Water or electric heated towel rail: which is better?

Do you need a heated towel rail for your bathroom? If you are tired of dampness and wet towels, then you definitely need it. On sale you can find products powered by electrical energy, heating systems, and water supply. It is impossible to answer unequivocally which heated towel rail is better - water or electric.

It all depends on a number of nuances - the presence of an outlet in the room, the quality of the water supply, power outages, and the installation location. Electric models require closed wiring, and water models require a high coolant temperature.

What is a water heated towel rail?

A water heated towel rail is a pipe through which hot water flows. Products may have different shapes. The coil and ladder are popular. The connection is made to the water supply or heating system. This may cause some difficulties. After all, heating does not work all year round, but only for 9 months.

It takes several hours for this structure to warm up.However, the heat is then retained for a long period of time. Fixation is carried out to the wall. It is important to ensure that the docking is done efficiently.

You can find a large number of water heated towel rails on sale, but you should understand that there is a big difference between domestic and European models:

1. European. The connection is made to the heating system. Such dryers operate for up to 9 months annually, the other 3 months are just a hanger. Most often, water is hard and contains a large amount of oxygen. In this case, thin steel is used to make pipes without applying an anti-corrosion coating on the inside. Such devices have a short service life, since they are not adapted to an aggressive aquatic environment.
2. Russian. Such dryers are connected to a water supply, resulting in continuous operation. Such water undergoes a purification process, as a result of which the oxygen content is not critical. The material used in production is more suitable.

Following from this, it is worth saying that it is better to purchase heated towel rails made by Russian manufacturers. Since they will have an impressive service life.

What are electric heated towel rails?

When considering the electric model of a heated towel rail, it is worth noting that the main element is a tubular heater or a special cable. Cable products do not have a temperature regulator or fuse. Most often, devices that have a heating element and a built-in thermostat are chosen.

These devices, unlike water ones, do not depend on the temperature of the water in the water supply and heating system. This is a big advantage, since the hot water is turned off periodically.But given that electrical energy is required to operate, the costs associated with paying for utilities increase. In addition, electric models are much more expensive.

Power devices are selected taking into account the total area of ​​the heated room. If the bathtub is of a standard small size, then there is no need for a powerful product. If there is a window in the room, then you need to choose dryers with increased power.

Distinctive features

The main distinguishing feature is the type of coolant. This has a significant impact on the installation location, installation complexity, cost, and utility costs.

Price

If we consider a classic water heated towel rail in the form of a ladder, without shelves, measuring 49*50 cm and weighing 3.9 kg, then its price will be 8,100 rubles.

An electric heated towel rail with a 220V heating element of the same size, but weighing 4.5 kg, will cost 14,300 rubles.

Service

Thermal energy supplied to apartments through the riser and directed to the heated towel rail is not subject to additional metering and payment. Thus, the main advantage of a water device is that there are no additional costs every month. In addition, management companies are obliged to replace devices free of charge if leaks occur, their service life is exhausted, or other types of problems occur.

Electrical devices use electricity. As a result, monthly costs associated with paying for utilities increase. In case of malfunctions, repairs are carried out at your own expense. These devices are mainly used in private homes.

Maintainability, resource

The service life of water-type heated towel rails depends on the quality of the coolant used.If we consider hot water supply systems, then the water flows in them is potable, but in heating systems it is technical water. Thus, if installation is carried out to a water supply system, the resource increases significantly.

Mineral oil is a clean and safe coolant for metal products. This option is great for electric models. However, the use of antifreeze and distilled water is allowed. The maintainability of all products, regardless of type, is the same.

Installation location

Electrical wall devices come in several types:

1. With a plug for connecting to a socket.
2. With cable, for concealed installation.

Electric dryers can be installed in any place where there is an outlet. They are not only wall-mounted, but also floor-mounted. But water ones are installed once and for all.

comparison table

Pros and cons of water heated towel rails

Let's look at the pros and cons of water-type heated towel rails. Among the advantages are:

1. Water-type models have a high level of heat transfer. As a result, the heating from the heated towel rail is quite good. Thanks to this, it can be used not only for drying things, but also as a heating source.
2. No additional costs for utilities. All costs come down to purchase and installation.

Flaws:

1. The installation is not difficult, but the work must be done responsibly and efficiently. You need to know a number of nuances. As a result, you have to turn to plumbers for help, which leads to additional costs.
2. Many models do not have a temperature control device.
3. Poor water quality. Especially if the installation is made to a heating system. Corrosion often occurs.
4. The installation location is only near the riser.

A water dryer for a bathroom is effective and cost-effective, but when using it, you should take into account some nuances:

1. In the event of a water hammer, a leak may occur. Therefore, it is worth choosing an installation scheme such that the dryer can be turned off when no one is left at home.
2. Since there is no thermostat, it is easy to get burned when coming into contact with the pipe of the product. This is especially dangerous if there are small children at home.

It is also worth remembering that performance directly depends on the quality of the installation work performed. Therefore, if you do not have the necessary experience, then it is better to seek help from professionals.

Pros and cons of electric heated towel rails

An electric heated towel rail needs to be connected to a 220V network. Sockets for these purposes use special ones - protected from moisture, use a separate RCD, and ground them.

Heating is carried out in several ways:

1. heating element.
2. Heating cable.

Models equipped with heating elements heat up slowly, maximum temperature is +80 degrees. The consumption of electrical energy is quite large. However, if you install a thermostat, you can control the temperature.

Cable bathroom dryers heat up quickly, but the temperature does not exceed +60 degrees. You cannot regulate the temperature, and you cannot install the thermostat yourself. However, there is a thermostat, thanks to which the device automatically turns off when the temperature reaches the maximum value.

Judging by the reviews, the following disadvantages can be noted:

1. Costs associated with paying for electricity.
2. Installation of RCD and grounding are required.
3. Low heat transfer when compared with analogues.

Advantages:

1. The likelihood of leaks is zero.
2. The operation of the device does not depend on turning off hot water and heating.
3. Can work around the clock.
4. The risk of getting burned is minimal.
5. Can be installed anywhere there is an outlet.

One of the problems is the need for grounding. Doing something like this in an apartment building is problematic. Such devices heat much worse than water models. The room will become warm, but the maximum is drying the wet towels.

What is better to choose

It is impossible to give a definite answer which heated towel rail is better - electric or water. Sometimes it happens that one of the options is simply not available.For example, in an apartment building, due to the impossibility of grounding, you cannot use an electrical model. And in a private house, due to the lack of water heating or hot water, it is impossible to install a water dryer.

To choose the right one, you should consider the following points:

1. If space heating comes first, then water dryers are better.
2. If you only need a dryer, use electric models.

As you can see, none of the options can be called ideal, but each option has pros and cons, after studying which you can make a choice in favor of one device.