Advantages and disadvantages of electric towel dryers
Electric towel dryers are connected to 220 Volt. Connection must be carried out with special moisture-proof sockets, a separate RCD and grounding.
The models with the heater are slower, but up to a higher temperature (up to 80 degrees). They also have a higher power consumption (up to 600 watts). But there is a thermostat that allows you to set the desired temperature of the dryer surface.
Models with a cable heat quickly, but up to a maximum of 60 degrees. There is no temperature control and it is impossible to install additionally, but there is a thermostat that turns off heating when the maximum allowable temperature is reached.
Of the advantages. low power consumption (up to 140 watts) and reliability.
The main problem of electric towel dryers consists in realization of grounding as not in all apartment houses it is possible to make it according to all rules (specify the given moment before purchase).
Plus they warm up weaker than water and are not quite suitable for heating. It will certainly be a little warmer in the bathroom, but this may not be enough.
Electric Towel Rail Radiator Element. Plumbing Tips
Otherwise they win, as with them there is less hassle, you can install almost anywhere, the level of safety is higher and they are more reliable.
Electric towel rail
As for the electric towel rail, it is used year-round and heating the bathroom does not depend on the timing of the heating season.
It is easy to install anywhere in the bathroom, and the connection can be made by cable or by flush mounting. The device is completed by a thermoregulator with a timer which allows you to program the towel dryer for work in an automatic mode.
towel rail filling
Please note! Towel rail has a lower heat output, and therefore for heating a bathroom of considerable size you need a heater with a large thermal capacity. In this case it effectively heats, removes excess moisture than prevents the appearance of fungus, and a low operating temperature completely excludes the burn in case of accidental contact with the body.
An electric towel dryer is indispensable as an additional heating device, and can also be used in the summer, when the bathroom is warm enough and a towel dryer is needed only for drying towels. You should also take into account the fact that you can choose an electric towel dryer of any design and color, which will give a certain charm to your bathroom. The disadvantages should include the constant consumption of electricity.
Therefore, it is impossible to say which towel dryer is better electric or water, it all depends on specific conditions, factors and tasks.
Properties of an electric towel dryer
An electric towel dryer for drying rooms and linen is more modern. Has a similar design to the water ones (including the material of manufacture), but diametrically opposite source of performance.
The device is heated with a heat conducting cable or a heating element (tubular heater) connected to the power grid. Does not require intervention of plumbers during installation, can be placed in any room (bathroom, kitchen, hallway or even bedroom) and is easily dismantled if necessary. The main condition for installation is to have a weatherproof socket within reach of the heater.
- Depends on the quality of the voltage in the network (will not work without light),
- Requires additional costs for electricity,
- Most likely won’t last as long as a water-based one,
- It costs more.
Externally, the product range is even wider than the water version, as there are no size or shape restrictions. In simple models (P, M and S type) a heating cable is used, in more complicated models the system is filled with antifreeze and heated by a heating element, which costs a lot separately.
Modern high-tech TENs (better TERMA about their advantages you can read here) can have a standard or built-in connection to the design you choose depending on the repair and conditions of the room. The repair has already been made and there is no desire to rearrange the tile for you usual heating element. If a towel dryer is chosen at the stage when it is still possible to grout the wall, you can give preference to the built-in.
Some heaters have a function to adjust the temperature and the ability to program the heater. But such add-ons significantly affect the cost, so it is better to initially assess their necessity.
- The price of the heater should not be too cheap, but overpriced is not an indicator of quality;
- Technology of heating (method, type of heating element, presence of temperature regulator, electricity consumption, power) and its correspondence to the square of the room;
- The dimensions of the product here it is important to measure them correctly in the room;
- The material of manufacture is again not lower than stainless steel, and even if they assure that the usual aluminum for the electric towel rail will be enough no, it will not! Being in a humid environment accelerates the loss of presentable appearance of the product, and the environment can add electrochemical corrosion, which, unfortunately, no one waits and can not predict so it’s better to perebdet than half a year to buy a new expensive towel dryer.
What towel dryer to choose: electric or water
The comfortable reception of water procedures is impossible without the installation of a towel dryer in the bathroom. It is necessary for drying damp towels and maintaining the proper temperature-humidity conditions in the room. That is why today Ukrainian families in large quantities install towel dryers in bathrooms, toilets and kitchens.
When buying a heating device, it is important to choose responsibly in order to get the maximum effect from the installation, and not just spend money in vain. And the first problem that the buyer faces when choosing is the question: what towel dryer to choose: electric or water?
Electric and water towel dryers differ in design, operating principles, connection method and control. Both types of heaters have their own features and advantages. The specific type is chosen depending on the goals and objectives of the consumer, as well as the connection conditions. An important purchasing factor that determines the reliability, quality and service life of a towel dryer is the level of equipment manufacturer.
French company Atlantic successfully works on the world market of climatic equipment since 1972. Brand products are distinguished by the innovation of solutions, increased efficiency, high durability and ease of use. Buy powerful, reliable electric towel dryers Atlantic in Ukraine in stores-partners of the company Epicenter and outlet.
How to choose the heated towel rail? Advantages of water and electric towel rails.
Construction and features of a water towel dryer
The water towel dryer is a metal radiator, which is heated by an external coolant. The device does not have its own heater, so it depends on a centralized source of heating.
Are made in the form of a zigzag coil, a ladder or can have an original shaped design. On the input of the body of the towel dryer a thermostatic valve can be located. But its functions are limited to regulating the temperature of the water to decrease.
Connection of a water towel dryer is made from one of such heat sources:
- The centralized heating system. In the old apartment buildings, where there was no hot water, the towel dryer was connected to the heating system. Therefore, during the heating season it is heated quite well. But when the heating system is turned off, such a towel dryer becomes cold and ceases to perform its functions.
- The system of hot water supply. In those houses, where during the construction there was a hot water supply, the towel dryers were connected to the hot water system. They are able to operate throughout the year. But because of the low temperature such devices have a small capacity. They can not qualitatively heat a separate room. Today in Ukraine the centralized system of hot water supply has remained only in some large cities. Therefore, the towel rails, integrated into the DHW system, often do not work all year long.
- An autonomous system of heating or hot water supply. In this case there is a possibility of flexible regulation of capacity of a towel dryer. But there is still the same disadvantage. if the boiler is off at the end of the heating season the towel radiator remains cold.
The advantages of water towel dryers in comparison with electric models are their low cost. This is due to the simple design, as well as the lack of heating elements and electronic control. Also, water heaters do not consume electricity, but you still have to pay for the consumed heat.
The disadvantages of water towel dryers also include a rigid attachment to the supply and exhaust pipes of the coolant, and increased tendency to corrosion and deposition of salts on the inner walls due to poor-quality coolant. Their main disadvantage is the low power and lack of ability to regulate the modes of operation.
Features and advantages of electric towel heaters
Electric towel dryers are similar to water models in design and appearance. But since they are not connected to the pipes with the coolant, they can have a wider variety of shapes and designs. Heating of the heating surface of the radiator-heating element is made by the heating element installed in the body.
The device is plugged into the household electrical outlet, and the temperature setting and mode selection is carried out by means of an electronic control unit. Towel rails have a high power. Models with power from 300 to 750 W are the most demanded, which, besides drying of damp clothes, can effectively heat premises with the area from 3 to 7,5 square meters.
Modern electric towel rails are energy efficient, stylish design, compact size. Atlantic 2012 and Atlantic Adelis series electric towel rails are made of high carbon steel with a protective and decorative coating based on powder enamel. They allow you to heat the room to a temperature in the range from 7 ° C to 30 ° C. The electronic thermostat maintains the temperature with a high accuracy of one degree.
Which towel rail is better not to choose water or electric?
It is well known that the bathroom is a room with high humidity. And in addition to a bath or shower, this very humidity very well maintain wet things.
First of all towels. That is why you can’t do without an additional source of heat in this room.
Not to mention a heat source such as a towel warmer:
Among other things, this coil performs an aesthetic function. There are such fashionable forms that can easily decorate any bare wall in the bathroom.
Two main types of towel rails are common:
Also there are some combined types, but they are used very seldom and mostly because of their price they are not in much demand on our market.
If you do not have a warm floor in the bathroom, it is not very pleasant in winter every time before taking a bath, to bring in a heat fan, so as to raise the temperature to an acceptable level, and not to be covered with goose skin.
A good towel dryer should cope with all three abovementioned tasks.
The very first models were only the water type, so first let’s deal with them.
The heat in them radiates through the hot water circulating through the pipes. Without this hot source, there will be no heat.
In older homes, this water was usually taken from the central heating system. Today, mostly hot water pipes are used.
The main popularity of this type of coils is economical. This is the only thing you can give it any credit for.
Roughly speaking, you do not pay anything extra for 24/7 functioning. And if you connect an electric, then your meter will count every extra kilowatt.
Except for this questionable advantage, the water heater boasts with nothing more. Then begins the only disadvantages and your headaches.
Firstly, you can not adjust the temperature of hot water in your apartment. You can only open or close the tap.
But in the electric, the level of regulation is very wide. It all depends on the model you choose.
Secondly, it’s location-based. Here you are very often limited to one wall and the level of HTW pipes, namely the hot water riser.
So you can not always fit them into a beautiful design just the way you would like it.
On the other hand, the electric unit can be placed in any place where there is the nearest outlet, taking into account, of course, wet areas and not closer than 60 cm from the point of water intake.
The third drawback. leaks. Statistically, these water dryers in the bathroom are the most common cause of flooding the neighbors downstairs.
Somewhere not enough sealing material was added to the threads or skewed the gasket. Somewhere they didn’t tighten the nut. All this over time leads to a small leak.
And the joints are usually masked and covered by false walls, or recessed into them. And eventually you don’t even notice the leak.
The water will gradually accumulate behind the tiles and in one moment all this beauty will just fall off the wall.
Here is a scary video that really happens at the neighbors from below, when the pipe on the water towel dryer comes off under pressure at several atmospheres.
Saving on a penny fittings and craftsmen, comes out in the end in a many-month repairs in the millions. After that, people instantly switched to electric alternatives.
Here comes into force the fourth factor. hot water quality. If it is too “aggressive” and contains a lot of chemically active components, then in a year or two, this liquid will corrode the thin walls at the screw joints.
Only daily monitoring, filtration at the inlet and timely purchase of new parts or the entire dryer will help.
The fifth major disadvantage is the interruption of hot water supply. At least once a year, but in practice it happens more often.
Even if you have a private house with a gas heating boiler, it makes no sense to have a water towel dryer. Few people would think of racing a boiler in the summer because of one small coil. It is cheaper to adapt the boiler for this purpose.
The sixth problem is on the contrary is associated with non-disconnection of water. If in the summer heat the hot water is not turned off, and the coil you have a decent area and connected directly without valves, this thing is able to raise the temperature in a small bathroom over 40 degrees!
On the contrary will have to wrap pipes and somehow shut up this unnecessary source of heat.
In the seventh, periodic water outages, in addition to inconvenience, lead to more serious consequences. The metal from which the towel rail is made, depending on its temperature, heats up and shrinks.
The same thing happens with all threaded joints. And the more often you turn off the hot water, the faster expect a leak.
And if you have metal to polypropylene joints, you’ll see leaks even sooner because of the different expansion coefficients.
In addition, models of complex shape have a large number of welds. And they are also a potential point of damage.
But if despite all these disadvantages and minuses, you still intend to choose the water type, stick to the two main rules:
As a rule, these are U-shaped and M-shaped models.
They have absolutely no welds, and the possibility of leakage, at least in these places, is reduced to zero.
But the stairs, loved by many people, can not be called solid and 100% reliable. Especially when they can count a good dozen steps.
If you do not have enough experience in this matter, it is better to hire a competent master and pay for high-quality installation. Otherwise, for the repeated repair of their tiles or apartment neighbors below, you will give much more.
When buying in a store water coils pay attention to:
Because of the insufficient thickness, the thread is not threaded thickly, but simply has a knurling. At home because of this you will have problems with connection and no sealant will not save.
An attempt to cut the thread yourself deeper, will lead to the appearance of microcracks on the inner walls. In the future, with a possible water hammer expect in this place of the fistula.
And in general, according to construction standards, such plumbing fittings in multi-storey buildings should be able to withstand about 6 atmospheres. Therefore check that all products meet these technical specifications.
For private houses with an autonomous heating system, where the pressure is about 2-3 atmospheres, any variants will do.
The thread itself should be counterbored. Otherwise it will not press in, but cut a gasket.
If the M-shaped towel radiator is turned vertically, then the middle of the letter “M” should not be much shorter than the legs.
Otherwise, you can say that the manufacturer has saved on you. Price then may be less in such goods (although this is not a fact), but most importantly loses a useful length and area of heating pipes.
And accordingly the heat output decreases.
The standard width of such products is set at 50 cm. Although a lot depends on the design.
Modern electrical towel rails are very energy efficient devices and consume 40-60W of power.
It’s even shorter than a normal incandescent bulb. Not to mention “heating” in 200W or halogen, which if you want can be used to build a full infrared oven.
True, such low power is inherent in the minimum mode, which copes well with only drying the towel.
Individual dryers have a built-in regulator at the bottom, which can increase the load in steps by several times.
For example on medium setting at 60-80W, it will be impossible to hold a hand on the tubes for a long time.
Meanwhile, huge wall-mounted units can reach up to 2 kW.
Therefore, for a standard bathroom, an economical model up to 100W will only cope well with socks and laundry. Don’t expect miracles from it.
For sensible heating, choose models with power up to 600W, with the ability to adjust and reduce the load.
Of course, nobody is forcing you to run the dryer 24 hours a day. In summer it can be switched on only after a shower or bath to dry the room, laundry and other things.
A very important point of electric models is the correct connection to the 220V network. They “sit” only on the line with RCD and must be grounded. Grounding in most models is connected in the same place as the power supply wires.
It doesn’t ruin the look and design, but it does provide protection.
That’s why make sure that the plug and socket have the proper grounding contacts.
If even a washing machine is electrocuted, then what about the metal thing, inside of which runs the electric cable or heater.
In case the insulation is broken and there’s no normal diff.If you have a ground loop, it’s a potential killer, waiting patiently for you to throw a wet towel over it.
By the way, grounding pipes is also a prerequisite for plumbing fixtures. First of all, it helps prevent corrosion. Secondly, a water coil as well as a water tap can electrocute, even if the leakage is not in your apartment, but in the neighbors’.
Read more about this in the article below.
When you have decided on the type of the towel dryer, it is time to think what material it should be made of.
What is the best towel dryer: electric or water?
Another important parameter is the heat output. It depends not only on the type of metal, but also on the shape of the device. The more bends and additional elements, the faster the room will be heated. The warmest variant. towel dryers in the form of a ladder, but their durability depends on the quality of welds. These places should be carefully inspected when buying, otherwise the breakdown will not be long in coming. And it will be especially unpleasant for water devices. Another disadvantage of such models. high cost compared to products of simple shape. Therefore, it is better to choose towel rails with an eye on the room. Small bathrooms will suffice the simplest products in the form of the letter U or S.
Which towel rail is better: electric or water?
Almost every person in his or her life faces the need to purchase a towel dryer for the bathroom. It happens during major or cosmetic repairs, as well as when buying a home. At first sight there is no problem. The choice of towel dryers, which is presented in the market of Ukraine is very wide.
Stores offer a wide choice of various models of both domestic and foreign production. But it is this, more often than not, that prevents you from making the right choice. Therefore experts from Bavex company. the leading producer of towel dryers in the Ukrainian market, will help you to choose the best solution.
What towel dryer to choose. electric or water?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of dryer for towels??
Towel rail water or electric. differences:
There are two main types of products on sale, which differ from each other in the principle of heating. Today specialized online store Bavex offers electric and water heated towel rails of stainless steel of our own production at the best in Ukraine.
But what kind to choose a water or electric towel dryer? In order to make the right choice it is necessary to clearly understand what their difference is. Also it is necessary to know everything about advantages and disadvantages of these or those devices for drying.
The main difference is the method of heating:
The hot water supply system comes with it;
Coming from the central heating system;
supplied from the boiler (water heater), installed in the bathroom;
- Electric towel dryer. In this type of dryers heating is made by special heating elements powered from the mains. There are two basic types of heating elements: TEN and a special cord.
The main materials for making towel drying radiators, properties and comparisons:
High strength and flexibility. Perfectly amenable to processing, allows you to create the most complex configurations of devices.
Dryers made of stainless steel can safely serve for decades without leaks. They perfectly withstand pressure, they do not oxidize with tap water. Also they do not lose their appearance during the whole period of exploitation;
- Brass.This material is also used for the manufacture of towel rails, but in addition to the advantages, has a number of disadvantages:
Low resistance to corrosive media and electrolysis. It negatively affects the device and often leads to leaks.
The need for external coating is sensitive to mechanical damage, due to which the possible violation of the external aesthetic appearance of the product;
Complicated and expensive manufacturing process.
2.High corrosion resistance to tap water, but low resistance to aggressive media and electrolysis.
The outer surface oxidizes and darkens quickly, and scratches easily. Maintenance of good aesthetic appearance is possible only on condition of constant care with the help of expensive means;
The main differences in the electric models of towel dryers are in the application of the heating element. There are two types of heating systems:
TEN is a powerful heating element that heats the coolant to the desired temperature. The whole heater is gradually heated. This is accomplished by circulating the liquid heat transfer medium through the entire dryer by means of thermal convection. As the heat-carrier in such products either distilled water or mineral oil is used. They are used due to the fact that these liquids have anti-corrosive properties on one side. On the other hand they are high quality heat carriers.
The cord of the heating element runs all around the perimeter of the towel radiator. The result is heating evenly over the entire area. As a rule, powdered graphite is used as the coolant.
Both variants can be equipped with dimmers for stepless regulation of the dryer heating, or they can have no regulator. The first electric dryer option is more expensive. Thanks to the dimmer you can both adjust the temperature of the dryer and turn it on and off. This will ultimately have a positive effect on energy consumption.
Which electric towel dryer to choose? The final decision is up to the customer. Bavex is always happy to offer customers a variety of electric towel dryer options.
All products own production at the best prices. Here you will find any variations of the company’s products from such as towel rail small. This option is ideal for small bathrooms. There are also quite a few luxury and scale models, such as the Bavex Practic.
Towel rail water or electric. Which one to choose for optimum performance?
We have already figured out what dryers for towels are by material and by type of heating. Now a little about shape, configuration, size and connection.
There are two main types of drying form: vertical and horizontal. The first are best suited for small rooms, where there is a need to save space. The latter are better placed in large bathrooms, where there is such a possibility.
Horizontal dryers in the opinion of many more convenient than vertical, but this is a purely subjective opinion. Vertical dryers have a single disadvantage. If they are set high, they are not convenient for people who are not taller.
As for connection, the main advantage of the water dryer is that by connecting it to the centralized heating network or plumbing, you do not incur additional financial costs. However, you will depend on either the heating season. Also on the availability of hot water, as well as its temperature.
You can connect the device to the boiler. However, not all boilers are guaranteed to be suitable for this purpose. Also it is an additional expense. In this case it is recommended to choose the electric towel dryer. A model equipped with a dimmer will allow you to turn on the device only at the right time. You will also be able to regulate its heating to your desired temperature.
All other criteria for choosing a towel dryer are strictly individual and mainly depend on the taste of the buyer: someone will like the classical serpentine, while the other will like the modern style Marquise model.
Do you want to buy inexpensively a really good quality towel dryer?? You need a device that will serve you for many years without any problems? Buy a towel dryer in a specialized online store Bavex. The store offers you only high quality products of own production at the best in Ukraine.
10 Комментарии и мнения владельцев to “ What towel dryer is better: electric or water? ”
For every situation there is your choice, for everyday use the water dryer is certainly better, but if we talk about independence from water supply, it is still better to have an electric one, and the electric one is not with the tenom but with a heating cable, because this option does not consume so much electricity.
It is clear that it is better to choose according to a situation in one case the water one is better and in other case the electric one is more universal and practical as it seems to me.
Of course it is electric, what is there to discuss?? The price is not much more expensive, and it works all year round and the consumption is negligible
The choice is based on the connectivity
The main factor for choosing between an electric towel dryer and the one connected to the central heating system is the possibility of connection, the desired installation location and the performance of the heating system.
Possibilities of connection of towel dryers
First of all, we proceed from the possibility of connecting to the heating system. The mere presence of such a system casts doubt on the necessity of installing an electric towel dryer in view of the need for additional energy costs.
- Ideally, the towel radiator should be connected to the hot water system of the house. And the system of hot water should be looped, so the water does not stagnate in the pipes and does not cool down when no one uses it.
- In this case, the electric towel rail may become necessary only if you have special requirements for the place of its installation. Or there are some other reasons. In other cases the electric towel dryer is not expedient.
- But unfortunately not all houses have this possibility, as the manual says. Quite often the towel dryer is connected to the heating system of the house. In this case, when you turn off the heating stops working and it.
- In this case it is advisable to use an electric towel dryer in the summer, and its colleague connected to the heating system in the winter. But you don’t have to put two towel dryers for the sake of it? In order to avoid this there are so-called combined models. They work from the heating system in winter, and in summer they are cut off from it by valves and work as a simple electric towel warmer.
- The third option, when the choice becomes water or electric towel rail is when it is connected to the hot water system, but when was the hot water you have already forgotten. Or, when the system of hot water is not looped. Or you just have an autonomous heating system and it does not go to the bathroom.
- In this case, the question of what is better to use a water or electric towel rail disappears by itself. After all, it is possible to install only an electric appliance.
Requirements as to the place of installation of a towel dryer
But the possibility of connection does not always mean the obligation of this action. After all quite often after the redevelopment of rooms or the heating system to connect a towel dryer to the heating system is almost impossible or impractical.
- If you have any special requirements to the place of connection, in this case the electric towel dryer is practically irreplaceable. It can even be placed on the balcony.
- At the same time if it is some exotic place in the room, it is quite realistic to bring the pipes of central heating to the water towel dryer. And even if it is a combined appliance, it is more economically feasible than the installation of electric analogues.
- Do not forget about the fact that when installing an electric towel rail in the bathroom, it is necessary to perform a conversion of the electrical network. According to p.7.1.48 PUE installation of a socket in the bathroom is permitted only with the installation of RCD fuse no more than 30mA leakage current.
- On this basis it may be necessary either to re-equip the existing electrical network or to install special outlets with integrated circuit breaker RCD. The price of such outlets will be an additional disadvantage for electric towel rails.
Guidelines for choosing a towel radiator for the bathroom
In Europe in the early 1900s, plumbing was no longer the privilege of the select few, the conveniences of modern life were becoming available to more and more people. If we talk about Russia, many of its regions are characterized by a fairly humid climate, probably for this reason, their residents were so important to be able to hang clothes on the radiator to dry them. And someone is just tired of knocking his teeth from the cold, getting out of the bathroom, and getting another disappointment in the form of a cold, wet and, probably, not the most pleasant smelling towel. Maybe it was a deliberate action, or maybe a towel was just accidentally left on the radiator one day, but at one point the idea of a towel dryer was born.
Since then, towel rails have evolved from a luxury item that only luxury hotels could boast into an affordable element of domestic comfort. People have found towel rails to be a useful invention, and not just for drying towels. Towel rails are no longer “confined” to the bathroom: they can increasingly be found in kitchens, bedrooms, hallways and basements, where they provide additional heat, reduce humidity and thus prevent mildew.
Advances in design and engineering have given us not only beautiful, but also highly efficient appliances, designed for all tastes and purposes. Our guide, we hope, will help you navigate through the many offerings on the market. You will find the perfect towel rail that will make you wonder how you ever managed without it before!
Before you start choosing a towel rail, try to answer the following questions:
- How much money are you willing to spend on this purchase?
- Do you need a designer model or a simple budget variant??
- Do you know what the advantages of electric and water towel rails are?
- What kind of heated towel rail will better suit your needs. rigidly mounted on the wall or free-moving?
- Should you give preference to simple, smooth lines or should you choose a more eccentric design?
- Which towel rail design will best compliment your bathroom design?
