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Not so long ago, no one paid attention to the familiar and inconspicuous bathroom accessory. What builders put, they used it. But recently, the range of household appliances has expanded dramatically, and more and more new models of heated towel rails appear on the market. And not only the usual water ones, but also electric and even combined ones. How to make the right choice?
A heated towel rail is a device that transfers heat. The main technical characteristic of this unit is thermal powerThat is, the amount of heat it can give off per unit of time. This indicator depends not only on the properties of the device itself, but also on the volume of the bathroom. Although heating the room is not the main task of the heated towel rail, but without this function, daily water procedures will become extremely unpleasant.
How to calculate the size of a bathroom towel warmer
Calculation of the size of the electric towel warmer
As a rule, an electric heated towel rail is heated to a temperature of +60 ° C and more and works with automatic control, such as Atlantic devices. When a certain temperature is reached, the device turns off and turns on again when the temperature drops. This ensures that the desired microclimate in the room is maintained with maximum efficiency.
GOST 30494-2011 “Indoor microclimate parameters” establishes that the optimum temperature in the bathroom is + 24-26 ° С. And its minimum value is +18 ° С. For rooms with high-quality thermal insulation, it is necessary that the heating device gives out 20 W / m3. If the thermal insulation is poor or completely absent, then the heat transfer of the heated towel rail should be 41 W / m3.
We measure the area and height of the room, find out the level of insulation and we count according to the formula V = S*h, where V is the volume of the room, S is the area, and h is the height.
For example, a standard bathroom in a Soviet five-story building has an area of 2×2=4 sq.m. and a height of 2,5 m. Thermal insulation is poor. We get: 410 watts. The same room in a modern house needs a 200W heater. This means, for example, that the power of the Atlantic Adelis towel warmer of 500 W is enough for both the first and second cases.
You can simplify the calculations by taking the approximate value of the power of the heating unit 1 kW per 10 m2. area of the room. The value will turn out to be somewhat overestimated, but the bathroom will definitely warm up. If the device is needed only for drying towels, and the heating task is not set for it, then the resulting value must be divided by two. It is possible to consider the passport power consumption of the heater as equivalent to its heat transfer. That is, a 200-watt heated towel rail has a thermal power of 200 watts. It remains only to select the unit with the necessary parameters from the catalog, buy, install and connect correctly.
Calculation of the size of the water heated towel rail
A water heated towel rail is heated from a central or local heating network, and the water temperature in it is the same for all heating appliances in a house or apartment. Most often, it is not too high, but it happens that the radiators are a little warm. Under such conditions, it is possible to increase heat transfer, and, consequently, the efficiency of the unit only by increasing the dimensions of the device for the sake of a larger surface of contact between the pipes and air.
To simplify, a water heated towel rail is a metal pipe bent in a certain way and connected to the heating circuit. Plumbing stores sell many models from different companies using pipes of the following dimensions:
- ¾” OD 25mm. An adapter is required to connect;
- 1 inch OD 32mm. The most common variety, when choosing, you need to consider the location of the attachment points;
- 1 ¼” OD 40mm. Its surface is 60% larger than the previous version, which means that the heat transfer will be just as higher. Forms are extremely diverse and the choice depends entirely on the tastes of the buyer.
Recommended sizes of water heated towel rails depending on the volume of the bathroom:
- 4,5 to 6 m3 the optimal dimensions are 500×400, 500×500 and 500×600 mm;
- 6 to 8 m3 – 600×400, 600×500, 600×600 mm;
- 8 to 11 m3 – 800×400, 800×500, 800×600 mm;
- More than 14 m3 — 1200×400, 1200×500, 1200×600, 1200×800 mm.
It should be borne in mind that the space for installing a water heated towel rail should be 100 mm larger than the size of the selected unit. This is necessary for the correct connection of the device to the heat main.
Calculation of the size of the combined heated towel rail
When choosing a combined heated towel rail, you need to take into account all the factors that are characteristic of both water and electric options. Such a unit is necessary if long-term power outages or power outages are possible in the house. Recommendations for size and power are the same.
What parameters besides size are important when choosing a heated towel rail
Material
Towel dryers are made of ordinary or stainless steel. The first option is subject to corrosion, but cheap. The second is more expensive, but does not rust and is outwardly attractive. Chrome-plated heated towel rails are in fashion, noticeably decorating the bathroom. Towel rails made of brass and cast iron are less common and expensive, but these materials have increased wear resistance.
The shape and number of crossbars
Extremely popular are heated towel rails in the form of a “ladder” with horizontal bars. Such units take up little space and are very effective. Heat transfer and ease of use depend on the number of crossbars.
Programming and settings
Electric heated towel rails are beneficial in that they reduce consumer costs. Atlantic devices, for example, can be programmed to automatically turn off when a certain temperature is reached, turn on and off by timer. After that, electricity consumption becomes optimal, the device will not heat an empty bathroom at night and overheat above the specified parameters.