How to choose a heated towel rail for the bathroom: what to look at before buying + an overview of popular brands

A heated towel rail is an essential attribute of a bathroom. Along with elements of heating and ventilation systems, a heated towel rail is involved in the process of creating a comfortable microclimate.

In order for the device to cope with its functions and organically fit into the interior, you need to understand in detail how to choose a heated towel rail for the bathroom. And for this, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the basic characteristics of water and electric models, key parameters that you should pay attention to when choosing.

We examined all these points in detail in our article. We also paid attention to the issues of connecting devices and gave a brief overview of the best manufacturers.

Classification of heated towel rails for the bathroom

The bathroom in a typical apartment building is equipped with a heated towel rail. This device is most often connected to a hot water system, but in homes with gas instantaneous water heaters, a heated towel rail is part of the heating system.

In both cases, the principle of operation of the device is identical. A standard zigzag section of the pipe connected to the system warms up the room, neutralizing humidity. You can dry towels and linen on it.

The heated towel rail performs several important functions: it heats the room of the bathroom or the bathroom, removes moisture, and prevents mold and mildew on the walls

The appearance of a standard zigzag device does not impress with originality, therefore, during the repair process, many citizens make a decision replace heated towel rail to a new functional accessory. But in this matter it is important to adhere to the rules and choose the optimal model.

The plumbing market offers an extensive range of towel warmers. The devices that heat the bathroom vary in design, the type of material used in the production process, and the type of energy carrier that accumulates heat.

Depending on the type of energy carrier, the devices used to heat the shower or bath room can be classified as follows: water and electric.

Characteristics and subtleties of the choice of water devices

A heated towel rail is a practical solution for an apartment equipped with an autonomous heating system, as well as for rooms in which a hot water supply system operates year-round.

There are many variations on the design of radiators: from a standard loop or zigzag to devices of a bizarre configuration

Continuously circulating through the pipes, hot water warms up the device, heating the air in the room.

To choose the best model, you will carefully consider a number of key characteristics of the devices on the market.

Criterion # 1 - fabrication material

In the manufacture of water-type devices, the following materials are used:

• Non-ferrous metals (brass, copper, aluminum). Samples made from non-ferrous metals are characterized by high rates of heat transfer. They fit perfectly into the interior, however, the service life of products rarely exceeds 10 years.
• Chrome plated black steel. Also not the best option. The metal quickly lends itself to corrosion, which is why the device will not be able to correctly cope with its duties for a long time and you will have to change it to a new one.
• Stainless steel. The most practical solution is to install a heated towel rail made of stainless steel. In the production of such samples seamless seamless pipes are used. The finished product is highly resistant to pressure drops and aggressive effects of impurities present in the water.

The most popular stainless steel products.

Criterion # 2 - dimensions and shape

When choosing a heated towel rail, pay attention to the dimensions and configuration of the device.

Leading manufacturers of sanitary products offer the following options:

• Classic models resembling the letters "M" and "P" in shape.
• Decorative variants of a bizarre shape.
• Heated towel rails in the form of "ladder".

According to experts, it is the "ladders" that are the most effective. Models are characterized by an impressive heating area. This means that the room will always be warm and dry.

Using the “ladder”, you can quickly dry not only wet towels of all family members, but also a small “portion” of washed laundry

As for the dimensions of the appliance, you must determine them yourself by sensibly evaluating the dimensions of the premises of your own bathroom or shower room and calculating which heated towel rail will be better for specific conditions.

At the same time, it is also necessary to take into account the nominal water pressure in system. The higher it is, the thicker and stronger the walls of the device should be.

Looking for water towel warmers? In this case, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with important criteria, in addition to the shape and dimensions that should be considered when choosing.

Features and options for choosing an electric model

A significant drawback of water devices is that their operation depends on the correct functioning of heating systems or hot water supply. Electrical devices do not have this drawback. They are able to work year-round, since the source of heat in them is an electric cable or heater.

The floor heated towel rail can be used not only in the bathroom, but also in other rooms, moving it around the apartment in the right direction

Advantages of electrical type devices:

• Variability of the model range.
• Easy installation. You can install the device yourself without resorting to the help of specialists.
• Ability to adjust the heating level. Devices can be turned on and off as needed.

A significant drawback of electric heated towel rails is their high energy consumption. Therefore, when acquiring such a device, be prepared for the fact that your electricity bills will increase slightly.

When starting to choose a heating electric appliance, you should know that on the market today there are two types of equipment that differ from each other in internal content and the principle of operation. Distinguish between wet and dry type devices.

A characteristic feature of the variations of the "wet" type is that antifreeze or oil circulates inside the case, which are heated to the desired temperature with a heating element.

The design of dry electric heated towel rails resembles the design of a warm floor system - heating cables that store heat are enclosed in the device’s body.

Please note: devices of liquid, “wet” type can only be placed vertically, due to the fact that the heating elements are located at the bottom of the structure. Such features imposed certain restrictions on the design of products; their lineup is not wide.

High heat transfer are characterized by devices in which there are a large number of horizontal (transverse) tubes. They can be arranged in 1 or 2 rows

We will carry out a comparative analysis of dry and liquid type devices by comparing key characteristics:

• Cable devices are cheaper than TEN analogs.
• Dry-type appliances warm up quickly and cool quickly, consuming a small amount of electricity. TEN devices are less economical in terms of energy consumption. Unlike budget cable counterparts, they heat up for a long time and also give off heat for a long time, warming the room.
• It is quite difficult to install a TEN heated towel rail, while you can cope with the installation of the cable device in just a few minutes, having at least a minimum of tools on hand.

Powerful liquid-type equipment is rational to use when the bathroom needs heating. If you need a heated towel rail only for drying towels and linen, it is quite possible to limit yourself to a budget economical option selected from a wide range of cable devices.

Nuance # 1 - place of installation of a heated towel rail

The electrical device can be mounted on the wall or mounted on the floor. For bathrooms of small apartments, wall-mounted variations that do not take up much space will be an excellent solution. This type of dryer is mounted on the wall using the fasteners included in the kit.

The wall-mounted heated towel rail quickly heats up, heating the room, takes up a minimum of space even in a cramped bathroom, has a convenient design for use

Wall mounted devices are not mobile, while floor heated towel rails can be moved indoors from place to place.

Nuance # 2 - the shape and power of the device

The shape of floor heated towel rails can be different. They can be made in the form of a geometric figure. In some cases, their outlines repeat the outline of images of representatives of the fauna. If you are not too inclined to creative ideas, and the main criterion for choosing is functionality, we recommend staying on floor models “ladders”.

On the transverse horizontal tubes of the device, you can dry clothes and towels. The more tubes, the higher the heat transfer rate. The room will start to warm up from the moment the heated towel rail is connected to the network.

The power of the device is another important indicator that you need to pay attention to. The higher the power, the more you will have to pay for electricity. You can prevent excessive energy consumption by correctly defining the power indicator of the device for a particular room.

Detailed recommendations for choosing an electric heated towel rail we have given in the next article.

What to consider when connecting a heated towel rail?

The issue of connectivity should be emphasized. Indeed, the installation of both water and electric models has a number of its own characteristics, which we will talk about later.

Advantages and nuances of installing water devices

Despite all the shortcomings, water-type devices have a lot of advantages:

• Variability of models. Given the fact that the plumbing market has a rich product range of domestic and foreign brands, making a towel warmer worth your attention will definitely not be easy.
• Simplicity of design and installation. A prerequisite for installing the device is the presence of piping. With the competent organization of the process, you need to get only suitable fittings. It is possible to do without welding.
• Profitability. The operation of a water-type heated towel rail will in no way affect utility bills.The cost of the coolant circulating in the device is already included in the cost of paying for services for hot water supply or central heating.
• Safety. The devices are absolutely safe, they can be installed in rooms with a high level of humidity. Devices do not emit electromagnetic waves, in contrast to electric counterparts that are powered from the network.
• Long term of operation. The device is able to function for a long time without loss of performance. As practice shows, most often the replacement of the device is carried out in the event of a major overhaul or redevelopment of the bathroom.

Do not forget about the affordable cost, especially when it comes to devices of a typical design.

A variety of models of heated towel rails will give you the opportunity to choose the option that organically fits into the interior of the bathroom or combined bathroom

The only drawback of the water-type device is that it completely depends on the operation of the heating system or hot water supply. If your heated towel rail is connected to the heating system, in the warmer months you will have to take care of alternative methods that allow heating the room shower or bathroom.

It should also be noted that it is unlikely that you can connect the device to the system yourself, because to install the device you need to shut off the water in the riser, after coordinating your actions with neighbors and housing and communal services workers.

Insertion schemes and step-by-step instructions for installing a water towel dryer we brought here. This article also gives tips on installing and connecting an electrical appliance.

Features of connecting electrical models

When connecting the device is not required to make a tie in the water supply. But at the same time, it is important to take care of arranging high-quality insulation of electrical wiring. The best option would be to decide when the outlet to which you plan to connect the device’s wire will be located outside the bathroom.

If this is not possible, it is necessary, for safety reasons, to install a special waterproof outlet. Such products are equipped with a cover and rubber seals - elements that prevent moisture from accessing the electrical wiring.

Moisture-proof socket - a guarantee of safety against unforeseen cases, electrical wires will be protected from moisture during flooding

Please note: the moisture-proof outlet must be located above the baseboard level by at least 10 cm. In the event of an emergency (flooding of the room), the water will not rise above this level and a short circuit of the wiring will not occur.

A brief overview of the best brands on the market

Both domestic and foreign manufacturers offer decent products of excellent quality. Further in our article, we briefly consider the most popular brands among buyers, whose towel warmers are widely represented on the market.

Top Water Tool Manufacturers

Foreign companies are ready to offer customers a wide range of heated towel rails. The quality of products of foreign brands is impeccable. Devices are characterized by stylish design, quality performance and long life.

However, it should be noted that almost all foreign-made products are focused on connecting to a hot water supply system, while in many houses it is provided to connect the device to a heating system.

Along with relatively inexpensive traditional models in the range of products of Italian manufacturers there are exclusive samples for fans of luxury

If you decide to buy a foreign-made device, we recommend that you look at the models that came off the assembly lines of the following manufacturers of sanitary ware:

• Arbonia. The Swiss-German company was one of the first in the world to launch a production line of functional and at the same time elegant heated towel rails.
• Zehnder. The products of a German company are no less popular with consumers. The variety of sizes and shapes of devices can amaze even the capricious buyer.
• Margaroli. The water-heating devices for a bathroom from the Italian brand are always ergonomic, functional and stylish devices that can please you with a long service life. The only disadvantage of Italian products is the high cost.

If you have not yet decided on the question of which manufacturer of sanitary products to choose a heated towel rail, and your budget is strictly limited, we recommend that you look at the models of domestic production. The products of the companies "Rhythm", "Sunerzha", "Tera", "Parus" in terms of quality indicators are not inferior to foreign goods, but are much cheaper.

Review of popular brands of electric models

In the Russian market, electrical appliances designed to create a comfortable microclimate in the bathroom and drying towels have appeared relatively recently.

Electric heated towel rails of wall and floor type are presented by the following foreign manufacturers:

• Pax. A company from Switzerland that specializes in the production of heating and ventilation equipment, as well as electric heated towel rails. Swiss-made devices are characterized by stylish design, ergonomics and high reliability.
• Energy Company from the UK. Towel dryers of this brand are successfully sold in 38 countries of the world. In Russia, the product lineup is not represented very widely. However, if you prefer to buy expensive products of excellent quality, you can definitely choose the right model for a bathroom heater, the design of which will satisfy your needs.
• Margaroli - The Italian company manufacturer of water and electric heated towel rails of the premium segment does not get tired of pleasing consumers with the release of new stylish collections of heating equipment for bathrooms.

Along with foreign products, plumbing equipment stores offer a wide range of high-quality and inexpensive domestic products. The goods that came off the assembly lines of Russian enterprises are AquaStal, Dvin, Rhythm, Tera, etc.

Domestic heated towel rails can not only correctly cope with their functional responsibilities, but also become a highlight of the bathroom interior

If you encounter a breakdown in the electric model, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the main breakdowns and fix technology do-it-yourself heated towel rail.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

What factors should be considered when choosing a device:

Choosing a heated towel rail is a crucial step in the process of transforming a bathroom. How much you choose the right device will determine how comfortable it will be for you to take water procedures and do household chores..

Weigh the pros and cons, compare the characteristics of the models you are interested in. Let your bathroom be always warm and dry.

Have you thought about choosing a heated towel rail for your bathroom? Perhaps you still have questions after reading the above material? Or do you use the device of one of the brands mentioned by us in the article and want to share your opinion about this product? Write your comments, indicate the pros and cons of your heated towel rail, add his photo, ask questions to our experts in the block under the article.