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A bathroom in a modern home occupies a special position. It needs its own microclimate associated with high humidity, water procedures, and health hazards. And the main role in ensuring the specific requirements for this room is played by air temperature.
For a long time it was believed that a standard heated towel rail installed by builders is quite enough to solve all the problems associated with a comfortable environment in the bathroom. Not a single bathroom can do without them today, but the number of types and varieties of various heating devices has increased significantly.
How and how to heat the bathroom
As a rule, heated towel rails, radiator or convector heaters, as well as underfloor heating are used to heat the bathroom.
Bathroom towel warmers
There are three main types of heated towel rails: water, electric and combined.
Water heated towel rails
The traditional and so far the most common option. By default, a pipe bent several times adorns most of the country’s bathrooms. In the assortment of plumbing stores there are water heated towel rails of different sizes and colors, made of stainless or chrome steel. But the principle of operation is unchanged – the heating device is included in the circuit of the central or individual heating of the house. Its efficiency can be changed only by increasing the size, the coolant temperature is uncontrollable.
Electric heated towel rails
These units do not need to be connected to a heating system, but a waterproof socket is required. Their form is very diverse, but the “ladder” has become the most effective and popular, that is, two vertical pipes connected by several horizontal ones. Inside, a heating cable can be laid along the entire length, or a heating element (an electric heater in the form of a metal tube) can be installed in the lowest crossbar, and the entire volume is filled with a heat-conducting liquid. Such devices consume electricity, and this is their disadvantage. But on the other hand, they are very effective, heat up quickly and are equipped with automation. Sensors maintain the set temperature, the timer turns the unit on and off according to a schedule, reducing power consumption.
Combined heated towel rails
These devices combine the design features of both types of heated towel rails, along with their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, it is also noticeably more expensive than any other design. It is worth installing them if there are frequent power or heat cuts, and then there is only one way to warm the bathroom and dry the towels.
Bathroom convectors
Thermal devices that perform only one function work most efficiently: either heating or drying towels. In a large and cold bathroom, it is best to install a convector in addition to a heated towel rail. This is a thermal device where the air is heated, passing through the ribs of the heating element inside the closed case and enters the room through the grille with shutters. At the same time, the convector itself has a low temperature, does not dry out the air, is controlled by automatic temperature maintenance and a timer. A perfect example is the Atlantic ALTIS ECOBOOST convector with a power of 1,5 kW. The model is additionally controlled via Wi-Fi through a special smartphone application. Such devices should be installed strictly far from water sources.
Bathroom radiators
Under the radiators in everyday life they understand several heating devices at once. For example, heated towel rails, especially those that are made in the form of a “ladder”. The convectors mentioned above are also called radiators. However, in this case we are talking about wall batteries. They, as a rule, are connected to a hot water main, how effective is the use of such a device in the bathroom on a par with a heated towel rail, a moot point.
Heated bathroom floors
Everyone knows how unpleasant it is to stand on the cold floor after swimming. Underfloor heating systems help eliminate this discomfort.
Stationary
At the construction stage, a special heating cable is laid in a concrete screed under a tile or other floor covering, which is connected through the control unit to the household network. There are several options for constructive solutions, all of them are effective and safe. For the bathroom, this option is highly recommended.
Mobile phones
There are also mobile warm mats that do not need to be mounted, but rather spread on the floor and plugged into the network. But for a bathroom, this option is of little use: moisture often appears on the floor in the bathroom, or even water at all, which threatens with a short circuit. However, such a rug can be placed in the hallway before entering the bathroom.