If you are like me you have recently found out about
towel warmers and couldn’t wait to get your hands on one! However once you started looking into them, you found there are a few different types of towel warmers and weren’t sure which towel warmer is right for you. This article will look at the difference between Electric Towel Warmers and Hydronic Towel Warmers.
Hydronic Towel Warmers
The difference between hydronic and electric
towel warmers or drying units is the source of heat. Hydronic towel warmers need a hot water supply and generally utilize hot water circulating from the central heating system. Many hydronic towel warmers are floor or wall mounted so they can be connected to your home plumbing. However, because they are used in conjunction with the central heating, their operation is limited to when that central heating is running. It is possible to use a special pump and separate heating tube system so that hydronic towel warmers can be used during the summer months. Hydronic towel warmers tend to be more expensive and typically require a plumber to install. There are no electrical restrictions on the placement of a hydronic towel warmer. This makes them ideal for putting on the pool deck or at the end of a walk in shower.
Electric Towel warmers
The majority of electric
towel warmers are oil filled. Once the electric towel warmers or heating racks are plugged in, the oil begins heating it. Most oil filled towel warmers have a low wattage heating element, making them safe and economical. Electric warmers are self–contained with an electrical heating unit built into the warmer that heats the fluid circulating through the unit. Electric towel warmer are available as soft wired (plugged into the electrical outlet) or hard-wired (wired into the bathrooms electrical system). It is possible to use oil filled towel warmers with timers so that you can preheat your towels based on your schedule. Oil filled towel warmers can leak especially if not maintained regularly to ensure the seals don’t perish. The other problem I found with oil filled towel warmers is that if you find a good quality oil filled towel warmer they can take up to an hour to heat up and can be expensive.
Warmrails FilathermTM Towel Warmers
There is a new electric towel warmer from
Warmrails that utilizes a dry element technology called FilathermTM. This element is similar to the technology used in radiant under floor heating. FilathermTM is energy efficient, costing only cents a day to operate and will reach operating temperature in only 15 minutes. It provides safe operating temperatures, consistent throughout the unit so there are no “hot spots”. Warmrails FilathermTM technology is guaranteed not to leak, so there is no risk of damage to wall and flooring or risk of injury.
Warmrails towel warmers are not designed to heat a room but will reduce humidity and assist to deter bathroom dampness and mildew. As such, they can be used year round without adding heat to rooms. The towel warmers can easily be self-installed and do not require upgrading the electrical circuit. The towel warmers do not come with temperature controls however you can use a timer if desired. Warmrails towel warmers are designed to run safely and efficiently 24 hrs a day and many find the comfort and convenience appealing.
