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General: Heated towel rail

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorRex
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019
     
    What ho one and all,

    When we built the house, I did install a heated towel rail in the bathroom, but made the mistake of plumbing it into a UFH zone. The result is of course, that it is only on when the heating is on.

    Now SWMBO has put her foot down with the suggestion of a freestanding heated towel rail, stating, 'You don't get any choice.'

    It would be possible to fit an electric element into the existing rail with only minimal work, as fortunately, there is a fused spur in a cupboard that currently, is not used. (It actually is for the UFH manifold, but I don't use room stats as they conflict with the weather comp. So the manifold has power but it is all off.)

    Looking at the various specs, they all suggest to use inhibitor. This I understand for a regular system with rads. but to the best of my knowledge, my system does not have inhibitor as there is no steel in the system. The towel rail is stainless and all fittings are copper or brass.

    So my question is, what material is a heater element made from and would it therefore require inhibitor in the system?

    Thanks and toodle pip

    Rex
    • CommentAuthorowlman
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019
     
    From my experience immersion heaters are commonly made from a nickel alloy, INCOLOY ( commonly 800), which has good corrosion resistance on it's own. Other materials Titanium for example are used in certain circumstances but I very much doubt in the case of towel rad elements.
    BTW I used water in my towel rad, which I made up myself from a standard rad and a separately purchased element, it works fine.
    • CommentAuthorRex
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019
     
    Thanks. Guess I will get on the case.

    It's a timber frame house so not a major issue to drill through the wall separating the towel rail location and the power supply.
    • CommentAuthorGreenPaddy
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019
     
    Hi Rex,

    I'm not an expert on water treatment by any means, but I did raise an eyebrow when you said your system didn't need any treatment chemicals. So I had a quick google, and found this from Fernox (who one might say have an interest in flogging their chemicals)..

    "...For low temperature or underfloor heating circuits, which are at risk from bacterial contamination and fungus, specialist biocides are available. Fernox Biocide F7, for example, protects against bacterial slimes, algae and biofilms forming, which can cause blockages, inefficiencies and ultimately breakdowns..."

    It matches my understanding of the need for what I think we used to call antiflocculants, but in any case, I guess I'm raising a flag to say perhaps you might want to look into this a bit further. No idea what your heat source is (boiler or whatever), and if your pumps have steel impellors (unlikely to be bronze for a closed system), UFH manifold and TMV materials...
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019 edited
     
    Posted By: owlmanBTW I used water in my towel rad, which I made up myself from a standard rad and a separately purchased element, it works fine.

    Was it connected to a heating system as well, or just an isolated electrically-heated radiator? If the latter then it's much more isolated with far less opportunity for oxygen to get in and corrosion to start.
    • CommentAuthorowlman
    • CommentTimeSep 26th 2019
     
    Posted By: djh
    Posted By: owlmanBTW I used water in my towel rad, which I made up myself from a standard rad and a separately purchased element, it works fine.

    Was it connected to a heating system as well, or just an isolated electrically-heated radiator? If the latter then it's much more isolated with far less opportunity for oxygen to get in and corrosion to start.


    It's a standalone electric rad.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2019
     
    I would add inhibitor, it comes with the ones I buy for other people 65 quid online
  8.  
    Inhibitor - my installer (gas boiler, low temperature underfloor) reckons inhibitors cause more problems than they solve an recommended against.

    I know it's maybe the wrong answer but do you really need a heated towel rail? In a modern warm house a towel that's actually warm doesn't feel necessary (and i've never had a towel rail that really warmed towels, just a bit of them).

    If it's for drying wet towels then, again, heated rails were never that effective. We have a 60cm towel rail each, mounted one above the other (i get the top one). A good sized bath towel goes on it folded once and the MVHR is enough for it to be dry by evening if used in the morning.
    • CommentAuthorRex
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2019
     
    Gentlemen,

    Thanks for the comments. A few years ago, I did mention to the plumber who commissioned the UFH / gas / boiler about inhibitor, and as a Viesmann registered expert, he said that Viesmann generally do not recommend inhibitor in a system that has not steel parts. The system is either UFH piping, copper, brass or stainless. However, i do have a secondary UFH pump, and I guess that could be a problem.

    As for a heated towel rail to warm the towels, agreed, not really necessary, but to dry them, that is the reason SWMBO wants it. Bathroom towels in the summer do not fully dry by themselves. With the UFH on, no worries.

    To add to my 'work load', she would also like an electric rail in the kitchen to dry the cloths and towel. She is not concerned about an electric cord just dangling from the rail to the socket, but I am as it sill look tacky. Should have considered this at the design stage; there is always a next time!
  10.  
    >Bathroom towels in the summer do not fully dry by themselves.

    Which means you're going to be running a heating appliance in summer?

    As above - long, unheated rails so that the towels are spread out with lots of surface area.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 9th 2019
     
    Posted By: Simon StillAs above - long, unheated rails so that the towels are spread out with lots of surface area.

    +1 and add ventilation - either continuous mechanical ventilations or open the windows.
    • CommentAuthorRex
    • CommentTimeOct 21st 2019
     
    Gentlemen,

    I tend to agree with all the comments, but am fighing against a considerabley higher authority, namely THE WIFE!

    And as we all know, what she says, goes!

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