Features of repairing heated towel rails

A heated towel rail is an essential element of any bathroom. But even the highest quality, strongest and most reliable devices of this type can be damaged. In this article, we will get acquainted with the main features of the repair of modern models of heated towel rails.

Water heated towel rails are very popular today. They are chosen by many people, refusing to buy electrical devices. The fact is that water dryers are more common in our country. Almost every user is familiar with them. Various problems arising with such products can be solved on their own. Let's take a closer look at how you can independently repair a water heated towel rail in different cases.

The low heating temperature can be associated with various reasons. Quite often the problem lies in the formation of a so-called airlock in the dryer. If such a plug appears in the device, then you will need to release excess air until the water flows again. For these purposes, when buying a heated towel rail, you need to pay attention to the presence of a special air drain valve. Otherwise, it is called the Mayevsky crane. If you have such a detail at hand, then there will be no unnecessary difficulties with solving the problem that has arisen. You just need to open this tap, and then wait for the water to appear.

If the heated towel rail heats very little compared to the rest of the system, then the reason may be hidden in the fact that there is a clogging of the conductive line or a lot of scale has appeared on the pipe walls. To eliminate these problems, you will have to resort to dismantling and cleaning the device.

Leakage is a common problem that occurs for a variety of reasons. Often wear of the gasket leads to such consequences. In this case, it will need to be replaced with a new one. When carrying out the necessary replacement, you should use special fluoroplastic gaskets, characterized by greater strength and reliability. If you have a rotary type dryer, you should not overload it. It is better to put up a couple of auxiliary hooks than call in the plumbers.

If the source of the leak is observed in the body of the dryer, then the malfunction will be much more serious. It is unlikely that it will be possible to solve this problem with your own hands, so it is advisable to turn to the services of specialists. Leakage of the main pipe can also be observed. This is often due to the lack of capacity of the water dryer itself during pressing. If the unit leaks because of this, then it makes sense to call specialists.

In some cases, there may be a problem associated with a complete lack of heating of a water heated towel rail. The most common cause of this problem is the shutdown of hot water in the general system.

Today on sale you can find many not only water, but also electric towel dryers. Such models are very convenient for use at any time of the year: even in summer, even in winter. Electric models do not depend in any way on the rest of the pipes that are in the bathroom. It is an independent device. Unfortunately, modern buyers do not buy such products very often, since they began to be used in our country relatively recently, which is why they did not have time to become a habit. Despite the excellent quality and practicality, electric heated towel rails may also require some repair.

Often, the problems that have arisen in the operation of such a heated towel rail are associated with external electrical networks. It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to operate the devices in question only in accordance with safety regulations. It is permissible to install the dryer into an outlet only if it is connected by means of an RCD.

Let us consider in detail what the main problems associated with the operation of the external power grid can be.

• If the network is made in accordance with the requirements of the PUE, then you must have an automatic switch, an RCD machine, and only then the very wiring of the outlet in the room. It makes sense to check the location of the safety devices in the event of an electrical breakdown.
• If the protective circuit breaker was deactivated, and the RCD circuit breaker was started at the same time, then the reason may be hidden in a short circuit.
• If the circuit breaker is started, and the RCD is deactivated, then a weakening of the insulation resistance on the heating elements (heating elements) will be observed.
• Disconnect the dryer from the socket. After that, it is worth trying to start the deactivated machines. If the latter were able to start without any complaints, then this will indicate that the main problem is hidden in the heated towel rail itself. If any of them was turned off again under the action of protection, then the reason lies in the wiring.
• Now you should deactivate the machines, and then plug the dryer into the outlet. Next, we start the machines. At the time of launch, maximum care is required, it is recommended to turn your face away. The launch will need to be carried out in special dielectric gloves. If a certain machine is knocked out, then the root cause of the breakdown is precisely covered in the dryer itself.
• It so happens that both machines are started, but the dryer is still not working. Most often, this indicates that the heating elements in the unit have burned out.

Often times, a stainless steel electric dryer does not work due to internal causes.

1. Heated towel rails with heating elements are widespread. They are more common than heating cable devices. Models with heating elements are easier to repair. To do this, you need to remove the cover that covers the contact part. For different models, these components are made in different ways, therefore, one should build on the structural features of a particular dryer.
2. The wires that fit the heating element can be soldered, but most often they are fixed by means of separate contacts. It will be necessary to disconnect the wire from the contacts of the heating element.
3. Further, using a multimeter, you need to ring a separate heating element and a separate wire. Measurements will need to be taken between 3 suitable wires. The indicator should be the largest. If it approaches 0, then it will indicate a short circuit.
4. If the dryer is supplemented with a timer, then it makes sense to check the operation of the circuit between the contacts. If the circuit is not observed, then this will mean that the timer needs to be replaced.
5. If a timer is not provided, then the wires can be completely excluded from the circuit.To this end, connect the power wires that are connected to the timer. But with such manipulations, energy consumption will increase.
6. Next, you need to ring the heating element of the dryer. First, they check if there is a circuit between the contacts of the power type. Next, the available resistance between the body part and the power type contacts is detected.
7. If the circuit was not found, then there was a breakdown of the heating element or thermostat.
8. Very low resistance values ​​between the power contacts and the body part will indicate a breakdown of the heating element. Most likely, the RCD circuit breaker was turned off.

The electric type dryer and the heating component are attached to each other by means of threaded connections. To pull out the heating element, you will need to unscrew it. But before that you need to find out which heating element is in the dryer.

• "Dry". Heating elements are called "dry" if they do not collide with a heat carrier. "Wet" varieties, on the contrary, are found with a coolant. To change them, it will be necessary to drain the water, oil or other used composition.
• Most often, heated towel rails function by means of "wet" heating elements. These options are cheaper. To replace the indicated heating element, you will need to remove the dryer and then turn it over. Then you need to unscrew the old heating element, putting a new one instead. If necessary, you can replace the coolant.

It is worth knowing that in some copies of electric dryers there is the possibility of a separate replacement of the temperature sensor and heating element. In this case, the master will definitely need to call them first, but only separately from each other. After that, it will be necessary to replace exactly the device that does not produce the required circuit.

After completing the work on replacing the necessary components, you should check the level of tightness of the heating element installation. After that, it makes sense to call him again. This is required to be done in full.

A household heated towel rail can be repaired at home without consulting a specialist. When doing repair work on your own, it is important to consider a few useful recommendations.

• If additional welding of the dryer structure is required to solve the problems that have arisen, then it should be resorted to only if a person knows how to work with a welding machine. If he does not have such skills, it is advisable to turn to professionals.

• When independently identifying the sources of problems that are associated with the operation of electrical networks, it is important to follow safety rules. Caution and discretion should be exercised. Don't forget to use dielectric gloves.

• If a certain control type equipment is already installed in your electrical device between the outlet and the heating element, then it is advisable to turn it off and ring it in a separate order before starting measurements. Otherwise, all current measurements may be incorrect.

• If you have planned to carry out repair work on your own, it is recommended to buy all spare parts, connectors, fasteners and other items with a margin.

• When connecting an electric heated towel rail, you should use protective devices. It can be a special circuit breaker, an RCD or a differentiated type circuit breaker.

• If the installation of a heated towel rail is hidden, then you will have to resort to preliminary dismantling, and then restoration work.

What to do if a heated towel rail is leaking, see the video.