Today, in the design of bathrooms, one of the important attributes is a heated towel rail. It has long ceased to be a luxury item, having turned into an indispensable element of everyday comfort. Thanks to various variations, it can be installed not only in the bathroom, but also in the kitchen, bedroom, corridor, where additional heat is required. Of the options offered by manufacturers, a stainless steel water heated towel rail is the most popular.
A wide selection of heated towel rails allows you to choose the most suitable model for your bathroom interior
Content
Why choose a stainless steel heated towel rail?
A couple of decades ago, in apartments, one could find M-shaped and U-shaped water heated towel rails made of a monolithic pipe, which were part of the riser. Despite the unsightly appearance, such devices were constantly hot and did not disrupt the operation of the entire DHW riser.
Thanks to its high anti-corrosion performance, the stainless steel heated towel rail is the most popular option among buyers.
Today there is no longer a question of which water heated towel rail is better to choose for an apartment. Thanks to a wide range of products that differ in size, design, mounting method, design and cost, you can choose the most suitable option based on your own requirements and aesthetic preferences.
Materials such as stainless steel, black steel, brass or copper can be used to make a heated towel rail. Products made of stainless steel, which has high anti-corrosion properties, are very popular. Due to this, this plumbing fixture is ideal for the centralized water supply system of multi-storey buildings, where the water contains a large content of corrosive substances.
Important! In order not to buy a fake, you should pay close attention to the manufacturer, the availability of the necessary documentation and the quality of welded joints.
The modern market offers a wide selection of designer heated towel rails of different colors and shapes.
The main advantages of stainless steel bathroom water heated towel rails are:
- durability of the product;
- a reliable system for connecting a heated towel rail to the water supply system without the use of Teflon gaskets, where electrolytic corrosion can develop;
- material resistance to temperature fluctuations and pressure changes within the system;
- a wide range of different color variations and design solutions.
Disadvantages of the device:
- long period of heating the element;
- with autonomous heating, the operation of a heated towel rail depends on it;
- installation of the device is impractical without hot water supply.
Technical parameters of stainless steel heated towel rail
The heat transfer of the device depends on the wall thickness of the heated towel rail and the temperature of the water in the hot water supply system. According to the norms, this indicator should be at least 40 W / m³. If the room is poorly ventilated and the appliance is covered with things, heat dissipation will be reduced.
One of the functions of a water heated towel rail is to heat the room
Its throughput depends on the correct connection of the heated towel rail. Namely, how it will affect the overall DHW system: whether it will create hydraulic resistance or excess pressure.
When choosing a heated towel rail, you should also pay attention to the permissible operating temperature. If it is constantly high, more than 80 ° C, any paint with which the device is painted will gradually fade or turn yellow. This primarily concerns the white water heated towel rail, which is now the trend of the year, and gives a touch of sophistication and grandeur to a classic-style bathroom. In this case, preference should be given to polished heated towel rails or products in the color of gold or bronze.
Useful advice! Among the many models, it is better to give preference to a heated towel rail with a shut-off valve, which is located at the bottom of the product. With its help, you can eliminate an airlock or adjust the pressure in the system.
An important point when choosing a stainless steel heated towel rail is the quality of the welds. All joints must be even, uniform, smooth, without cracks and micro-holes. Depending on this, the service life of the sanitary ware is determined, which with high-quality welded seams can be about 8 years.
Modern water heated towel rails are equipped with a regulator that can maintain the desired temperature of the device
The appearance of the heated towel rail
All heated towel rails, regardless of the size, shape and color of the device, are a multi-channel heat exchanger, which consists of metal pipes. Depending on the appearance, the plumbing device can be of the standard, modernized or elegant type. Such a conditional classification will help to determine which water heated towel rail is better.
The standard or classic type includes M-shaped and U-shaped heated towel rails and their various combinations. They are available with side connection. Such devices have little heat dissipation.
The ladder water heated towel rail also belongs to this type. Today it is very popular due to the fact that it provides the highest heat dissipation, it has a convenient, compact and practical design that is suitable for rooms of all sizes. Thanks to the large number of sections with different layouts and tube shapes, you can dry large quantities of bath towels and small laundry at the same time. The price of the product starts from 11 thousand rubles.
Chrome-plated heated towel rails are suitable for both classic interiors and hi-tech and modern interiors
The modernized type includes standard water heated towel rails with shelves, hangers, stands and other elements with which you can save work space and increase the functionality of the devices.
Note! Models of heated towel rails with shelves are designed for additional pressure on the entire structure, therefore, they retain the heat of the dried laundry for a long time.
The elegant type includes products of original configurations and unusual colors. Most often these are water heated towel rails in bronze, gold, copper or white products with an angular or floor type of placement, with a non-standard pipe shape, for example, a square one, supplemented with a hanger or shelf.
One of the first positions in the rating of water heated towel rails is occupied by the rotary type of product. Here, due to the presence of a swivel mechanism, the entire structure or its individual elements can rotate 180 degrees relative to the wall. This type of device is very practical and easy to use. Depending on the size and design of the product, the price of a swivel type water heated towel rail is about 7.5-12 thousand rubles.
An example of a modernized type of heated towel rail with a room heating function
An important detail when choosing a device is its size. A large heated towel rail should be installed in a large bathroom. Its functionality is sufficient not only for drying linen and towels, but also for heating the room. For small rooms, neat narrow water heated towel rails are suitable, which can only cope with drying towels due to their low heat output. Floor standing units can be used as a towel rack in the kitchen or utility room.
Which heated towel rail is better: electric or water?
There are two types of heated towel rails - water and electric, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Electric heated towel rails are powered by an electricity source. Their power is comparable to a conventional light bulb. Inside the device there is a dry heating element or mineral oil. Typically, heated towel rails have a button to turn the appliance on and off, so as not to plug into the outlet every time.
The placement of a water heated towel rail should be considered during the overhaul of the premises
By installing a powerful unit in the room, you can ensure a sufficient flow of heat. However, the efficiency of the device will be much higher if there are other sources of thermal energy in the room.
It is advisable to install electric heated towel rails when carrying out repairs without interfering with the water supply system. Another good option is considered to be the additional presence of such a device that will work when the hot water is turned off seasonally. Also, an electric heated towel rail can be installed in any convenient place and moved if necessary.
Hot water heated towel rails use hot water to generate heat. The plumbing fixture can be connected to the hot water supply at home or to an autonomous heating system. It is an effective method of saving energy. However, its installation must be provided for when building a house or when carrying out major repairs in a room. This should be remembered before deciding which heated towel rail - electric or water is better to choose for the room.
Electric heated towel rails are convenient in that they do not require intervention in the bathroom communications and can be installed anywhere
If the heated towel rail is connected to the centralized heating system, then during its shutdown the room will lose this source of comfort and heat. If you use a gas water heater to heat water, you should choose an electric heated towel rail.
When a heated towel rail is connected to an autonomous heating system, where there is a small internal pressure, you can choose any device you like from the offered range of models.However, if it is connected in a centralized hot water supply system, you should not choose models from a foreign manufacturer that produce these products with a wall thickness of 1-1.25 mm. Such a device is not able to withstand the internal pressure in the system of 5-9 atm for a long time, which will quickly disable it.
Ways to connect a heated towel rail
All heated towel rails, depending on the requirements of the DHW system, can be with a bottom, side or diagonal connection method.
A stainless steel water towel warmer combined with a radiator is an innovative solution for the bathroom
The most popular is a water heated towel rail with side connection. This is the most reliable and most suitable option for multi-storey buildings. The device is attached directly to the riser, namely to its side outlets. And, despite all the complexity of installation, the appearance of such a connection is the most aesthetic.
Heat carrier is fed into the upper part of the device, and slightly cooled down, is removed from the bottom. With this connection option, you can choose a heated towel rail with both right and left inlets, depending on the location of the riser.
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However, this type of connection is not suitable for a heated towel rail with a shelf. It is advisable to use a diagonal connection here. It is ideal for large-sized devices where an intense flow of hot water is generated, which does not have time to cool down. Such models are installed in large and spacious rooms.
The cost of designer heated towel rails is much higher than that of conventional models, but at the same time, such devices combine efficiency, functionality and a unique appearance
These connection options ensure the operation of the device in any direction of flow in the riser, and it does not depend on the speed of water movement. There is no need to bleed air from the heated towel rail after turning off the water.
The bottom connection of the heated towel rail is less effective. The heat dissipation of the product drops by 10%. After turning off the water, it is necessary to bleed air from the system using the Mayevsky tap. However, this type of connection makes it possible to hide the supply pipe under the bathroom without violating the integrity of the walls.
Choosing a specific model of the device, you need to know exactly the distance between the connection points of the heated towel rail and correctly determine the diameter of the pipes. If the device is selected incorrectly, it will be necessary to use a special adapter, which reduces the reliable operation of the system.
Towel warmers with a shelf consume more heat, which is why these models are more powerful than usual
Rating of stainless steel heated towel rails
The most famous manufacturers of the best stainless steel water heated towel rails are Russian companies: Sunerzha, Nika, Trugor and Terminus.
When the question is, which water heated towel rails are better, the reviews of satisfied consumers unambiguously note the excellent quality and magnificent design of the products of the Terminus company. The manufacturer occupies a leading position in the manufacture and sale of heated towel rails. Its catalog contains more than 100 original models of water devices, in the production of which the latest technologies and high-quality materials are used. The cost of products is in the range of 7-15 thousand rubles.
The company "Sunerzha" for the first time offered to produce heated towel rails from stainless steel.For this, exclusively high-quality materials of foreign production are used, which embody a variety of design ideas, which allows you to get a reliable, high-quality, durable product, ideally suited for a specific bathroom design.
One of the most popular towel warmer models from Sunerzha manufacturers
The most popular model of Sunerzha water heated towel rails is the High-Tech G 320 × 650 product. Here, the manufacturer used an innovative flow distribution system, which significantly increases the efficiency of the device. This model can be positioned both vertically and horizontally. Designed for a system operating pressure of 25 bar. You can buy a stainless steel water heated towel rail for 7.5 thousand rubles.
The most popular Nika water heated towel rail is the LD 60 × 50 model. This common bathroom item is convenient and efficient to use due to its neat design and small size. When connected to central heating, an additional heat source can be obtained. The device is designed for a maximum pressure of 40 bar. The maximum permissible temperature in the system must not exceed 110 ° C. The price of a water heated towel rail is about 9 thousand rubles.
Note! The Nika company has won the trust of not only the Russian consumer, but also the foreign buyer. These devices are made of quality materials that meet all international standards.
One of the advantages of buying a heated towel rail from well-known manufacturers is ease of installation, since all parts and fasteners are already included in the kit
Trugor's products are fully focused on the requirements of the modern consumer. Here you can choose both a classic model and an original, unique configuration and colors. The cost of the Trugor heated towel rails is in the range of 8-18 thousand rubles.
Today, among a wide range of heated towel rails, you can choose a model of any configuration, size, shape and color, which not only complements bathroom design rooms, but will also create an additional source of heat and a functional place for drying things.
