Electric Towel Rails

Feb 26, 2004 5 Replies

Hi



B&Q (and no doubt others) do towel/ladder radiators which are designed to take a supplementary electric element so that they can be used in the summer. A guy in my local B&Q told me that you could use these without plumbing them into the central heating by simply capping them and filling them with water - and of course installing the electric element.



Can anyone confirm this is possible and/or report any experience of doing this?



Thanks Des


Sound's rather dangerous actually. I seem to think you can't do this because of expansion of the water when it's heated. ..

SJW A.C.S. Ltd.

[T] That's what I thought when I read it?

In the standard situation when part of the CH system you would 'isolate' the rail by turning off one of the valves (wouldn't you) allowing the water to expand out if heated electrically?

Maybe if you filled it with oil (or water and Fernox) and left an air 'expansion' pocket it would be ok stand alone?

All the best ..

T i m

I'd check what the instructions say with regard to electrical operation with both valves closed, (not neccesarily sealed but the same thing). I don't have one to hand unfortunately! ..

SJW A.C.S. Ltd.

I know you can do this with some of those towel rails by filling them with oil. But whether that's a special rail and exactly how to go about it, what type of oil, what else has to be done etc I'm unsure of.

Sorry that's not much help...

Seri

electrical element. Just remember not to fill up to the top, The instructions tell you to leave a certain amount in litres, depends on size. I put a dab of inhibitor in the ones we fit, to help prevent corrosion. I was a bit wary of the element , as it is permanantly on, this is ok, I'm told now they do them with a thermostat built in. rob

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