Heated towel rail dimensions

A common attribute of the bathroom is a heated towel rail. The correct choice of size and connection to communications will allow this plumbing fixture to fulfill not only its intended purpose, but also to create the desired microclimate indoors. A large selection of models offered by manufacturers will help you decorate your bathroom in the desired style and emphasize the direction of the interior.

What sizes of heated towel rails are there?

First of all, let us highlight the differences between plumbing fixtures based on their operating principle. There are three types of structures:

• electrical;
• water;
• combined.

The housing layout of apartment buildings involves installing a stainless steel heated towel rail in the bathroom and connecting it to a hot water supply or heating system (in old houses). Therefore, water-based plumbing fixtures are very popular. The simplicity of design and connection makes them popular. The peculiarity of the work is that the surface is heated only when hot water (heating) is turned on.

Electric heated towel rails are turned on in the required mode, and this allows you to be independent from the operation of the water supply. The complexity of the design makes the equipment expensive, which helps reduce demand.

REFERENCE! Unlike water ones, electrical appliances are installed in the location desired by the user. To connect, a household electrical outlet is sufficient. Electrical wiring is installed using a waterproof method.

A combined type heating device is installed if the consumer wishes to use two types of heating for greater operating efficiency.

dimensions

Since Soviet times, a prototype of a heated towel rail in the form of a coil of the same size has been developed. Progress does not stand still and, today, manufacturers of sanitary equipment offer a large selection of equipment for drying towels, which differ in shape and size. Externally, the devices are:

• M-shaped (conventional coils);
• U-shaped;
• ladders (with or without shelf);
• S-shaped;
• other designs.

These structures have different overall dimensions, both in height and width. Plumbing manufacturers try to maintain the standard height of the coils, which is used for the usual connection to the hot water riser, while the length and internal weave of the pipes are done in different ways. Other configurations of heated towel rails have no restrictions on dimensions, and if the consumer wishes, custom designs are made according to the specified dimensions.

The smallest plumbing fixture for drying towels has dimensions of 400x500 mm. Such a unit will be convenient for use in a small bathroom, or when installed as an additional heated towel rail.

Characteristic for devices that resemble a letter is the elongation of the structure. For example,

• M-shaped: height – 55 cm, length 50–120 cm;
• U-shaped, with a height of 30 cm, have a length of 50–90 cm.

For plumbing fixtures in the form of a ladder, more often, on the contrary, the height is greater than the length. For example, with a structure width of 50 cm, the vertical dimension ranges from 60 cm to 130 cm. At the same time, the width can also change.

When it comes to standard sizes, this means that the applicant for a plumbing fixture is talking about the accepted height for connecting to a hot water supply riser. It is also possible to unofficially standardize the rounded dimensions of any structures. Let's say 60x80 cm, 50x90 cm or 60x120 cm, etc.

REFERENCE! Plumbing sales representatives sometimes also refer to the size of the pipes of the equipment they offer. This indicator affects the thermal characteristics of the equipment.

Connection

Depending on the type of installation to the required utility network, the connection of a plumbing fixture can have the following types:

• vertical (straight);
• bottom (horizontal);
• diagonal.

The diagonal connection method is considered effective in terms of heat transfer. But its use is not always convenient and requires design features for the water supply. The remaining two methods allow you to clearly mount the unit to the required utility networks and use it comfortably.

The connection diameter of heated towel rails has a threaded design and is calculated in inch values. Most manufactured devices are made with 1/2" internal thread. Considering the large number of manufactured products and manufacturing companies, not everyone makes exactly this design for connecting to network pipes. The size can be 3/4" or 1", and the thread is made both external and internal.

IMPORTANT! Modern devices for lower and diagonal connections are equipped with a Mayevsky tap.During installation, it must be installed and used when filling the system! If the equipment is connected from below, it will be impossible to ventilate the unit without this tap!

The purchase of a device for drying towels is conditioned by its further installation in the required location. Depending on the distance between the connection pipes, select the required option. When carrying out repairs in an apartment or house, it is advisable to purchase equipment before laying the utility lines. In this case, the pipe supply is made according to the size of the plumbing fixture.

How to choose the right heated towel rail size

The specificity of choosing the size of equipment for drying towels lies in determining the thermal power of the device, which is directly dependent on the dimensions. The larger the size and number of intertwined pipes of the structure, the better the ability to heat the room in which installation is required.

Heating area

When delving into thermal calculations of the efficiency of heating a bathroom using a heated towel rail, you come across indicators that no one ever pays attention to. For example:

• number of weaves or jumpers;
• material of construction;
• diameter of main and auxiliary pipes;
• coolant temperature (hot water);
• coolant supply mode (frequency of DHW use);
• area of ​​the plumbing fixture.

It will take a lot of time to study and understand all the components that affect the heat transfer of towel drying equipment. Relying on rough calculations by experienced specialists, they take the thermal power of the coils, with an overall size of 500x1000 mm, equal to:

• 0.5 kW, when connected to a heating system;
• 0.2 kW – for hot water supply.

Based on the existing rules for selecting heating equipment (1 kW per 10 sq. m), it is clear that such a plumbing device will heat a bathroom up to 5 sq. m. m, when connected to heating. Connecting to a hot water supply will allow you to heat a room up to 2 square meters. m. Most private bathrooms in apartment buildings have this area. The presented figures allow you to understand the difference in thermal power for different methods of connecting to communications, and determine the required size of the heated towel rail.

IMPORTANT! Connection to the heating system allows you to heat the room and laundry only in winter.

When choosing a size, take into account the length and height of the wall space on which the plumbing fixture will be installed. The wishes of the consumer for ease of use of the equipment are also important. The upper part is accessible without much effort, and the side dimensions should be 10–20 cm away from the walls, door frames or furniture for ease of use.

The thermal power, which is taken as calculated, is taken for a conventional M-shaped device. If the coil is supplemented with auxiliary pipes, or the structural ladder has a large number of frequent partitions, then the heat transfer of the device will be approximately 1.5 times greater than the calculated one.

When choosing an electric heated towel rail, you need to check its thermal characteristics with the seller. The size of electrical equipment is not fundamental in determining heating power. The efficiency of heating a room of electrical appliances is usually directly proportional to current consumption. If the device consumes 500 W, then it will heat a room of up to 5 square meters. m.

Having studied the features of choosing the sizes and connections of heated towel rails, you can safely go in search of the required equipment for the bathroom.