During the Soviet period, the domestic industry could not pamper consumers with a variety of bathroom accessories. And if there was a need to purchase a device for drying clothes, then there was nothing to choose from. In many stores there was only one option - a metal structure resembling a beech "G". At present, the situation is different - there is a choice, but this does not make it easier. Now you have to think about which heated towel rail is better - water or electric?
Mainly the complexity of the choice lies in the variety of assortment provided by many manufacturers. Moreover, products can be of different shapes, from the classic look to the futuristic.design. But to make the right choice, appearance alone, no matter how good, is not enough. It is necessary to take into account the advantages and disadvantages of heated towel rails. First, let's figure out what they are.
General information
This product is a curved pipe, which is designed not only for drying clothes and towels (as the name implies), but also acts as a means of heating. Thanks to this, you can avoid the appearance of fungus and mold on the walls of the bathroom. And, as you know, it is here that the humidity level is quite high, which is a favorable environment for most pathogens.
On numerous forums you can find a lot of advice and feedback, which is better - a water or electric heated towel rail. However, it is not easy to answer this question unambiguously. Both cases have their own characteristics. But no one will argue with the fact that both varieties contribute to the creation of a comfortable microclimate in the room. After finishing the water procedures in the shower, you can not worry about the "goose bumps" from the cold.
It is worthwhile to responsibly approach the choice of this product, taking into account such parameters as dimensions, power and material of manufacture. In this case, you can avoid the formation of condensation on the mirror and other surfaces, which is important for comfort.
Operation principle
If you look, in fact, a heated towel rail is a radiator, like in a car or in heating appliances. Its main task isconsists in drying linen, towels and excess moisture.
Due to the high temperature of the coolant, the coil heats up, evaporates moisture from things and at the same time dries the air in the room. As noted in many reviews of heated towel rails (electric or water), they can be installed on the wall or on the floor.
There is one important point that should not be discounted: water quality. Poor quality water will have a devastating effect on the inside of the pipe. Thus, before buying a foreign-made coil, it is worth checking whether it is suitable for your operating conditions. Non-ferrous metal models suffer the most from the aggressive impact of water.
Water pipes
These are the most common and inexpensive dryers, which are known to all residents of the post-Soviet space. Hot water is used as the heat carrier. Additional taps can be installed on these pipes for adjustment.
As a rule, coils are installed in apartment buildings with central heating. And since for the most part a connection to the hot water pipeline is required, they are mounted in a specially designed place. And if there are no interruptions in terms of hot water supply, then the coil performs its function constantly.
Unlike electric, water heated towel rails can also be connected to heating. In this case, they will operate only during the heating season. And during that timewhen the central heating is off, the serpentine will serve mostly as a towel accessory.
As for the shape, currently water heated towel rails can be made in the shape of the letter "M" or "P", as well as in the form of a zigzag or ladder. At the same time, manufacturers never cease to amaze customers with original and unusual designs.
Electrical analogues
Unlike water heated towel rails, electric counterparts can be installed anywhere it is most convenient. This is due to the fact that they work only from electrical energy, respectively, they are not afraid of interruptions in water supply. In appearance, such products do not differ from standard coils. But which towel warmer is better to choose - water or electric?
Electrical appliances provide heat due to the presence of a heating element in them, which has an adjustment to select the required temperature regime. Perhaps the only drawback is the additional cost of electricity during continuous operation. However, it is better to choose between modern models. There are low-power models that use electricity equivalent to using conventional incandescent lamps.
Combined version
You can say that this is a universal solution. Such heated towel rails use hot water as the main coolant, and electricity serves as an additional alternative. And if in the region of residenceperiodically there are interruptions in water supply (and it doesn’t matter, it’s only hot water or heating) and electricity, then the choice between combined, water and electric heated towel rails tends more towards the first option.
To a greater extent, this is justified by the fact that such devices include two heating circuits. Moreover, they are located in such a way that they do not depend on each other. This makes it possible to use them in turn.
This symbiosis of water and electric type combines the advantages of both varieties in one product. If there is hot water (or heating), then the heated towel rail acts as a water pipe, and in its absence, an electric reserve is connected. The result is increased functionality and reduced power consumption.
Material of production
When choosing a dryer for your bathroom, special attention should be paid to the material of manufacture. After all, the quality of the product largely depends on this. The coil must not only withstand a certain pressure, but also be resistant to corrosion.
Water or electric bath towel warmers can be:
- From stainless steel - preference should be given to those pipes that are made using seamless technology. Such products will be heavy, but they can withstand pressure drops. As for the wall thickness, it is at least 3 mm, which already indicates high quality and reliability.
- From "black" steel - such coils cannot boastquality and for this reason are cheap. For the most part, this is the best option for an autonomous heating system.
- Made of copper is the preferred solution, which is resistant to corrosion, pipes heat up faster and give off heat. And due to the low weight, installation is carried out without much effort. If it is necessary to connect to the central heating, the outer surface of the pipes must be galvanized.
- Which towel warmer to choose from brass - water or electric? Products made of this metal also conduct heat well and are resistant to corrosion. So the answer is quite obvious. In addition, due to the internal chrome coating, the pipes can last for quite a long time, which is a significant advantage. At the same time, it is not always possible to withstand pressure drops, and this is already a serious minus.
Summarizing, we can say the following. When choosing which material should be preferred, it is necessary to pay attention not only to its properties, but also to the presence of protective coatings, wall thickness, and painting. You should also consider the type of heating in the apartment and the limitations of the family budget.
Pressure
In order for the heated towel rail to serve faithfully for a long time, appropriate conditions are necessary. The working pressure in the DHW system should be within 0.3-6 atm. Regarding centralized heating, the indicators here are slightly different and largely depend on the area of residence. As a rule, in multi-storey buildings the pressure does not exceed 10-12 atm.
How can you understand those whochooses between water or electric heated towel rails, this applies more to the first variety. The latter are a little easier.
Max temperature
This parameter is also of great importance and should not be ignored. The temperature in the hot water system usually does not exceed 60 ° C, and as for heating, the figure rarely appears here above 80 ° C. In this regard, all stainless steel products are the best choice, as they are designed for a maximum temperature of 105-110 ° C.
However, it is not always possible to avoid emergency situations when the supplied water can be heated to hundreds of degrees, if not more. Therefore, it is necessary to make a choice with a margin.
Issue form
For some, the shape is no less important, especially in situations where you want to give the bathroom a bright personality. And today, in order to decide which towel warmer is better - water or electric in terms of appearance, there are all possible options:
- Ladder - the most common models that are fully practical in terms of operation: they heat the room and you can dry a lot of things.
- Ladder with a shelf - everything is the same here, but with one difference - there is a shelf on top. Both convenience and practicality in one product - you can not only keep your towels clean, but also save space.
- Letter E - here accuracy borders on simplicity, and products do not take up much space.
- LetterU - simple, stylish, concise. At the same time, such a pipe will not allow many things to dry due to its design.
- The letter M - due to its shape, the heated towel rail allows you to place much more laundry than the above analogues.
- Snake is the most popular look for curved tubes with a rather attractive design. You can also dry a lot of things on it.
Thanks to this choice of problems with the choice of a dryer for the bathroom (and also to match the interior of the bathroom) will not arise.
Domestic or imported?
Many consumers are not only concerned about which is better - a water or electric heated towel rail, but they also want to know which manufacturer should be preferred. Currently, dryers of not only domestic, but also foreign production are in great demand. At the same time, good imported analogues are obtained from manufacturers from Italy, Germany, and Finland. It should be borne in mind here that products of European brands are mainly designed for a heating system, while domestic products are for centralized hot water supply.
In addition, European manufacturers do not take into account the quality of the heat carrier circulating in the system when manufacturing towel warmers, and, as a rule, use thin-walled steel. In addition, a special anti-corrosion coating is not applied to the inner surface of the walls.
Feature of hot water supply is that there are mechanical suspensions, s alts in the waterand chemical impurities. As a result, this leads not only to the appearance of corrosion, but suspensions begin to settle on the inner walls, due to which the inner diameter decreases over time. This is especially critical in places where the pipe bends. This should not be forgotten if the scales in relation to the choice of which heated towel rail - water or electric is suitable for the bath, leans towards the common option.
There is no oxygen in the water supply system, but the coolant from the boiler is simply rich in this element. For this reason, most buyers choose domestic-made heated towel rails, as they are best adapted to the conditions of our communications.
Worthy List
Now you should get acquainted with those companies that are not a sin to expose their products to the judgment of a wide audience. Moreover, they not only work on its improvement, but also conduct strict quality control, avoiding defects. The list of such worthy manufacturers can include:
- Arbonia (Germany).
- Margaroli (Italy).
- Zehnder (Germany).
- Warmos (Finland).
- Vogel&Noot (Australia).
Among domestic producers, one can single out "Teru", "Trugor", "Dvin", "Terminus". They also managed to prove themselves from the best side. At the same time, most companies have a direct relationship with consumers and listen to their opinion in the course of creating new models.
Large firms also have a staff of professionaldesigners. Together with designers, they make every effort to create original designs that fit perfectly into the interior of the bathroom.
Helpful tips
Which towel warmer to choose in the end? This largely depends on the living conditions. If hot water supply functions all year round, and there are no interruptions, then you can safely opt for a water heated towel rail. In this case, there will be no extra costs for electricity. As for the material, ferrous metal products are suitable, but if the pressure in the system is high, you should stop at copper pipes.
Some of us live in the private sector, but here, as you know, heating and hot water supply is provided by the owners themselves. Then in this case, which is better heated towel rail - water or electric? Here, too, you can choose both a water coil made of stainless steel or even brass, if funds are available, or its alternative counterpart. Both options are good in their own way.
It's a completely different matter when interruptions do occur, and not so rarely. Then the best option is to buy an electric heated towel rail, and preferably a combined analogue. It can be used regardless of the season, and in winter you can save on electricity. Only you need to buy products made of corrosion-resistant metal (copper, brass, stainless steel). Ordinary steel will not tolerate a change of operation.
Connection and installation of electrical appliances
Electrical Powerheated towel rail is carried out through a conventional outlet due to low power. At the same time, do not forget that the device is installed in a room with a high level of humidity. For this reason, the voltage must be supplied through a two-terminal RCD, which breaks not only the phase, but also zero.
But in addition to it, you need an automatic machine (a single-contact one will do). At the same time, the choice of these devices also depends on what else will be connected to this trunk. Pulling a separate line for such a heated towel rail does not make sense.
And yet, what is the best heated towel rail - water or electric? In favor of the latter, we can say that it can be installed anywhere. Moreover, it is allowed to install it even above the bath in accordance with protection class II. However, this approach is irrational - things will get wet all the time, and there are enough other inconveniences. Therefore, it is better to place it on any other free wall. Mounting brackets are usually included with the unit.
