How does an electric heated towel rail work?

It's hard to imagine a bathroom without a heated towel rail. The presence of this attribute allows it to be used not only for drying clothes, but also to maintain the required temperature and humidity indoors.

The design features of plumbing fixtures allow them to be divided into:

• electrical;
• water;
• combined.

Most consumers use water equipment to dry clothes. The use of such a design is possible only if there is a supply of utility networks to the required premises. The inability to connect to hot water supply or heating forces the consumer to think about purchasing and installing an electrical appliance.

What does an electric heated towel rail consist of?

The appearance of plumbing equipment for drying electric towels is no different from their water counterparts. The same forms of intertwined coils in the form of the letters S, U or M. Particularly popular are models in the form of ladders, with a large number of horizontal partitions. Like water ones, the body is made of chrome-plated elements, complementing the shine of other plumbing attributes of the bathroom. Some models of heated towel rails are painted, thanks to which they fit into the desired interior.

An electrical device consists of aluminum, brass or steel pipes, a heating element and a temperature controller. Some models are equipped with sensors to maintain the required microclimate. Distinctive external components from water ones are a visible thermostat and a power connection wire.

Operating principle of an electric heated towel rail

The towel dryer only works when connected to the mains. Through the temperature controller, which gives the command to turn on in autonomous mode, current is supplied to the heating element. As the latter, a dry or wet heating element is used, which heats the curved surface of the heated towel rail. The heating element can also be a cable located inside a tubular structure for drying clothes.

Types of electric heated towel rails

Today, consumers are offered a large selection of different models. Depending on the shape of the plumbing fixture, there are:

• M-shaped (conventional coils).
• S-shaped.
• Ladders.
• U-shaped (or U).

In addition to the shape, the difference may be the size of the unit.

IMPORTANT!

Unlike water units, the thermal power of electric heated towel rails does not depend on size. The heat transfer of electrical appliances is directly proportional to the amount of electricity consumed.

According to the operating principle heating element, the equipment is:

• with wet heating element;
• with dry heating element;
• with heating cable.

The presence of a wet heating element allows the use of heating technology in combined type heated towel rails. Such devices can operate using two heat sources: hot water supply (heating) or electricity.

ATTENTION!

Turning on such a unit when the water or heating is turned off and there is no heating liquid in the cavity entails failure of the heating element.

The use of a wet-type heating element allows the use of not only water, but also oil in closed-circuit devices.

IMPORTANT!

The heated towel rail is positioned so that the heating element is located at the bottom of the unit. Externally, this is due to the location of the thermostat.

Equipment with dry heating element less demanding on installation location. There is no liquid in these units, and a dry heating element, evenly located over the entire surface of the pipes, instantly heats the surface of the plumbing fixture. Such designs are more durable and economical in energy consumption.

Heated towel rails recently appeared on the consumer market and managed to gain great popularity due to increased efficiency and variety of design. The basis of the design is a special electrical wire, which, when connected to the network, heats up and transfers heat to the shell. This cable is built into the internal cavity of the pipes of the plumbing fixture and serves as a source of thermal energy. Such designs have lower electricity consumption than dry heating elements by 100–300 W, with the same heat transfer characteristics. The service life exceeds analogues by 5–10 years.

What are the benefits of such a unit?

Let us highlight several obvious advantages of the unit:

• The use of water heated towel rails does not allow for proper heating of the bathroom of an apartment building, due to the unstable flow of coolant through the pipes of the plumbing fixture. For this reason, damp places constantly appear in the room, and subsequently mold and mildew appear. The electric unit will warm up the required space properly and prevent dampness.
• Equipping with humidity and temperature sensors increases the cost of the equipment.But, during operation, it allows the heated towel rail to consume less electricity to maintain the required microclimate. Purchasing and installing an electrical unit will forever rid the room of the possibility of mold.
• The advantage of such devices is the ability to move and connect to another wall or to another room. Water structures are deprived of such a resource due to the specifics of the connection.

When choosing plumbing equipment, it is important to pay attention to the thermal characteristics, which show the possibility of application for the required area of ​​​​the room. The correct selection will determine the comfortable microclimate of the bathroom.