When there is a cold heated towel rail in the bathroom during the heating season, this phenomenon can cause a lot of problems for property owners. First of all, it is condensation that forms on decoration, furniture, household appliances and valves. High humidity contributes to the development of mold and mildew, the appearance of corrosion and limescale. The very stay in the room becomes unpleasant and even unhealthy. To fix the problem, you should understand the device and the principle of operation of the device, as well as the possible causes of the malfunction.
The principle of operation and features of the installation of a heated towel rail
Heated towel rails (TS) are a curved metal pipe in a special way, inside which there is a moving or static heat carrier. The product, in accordance with SNiP, is installed in the bathrooms of apartment buildings that are in communal ownership. The presence of a heating device is due to the creation of comfortable conditions for residents and ensuring the safety and durability of the building itself, since moisture negatively affects its supporting structures.
By their design, substations are subdivided into the following categories:
- Electrical. Inside there is a heating element of a rigid or flexible type, which transfers the generated energy to the filler, and already through it to the walls of the device. Paste graphite or liquid mixtures of antifreeze, salt water, mineral oils are used as a heat carrier.
- Water. They are connected to the hot water supply system and are an integral part of them. The standard shape of the products is serpentine, but modern models can have the most intricate configuration. According to the installation option, they can be part of a riser or mounted on the upper and lower branches. In the second case, the likelihood of a problem is higher, since there is a decrease in pressure, as well as the possibility of making mistakes during assembly.
If the water heated towel rail does not heat up, it is better not to delay with the solution of this issue. Otherwise, in a few months you will have to make repairs in the bathroom.
The main causes of malfunctions
Hot water supply is a complex engineering system influenced by many subjective and objective factors.
When the water heated towel rail does not heat up, the reasons for this phenomenon may be the following:
- Lack of hot water. Supply disruptions are not uncommon due to line accidents, blackouts or equipment breakdowns. It is enough to touch the radiators in other rooms to understand the nature of the malfunction.
- Blockages and plugs. If the water heated towel rail in the bathroom is cold, and in the rest the batteries are hot, the problem is local in nature. Quite often, during power supply, repair and maintenance, dirt, tow and parts of gaskets get into the pipes. These objects linger at bending sections, narrowing or completely blocking the cross-section of the line.
- Installation errors. Both beginners and experienced craftsmen can admit them. Installers often confuse the connection procedure, which is contrary to the laws of hydrodynamics. The second mistake is the use of fittings during assembly, the internal section of which is smaller than that of the riser and heated towel rail.When self-manufacturing water substations from square pipes, craftsmen can make several turns at right angles. This design can greatly slow down the flow of water.
- The presence of old pipes. In old houses, the risers and piping are made of black iron. During operation, the inner walls of the communications are covered with rust and limescale. All these deposits can reduce the clearance in the pipes by several times, and sometimes completely block them.
- Airlock. Bubbles often enter the system when powering the system, during repairs on the line and during malfunctions of boiler equipment.
In electrical appliances, the list of possible malfunctions may be as follows:
- Failure of the heating element.
- Short circuit or burnout of electrical wiring.
- Circuit breakdown due to weak contacts.
In all cases, the situation is not hopeless, you just need to find a way to solve it.
Elimination of the problem depending on the type of heated towel rail
If the electric heated towel rail suddenly cools down, you should draw up an action plan, prepare tools and start repairs.
For work you will need:
- wrench;
- multimeter;
- pliers;
- screwdriver;
- FUM tape;
- filler.
Further sequence of actions:
- Check the condition of the power line. Measure the voltage in the outlet, the readings of the power cord, the operability of the thermostat relay.
- If there is an electronic control unit, examine it in a workshop or using a special computer program.
- Strip the contacts, connect the line, turn on the device. If he has not started to warm up, the reason must be sought in him.
- Loosen the wall mounts, unscrew the side nuts, then remove the heater by turning it over so that the coolant does not flow out of it.
- Replace the element, make sure that there is no current leakage to the body, top up the working fluid if necessary.
- Check the functionality of the assembled structure.
- Put the device in place, tighten all fasteners tightly.
The repaired device should warm up in accordance with the indicators stated in the instructions for use.
It is more difficult to solve the problem with a heated towel rail connected to the central heating, since it is part of a common looped system. However, here, too, there are options for a way out of an unpleasant situation.
It is necessary to prepare the following devices:
- wrench;
- plumbing pliers;
- new gaskets;
- container for collecting water;
- cable with a brush;
- FUM tape;
- floor rags.
Within your bathroom, you can do the following:
- Check hot water supply. To do this, you need to get into the basement and look at the position of the valve on the riser. Sometimes, in order to save money, people with a small income unauthorizedly screw up the heating.
- Bleed the air. This is done using a Mayevsky crane or by loosening the union nut. If this does not help, you need to ask the neighbors upstairs, in whose apartment the line is looped, to do it.
If you cannot fix the problem on your own, you need to act officially. You should write a statement to the management company to disconnect the riser for repair work. The best solution would be to pressurize the circuit using special equipment. This procedure allows you to get rid of blockages and deposits in pipes, as it is carried out by flushing them with chemicals under pressure. Since this is not always possible, more often you have to work with your own hands.
The options are:
- Disassemble the structure and carry out its correct connection in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
- Clean the piping and heated towel rail with a cable. It is advisable to pre-fill the system with corrosive chemicals.
- Replace fittings on models with a large internal clearance to avoid inhibiting fluid flow.
If the measures taken did not bring the desired result, there is only one way out - to carry out calculations, purchase materials and carry out a complete replacement of the riser and heated towel rails.
Planned and illegal outages
By current legislation, forced shutdown of heating is prohibited, since this is associated with the risk of freezing the entire system and a threat to human life.
Examples of illegal actions of residents of apartment buildings:
- Connecting the substation to the DHW return line with a bypass so that the entire flow entering the apartment passes through it. As a result, the temperature in neighboring apartments drops.
- Cutting a heated towel rail and installing plugs on the riser. This leads to a complete cessation of fluid circulation through the pipes. In such cases, an insert should be made in agreement with the management company.
Such actions lead to the imposition of large fines and are fraught with flooding of the lower levels due to the rupture of the system.
