Which heated towel rail pads are best?
Taking advantage of the benefits of apartment civilization, we sometimes forget about how things work and where things come from. Let's talk about plumbing, and more specifically about heated towel rails. Their convenience is undeniable: the device perfectly dries towels and linen using hot running water.
It’s a wonderful thing, there’s no cost, but it’s useful in the household. Any installed device, especially in a plumbing system, requires periodic inspection and maintenance. Heated towel rails have a component that requires careful monitoring; these are sealing gaskets at the junction of the connection to the water supply network of the house. Water leakage at the joint is observed quite often.
The reasons for this may be different:
- Poor installation, poorly performed work on connecting to the hot water supply system.
- The defect is in the heated towel rail itself.
- Leaks in gaskets.
Among the above reasons, the failure of gaskets is most often noted. For use in pipe installation, several gasket options are offered, differing in thickness and material.
The content of the article
Silicone pads for heated towel rails
These are gaskets that have long been used in the installation of water pipes. Their characteristics are very similar to their rubber counterparts. They have elasticity, no odor, no harmful components.
They can withstand pressures up to 500 Bar, operating temperatures up to +350 °C. It is advisable to replace it every two years.
Fluoroplastic pads
The material appears to be light in color and feels quite hard to the touch. According to its characteristics, it is resistant to temperatures: from -120 ° C to +150 ° C, withstands pressure up to 160 Bar and aggressive environments. It worked great when used.
It does not get crushed when the knots are tightly tightened, since the edges of the pipes in the places where they are drawn to the taps are quite sharp.
Rubber and paronite seals
Which heated towel rail pads are best? Rubber gaskets are made from hard rubber materials. The advantage is the low price, wide range of sizes. Compared to other products, the service life is the shortest, only about a year.
Important! If the knots are tightened tightly, there is a risk of puncturing the material. Use temperature: from – 20 °C to +90 °C.
Paronitaceae. They are made from a material that contains rubber and asbestos. The disadvantage is the content of harmful substances in the material due to asbestos. Although its size is small, the harm, although small, is caused.
Operating characteristics: withstands temperatures up to +2000, up to 60 Bar (for reinforced) and up to 40 Bar (for non-reinforced). Application is noted on large pipelines of main networks.
To summarize, we can say that the leader today, especially for use on heated towel rails, is fluoroplastic gaskets. Silicone analogues are second in terms of performance characteristics. Next, rubber and paronite options complete the list.