A heated towel rail is present in almost all bathrooms. Its main purpose is to heat this room. In addition, it is also a very convenient and effective item for drying small things. Unfortunately, situations often occur when the heated towel rail in the bathroom does not heat. Such a nuisance is due to a variety of malfunctions that occur during the operation of this equipment. In many cases, this problem is easily resolved. Moreover, you can fix the device yourself, and in a very short time. To repair the heated towel rail as quickly and easily as possible, it is important to understand how this appliance works and how it works.
Features of the heated towel rail
Most often, some household members notice this device only after it stops working. Externally, the heated towel rail resembles a serpentine wall battery and many think that this is a continuation of communications, attributing its heating ability to the operation of the boiler room. In some cases, this is the case when the device is a compensating loop and allows hot water to pass through the rest of the apartments in the entrance.
Depending on the principle of operation, heated towel rails are available in two categories: water and electric. Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Water towel warmers
Such devices function as the most ordinary battery, since their heating occurs due to the hot water passing through them. Today you can find many different forms of water dryers: classic, color, modernized, etc. These are quite convenient appliances that heat the bathroom and allow drying clothes.
The most common and common form of such devices is a coil in the shape of the letter "P" or "M", but you can also find more attractive and modern products.
Connection
The most important conditions for the proper connection of this equipment is the correspondence of the diameter of the riser and the device itself, without narrowing and, of course, high-quality fastening.
Consider the main and most common errors when installing a heated towel rail. First of all, it is not recommended to install shut-off taps, since their shutoff stops the circulation of water throughout the riser, which neighbors will not be too happy about. That is why locking valves cannot be placed on risers. You can install a jumper to control the operation of the device and let hot water when needed, without disturbing the neighbors.
When connecting a heated towel rail, you need to pay attention to the bypass, because a lot depends on it. First of all, it is needed to maintain a certain speed of water circulation. In addition, with the help of a bypass, you can disconnect the towel dryer from the entire system, while not harming its neighbors.
Which connection method to choose?
Experienced experts advise choosing a diagonal or side connection, with an unbiased and not narrowed bypass. That is, water is supplied to the upper part, and its discharge occurs to the lower.
In case a heated ladder model is connected, you need to pay attention to the position of the taps: the lower should be below the connection to the device, and the upper tap of the riser should be higher than the connection. To avoid the accumulation of air, humps must not be allowed.
When connecting the device, you must also pay attention to the diameter of the pipes to ensure good water circulation (it must be at least 32 mm). It is not necessary to install any taps on the bypass itself, since this will significantly slow down the circulation of water in the riser, it will leave neighbors with cold pipes and in other apartments will worsen the water pressure.
Electric heated towel rails
Such devices are powered by electricity. You can install them not only in the bathroom, but in almost any electrified room, for example, in the kitchen, nursery, hallway, pantry, etc. As an electric appliance, an electric heated towel rail with a heating cable is very beneficial. With low power consumption, it generates a large amount of heat.
How to choose a device?
So that no further question arises as to why the heated towel rail does not heat up, it is important, first of all, to take the product selection seriously. As with any other type of equipment, it must have a guarantee and a hygienic coupon.
When buying, you must carefully consider the design of the product from the inside and outside. The surface of the device should be smooth everywhere. This is the only way good quality products look.
Causes of damage to electrical appliances
It is clear that the heated towel rail does not warm for a variety of reasons. Electrical appliances are cold in two cases: there is no power supply or the internal structure of the structure has failed.
Most often, the problem is precisely with the power supply. Since the humidity in the bathroom is quite high, condensation forms on the electrical outlet. After a while, the outlet burns out and, accordingly, the towel dryer cools down.
Such a nuisance can only be prevented by purchasing and installing special, moisture-resistant outlet models. A cold appliance can be brought into working condition using an extension cord plugged into an outlet in another room.
If this procedure did not help and the heated towel rail does not heat up, the reason may be in the connection to the appliance, which is often clogged, or in the breakdown of the equipment itself. In this case, you need to contact a specialist.
Causes of breakdowns of water devices
If, for example, the “ladder” heated towel rail or other water device does not heat, the reasons may also be different:
- Due to insufficient quality water, they can become clogged inside the equipment pipe, as a result of which the temperature of the dryer decreases.
- The reason may be a shut-off valve, which is located on the riser when supplying heat.
- The device may not be connected to the trunk correctly. In this case, the riser itself may be hot, and the heated towel rail cold. Often this situation occurs when replacing the pipeline. For example, in a neighboring apartment, repairs are being made, pipes are changing, after a new installation of which hot water begins to flow in a different direction.
- Another common reason for the towel dryer to stop working is the appearance of a water plug.
Instrument Repair
- If the heated towel rail stops heating as a result of a blockage in the electrical appliance, it must first be unplugged and then removed from the wall. Then unscrew the valve, clean it with the most ordinary metal wire. Next, you need to perform the same procedure from the end of the structure. Then return the valve to its original place and check the operation of the device. If everything is fine and the heated towel rail began to warm as before, you can proceed with its installation on the wall.
- If the heated towel rail does not warm as a result of clogging of the pipes of the water device, it is necessary to initially turn off the tap at the inlet point and remove this equipment from the wall. Then you need to drain the remaining water inside the device into the prepared container. To do this as quickly as possible, you need to unscrew all the existing futorki. Next, you need to take a metal cable and thoroughly clean all the channels of the heated towel rail. Then shake the device a little, knocking off the debris that remains from its walls, pull it out of the equipment and rinse well under running water. It is advisable to repeat this procedure 2-3 times so that cleaning is more effective. Hard plaque can be removed using hydrochloric acid. To do this, you need to pour it inside for 10 minutes
- If the heated towel rail does not warm as a result of the formation of an air plug, to eliminate it, it is necessary to open the valve and let all the air out of the device. To find the required crane, partially dismantle the structure. A bolt will be located above the faucet, which will allow air to bleed. You can unscrew it with a minus screwdriver. She needs to pick up the hardware and unscrew it a bit (half a turn). This will allow the resulting air to escape. After it is completely lowered, water will flow from the valve. After that, tighten the bolt, close the valve and put the structure in its place.
Scheduled and illegal outages
Another fairly common reason why the heated towel rail in the bathroom in apartment buildings does not heat up is the problems in the work of public utilities, which simply do not supply hot water to the system. In this case, you must contact this service with a claim.
According to sanitary standards, the heated towel rail in apartments should be warmed throughout the year, therefore, the supply of hot water should only be turned off during repair work, and in the summer, this process should be as short as possible. The temperature of the water supplied must be at least 60 degrees. If the water is lower than this indicator by more than 3 degrees, in this case, utilities must pay a penalty to the owner of the apartment. At temperatures below 40 degrees, under the law, owners have every right not to pay for heating at all.
Interruptions in the supply of hot water in the event of an accident are permissible, however, under the law, the duration of these interruptions should not be more than 8 hours per month. If an accident occurs in a very important part of the system, then the shutdown of hot water is allowed during the day.
Conclusion
So, we examined the reasons why the heated towel rail in the bathroom may not heat up, what to do in this case. This towel dryer is an important design in any bathroom. It not only allows you to dry small objects, but also heats this room, making the air temperature as comfortable as possible for taking water procedures. Such devices are available in different types and differ in appearance, principle of operation and other parameters. If this product does not heat up, first of all, you need to determine the cause of this situation, and then eliminate the breakdown by a suitable method. Act during operation should be very careful, taking into account all safety rules.