogs of foreign manufacturers, you will find options for dryers that unfold 180 degrees. This is convenient if you need to hang a lot of things or turn off the device to wash the wall;
- the diameter of the pipes affects not only functionality, but also aesthetics in the interior. The thinner the dryer bars, the better the design looks.
About technical characteristics and forms
Dryers are chosen according to the following parameters:
- maximum pressure. Products are produced for 6, 8, 12 and 15 atm .;
- heat transfer. Depends on the size of the product and the diameter of the pipe, the area of the bathroom is selected accordingly;
- connecting size. It is desirable that it correspond to the diameter of the pipeline, but this is not critical: if there is a mismatch, a transition sleeve is used;
- interaxal space.This is the distance between the axes of the connecting pipes;
- type of work environment.
By the type of working environment, dryers are divided into two types:
- for connection to the heating system;
- for hot water supply: more resistant to aggressive effects.
Dryers are produced in the following forms:
- U-shaped
- M-shaped
- "zigzag";
- "Ladder". As with the zigzag, there are several bars to accommodate more items;
- drop-shaped. Interesting, unusual shape. Thanks to her, the dryer turns into a stylish interior decoration;
- cascade. Also a very attractive design solution and at the same time very practical - it allows you to dry many things at the same time.
Heated towel rail of non-standard shape
In addition to the listed basic forms, there are other, non-standard ones.
How to choose a stainless steel heated towel rail?
What kind of heated towel rail to choose water or electric so that it will last at least a dozen years without failures and replacement? When choosing, you should pay attention to the material of manufacture, because it depends on it how hardy and wear-resistant the device will be:
- copper dryers have won the status of those "eternal" devices with which there is no hassle. But their price is never low, these are the most expensive models on the plumbing market;
- made of black steel - a budget option, but does not differ in durability. Among the disadvantages of devices made of black steel, a tendency to form rust, thin pipe walls, colored or chrome plating quickly peels off;
- made of stainless steel - the most demanded option at an affordable price and with good quality indicators. Design solutions are not limited to metallic colors. Many brands produce painted towel warmers with a glossy surface in a wide range of colors to suit any interior. If you are faced with the question of which heated towel rail is better than stainless steel or brass, give preference to stainless steel. Brass, copper, aluminum models are not strong enough when exposed to regular contact with hot water.
How to establish a marriage or fake model
It has long been known that any plumbing in demand is counterfeited by unscrupulous companies. In order not to purchase such a low-quality model, similar to a well-known brand, attention is focused on some details of the device:
- Quality of welded seams, their visibility on the surface;
- The operability of the shut-off valves - the Mayevsky crane;
- The quality of the polishing material on the surface of the structure;
- The quality of the manufacture of the fasteners of the model;
- The quality and quantity of rubber gaskets;
- The thread pitch is clear, not broken.
The easiest way to find out which company the device is from is to take a quality certificate from the seller.
