Almost no bathroom costs without a heated towel rail. This uncomplicated device has two functions: drying wet clothing and bath towels, heating the bathroom with excess moisture from it. Replacing the heated towel rail, as a rule, is made when carrying out a common repairs in the bathroom, if it is not connected with its breakdown. This operation can independently make an unprofessional fitter with elementary locksmith skills. This work must be considered very responsible. Moreover, both at the stage of choosing the part itself and in the installation phase. On how to choose and replace the towel rail in the apartment or house - hereinafter.

Types of towel rail for the bathroom

Unlike the era of the "total deficit", currently the choice of such devices is quite wide and allows you to choose the most optimal option based on the specified conditions. Heated towel rail can be divided into three categories.

Water heated towel rails. They are a metal coil, through which the circulation of heated water occurs. Such devices have two connection options:

• To the heating system.
• To the system of hot water supply.

As a rule, the first option for connecting the heated towel rail was used in old houses, which were equipped with gas water heaters, that is, did not have centralized hot water supply. The disadvantages of this connection can be called:

• High pressure in the system. In the heating systems, the pressure of the coolant reaches 8 bar, which places high demands both to the instruments themselves and the quality of their installation.
• Inability to use in summer. When connecting a heated towel rail to the heating system, it will not work in the summer.

The advantages of connecting to the heating system include the fact that the temperature of the coolant in it is much higher than in the hot water supply system, respectively, things to dry will be faster.

Electric heated towel rails. These are quite new devices that work independently of the supply of heating or hot water. Such autonomy has great advantages:

• First, it can be installed anywhere, regardless of the supply of pipes.
• Secondly, such devices have a smaller accident, and even with the breakdown of its consequences are not so catastrophic.

The principle of action of such devices is to heat the electrical spiral inside the casing. Having thermoregulation systems, such heated towel rails are not too power-intensive. In addition, the user can decide when and at what temperature mode turn on the device. True, installing an electric heated towel, it is necessary to think about gaining wiring.

There are also combined devicesHowever, at the expense of a high price, they have not yet gained popularity among buyers.

How to choose a towel drying

The first criterion for choosing a water heated towel rail - working pressure. If the device is connected to a central heating system or hot water supply, it will have to withstand high pressure. According to GOST, all shut-off valves and pipes must be calculated for pressure of at least 6 atm. Although, according to the rules, it should not exceed 4 atm. In reality, due to obsolete systems, the pressure in them can "jump" from 2 to 8 atm. Therefore, the walls of such devices must be made of thick-walled pipes.

If the heated towel rail will be installed in a private house, where the pressure in the heating system does not exceed 2 atm., The special requirements for its choice are not presented.

The second criterion for which it is necessary to choose a heated towel rail is the material. The most optimal choice is the stainless steel. Products made of special steel have an excellent "price-quality" ratio, which is very important in our time. Such devices look very attractive, especially chrome, and easily fit into any interior. High quality stainless steel serves quite a long time.

Devices from ferrous metals are better acquired for private houses. The fact is that water in centralized heating systems is not too good quality due to the high content of chlorine and high rigidity. Because of this, a lime flare is postponed on the inner surfaces of the pipes, reducing their permeability. Also, these factors cause metal corrosion, which reduces the time of the heated towel rail. The advantage of ferrous metal products can be called their price, which is much lower than in stainless steel, brass or aluminum.

Recently, heated towel rails from aluminum and brass have become popular. Basically, they are used in systems with low pressure. The advantage of such models is their low weight and resistance to corrosion. The disadvantages include high cost.

Installation of electric heated towel rail in the bathroom with their own hands

Install the electric heated towel rail is not difficult when certain construction skills.

Installation order:

1. At the start of repair in the bathroom, it is necessary to immediately plan, in which place this element will be. To this place it is necessary to bring a fairly reliable electrical cable.
2. If the repair is simultaneously produced in the entire apartment or house, then the perfect version would be the laying of a separate cable from the distribution box to the heated towel rail, with the installation of a separate automatic fuse. If there is no such possibility, it is necessary to connect the heating instrument to the most powerful of the trails going around the apartment. The fact is that the power consumption of such an appliance can be up to 2 kW, and in case of installing poor-quality wiring under it, or leave the old, it can occur.
3. Connecting a towel rail can be made as detachable (simply turn it on to the existing socket), and it is not enough when the wire connections are "hiding" under the tile. In the first case, at least the device and looks less aesthetically, however, it can be removed without any problems or replace.
4. The heated towel rail is attached using brackets that are included with the device. Installation of brackets are carried out with a dowel.
5. The heated towel rail is exhibited at exactly on the wall and future holes are scheduled at the attachment of the brackets.
6. Then carefully, so as not to split the tile, the hole is drilled and the dowel is inserted into it, to which the bracket is screwed.

Installation of water heated towel rail in the bathroom

As mentioned above, such devices are connected to heating systems or hot water supply, which requires high quality installation. If due to the jump pressure, the system will not stand, then it will be very difficult to eliminate such an accident and is expensive. Therefore, only qualified workers can install water heated towel rail.

The replacement of the heated towel rail in the apartments where there is no autonomous heating, it is necessary to coordinate with the WCKOM. To start work, turn off the entire riser and pull the water from it. If the heated towel rail will work from heating, then it is better to postpone its replacement until the summer, if it is connected to hot water, the replacement time is not fundamentally. It is desirable before starting work to warn about the disconnection of the risers of the neighbors.

So, for the installation of a heated towel rail, we will need:

1. Pipe key.
2. Bulgarian.
3. Cut-off cranes.
4. Connecting couplings.

Installation order:

1. First of all, overlapping the riser and descend from it water.
2. Next dismantle the old heated towel rail. It is advisable to do it so as to keep the thread on the pipe. If the pipes are metal-plastic, then disassembly will not be much difficulty.
3. Old heated towel rails are very well spinning. In this case, they are simply cut with a grinder. After that, the device is removed from the wall.
4. After the end of the dismantling of the old heated towel rail, the bypass must be installed. Bypass is a special jumper between the supply and reverseage pipe. Make it in order to ensure the circulation of water even with overlapped with shut-off cranes, if there is a need to repair the heated towel rail.
5. On the pipes to which the old heated towel rail was connected, two tees are screwed. If the pipes are bad thread, it is better to cut it again. For this there is a special tool - threadage. Two ends of tees are connected by a piece of plastic or steel pipe through the coupling couplings. Cutting cranes are screwed to others.
6. Cranes attach special coupling clutches, which are screwed to the heated towel rail.
7. Connecting it in advance, it is necessary to outline the location of the holes for mounting the mounting brackets for the towel rail. At the same time, it is better to carry out this operation together.
8. After that, we pick up the holes, insert a dowel and condimmed by a heated towel rail. Next, clamp all the connections. Each of the compounds must be sealing with a pacle or a special rubber tape. Complete thread in the direction of turns.
9. When all connections are tightened, you can open the flow of water to the riser. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the lack of leaks from new compounds. When it is presented, the connection must be tightened or repack.
10. If the heated towel rail is mounted in summer, it is better to learn in the housing, when heating will be served to check the absence of leaks.
11. It is necessary to take into account the distance from the coil of the heated towel rail to the wall cladding. For pipes with a diameter up to 23 mm, it must be at least 3.5 cm, for pipes up to 50 mm, it should be at least 5.5 cm.

The correctly chosen and mounted heated towel rail serves, as a rule, for a very long time, so it needs to be replaced very seriously.

How to change the heated towel rail: photo

Installation of the heated towel rail with his own hands: video