The heated towel rail is used in the bathroom for two reasons at once: for heating the room and, in fact, for drying wet towels. The device has a serpentine shape and in fact is a radiator pipe. It is connected to a riser that conducts heating or hot water. There are times when, due to some circumstances, the heated towel rail flows. Increased pressure in the pipes and the inherent thermal expansion can cause problems during operation, especially if the product is poorly made or installed.
If you notice that your heated towel rail is leaking, shut off the water supply first. If there is a bypass, simply turn the valve. Try to do this as soon as possible, because due to the pressure drop in the pipes, water hammer can occur, as a result, the heated towel rail will be completely torn off. If it is not possible to immediately repair the device, try to remove it and install plugs on all pipe outlets. So why are they flowingheated towel rails and what to do with it? Let's try to find out, having de alt with everything in order.
Device
Due to their characteristic shape, heated towel rails have received another name - a coil. Plumbing stores offer such devices in a variety of sizes, configurations, they are made from many materials. There are copper, steel, aluminum, enameled, brass models. In addition, you can choose the thickness of the material. They are more willing to buy copper coils, but many other types have also earned the right to be called high-quality and convenient.
Each heated towel rail, regardless of type and configuration, is equipped with mandatory parts. This is a manifold (32 mm), a gasket for it, a sleeve, a union nut, an angle valve, a hex cap, a reflector, a water outlet. Any of these parts, if installed incorrectly, a manufacturing defect, or otherwise, may cause a leak.
Views
Towel warmers are divided into types based on the operation of the device. There are the following types of coils:
- Water. They are the most popular, although they have a certain drawback. They only work when the plumbing or heating system supplies hot water. Such a heated towel rail cannot be placed where necessary, and it will also not be easy to move it. Among the advantages of the device - low price and ease of use. Such coils are more reliable. But you need to understand that in the summer, when the heating ishouse will be turned off, the efficiency of these heated towel rails will be extremely low.
- Electrical. In fact, these are ordinary electric heaters that work from an outlet. Accordingly, you can place them anywhere where there is an outlet, or use an extension cord. You can use this heated towel rail at any time and season.
- Combined. Combine both functions. They can work both due to the presence of hot water in the pipes, and from an electrical outlet due to the built-in electric heater. Thus, in summer you can use electricity, and in winter - the heating system. The disadvantage of this device is its high price, and the undoubted advantage is its versatility.
Towel warmer shapes
Coils can have different shapes: from a simple "snake" to ladders, gratings, M-shaped and U-shaped options. When choosing a heated towel rail, pay attention to the pipe from which it is made. Seamless is considered more reliable. In this case, only a leak of the heated towel rail in connection with the riser can occur, while the suture version will start to leak anywhere. Seam pipes are much cheaper than solid pipes. But they are less durable and reliable.
Main causes of coil leaks
If, nevertheless, trouble has overtaken you, and a heated towel rail is flowing, what should I do in this case? First of all, you need to understand the reasons, which may be several, and they have nothing to do with the type of device. Carefully inspect the coil (if you have an electricoption, do not forget to first unplug it from the outlet) and determine the location of the leak. If you can't figure out what's wrong, you will have to call a qualified specialist for help.
Manufacturing defects
This happens when a manufacturer skimps on the quality of their product. Such cases are quite popular among Chinese manufacturers. It happens that a place not filled with metal is hidden in the coil pipe. If the corrosion process begins or the pressure in the coolant rises, the weak point cannot withstand the load and leaks.
Leakage
If the heated towel rail flows at the junction, what should I do? First check the condition of the gasket. It can simply wear out, and the leak will be easily fixed by installing a new gasket. Also, the reason may lie in poor installation, and at the beginning of the corrosion process. In this case, it will drip at the junction, and traces of rusty streams will form on the surface of the tile.
Hydraulic hammer
This is the most dangerous cause of a leak. As a rule, due to water hammer, not even a leak can form, but an uncontrolled flow of water. A particularly strong impact can damage seam pipes: damage can happen anywhere, it will not be repaired instantly.
Mechanical damage
Damage may be caused by careless movement when installing the device. For example, if a hammer falls on a coil,the damage may not be noticeable at first. But over time, a leak will appear.
How to fix the problem
If you have correctly identified the cause of the leak, you can begin to fix it.
When the heated towel rail is leaking at the joint, take a wrench and try to tighten the nut as tight as possible. Wrap a cloth around it to prevent scratches on the coating.
If, while inspecting the heated towel rail, you find that the leak is due to a leaky gasket, you will need to ask the housing maintenance company for help as soon as possible. To repair the coil, it will be necessary to shut off the hot water supply or heating system. Next, water is drained from the riser. Only after all these works can you start changing the gasket. When the work is completed, the system must be filled very carefully so that water hammer does not occur.
If the heated towel rail flows not in the area of the connection with the riser, but in the place of the seam pipe, you can try to solder this part of the coil. Before starting work, you will also need to shut down the system. There is another way to get rid of leakage - this is a clamp and a rubber gasket to it. The plumbing store will help you choose the right size for this connector, but if you really want to, you can make it yourself.
Finally, when rust is found upon inspection of your heated towel rail, you will have to come to terms with the idea that the product has already served its useful life. It will have to be replaced. On the firstwhile you get a new coil, you can use the same clamp, but remember that this solution to the problem cannot be permanent. Very soon, the leak will remind you of itself again. Therefore, do not delay buying a new device.
If you notice that the heated towel rail is leaking when the hot water is turned off, the cause may be both the negligence of workers who did not tighten the nuts during installation, or the cooling (narrowing) of the pipes, which revealed problems at the junction. In any case, make sure there is no crack in the coil. Try to fix the problem by changing the gasket. In this case, it is best to choose silicone. If the leak does not stop, you will have to contact a specialist.
Conclusion
So, we have considered for what reasons the coil can flow. As you can see, there are many reasons for this problem. Ideally, this problem should not arise. If the heated towel rail is leaking and you installed it quite recently, first of all, make sure that there is no manufacturing defect. The store that sold you the device must provide both their warranty and the manufacturer's warranty. If marriage is still found, dismantle the coil and take it back to the store. If you have a warranty card, the heated towel rail will definitely be replaced for you.
When the heated towel rail faithfully worked for several years, as a result, a leak appeared for any of the above reasons, try to fix the problem, guided by the aboveinformation. To avoid problems with towel warmer leakage, competent and experienced employees of certified companies should be called to perform installation work.
