Dual fuel towel radiator
 

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of install a new bathroom and have fitted a plumbed
towel rad. with a manifold to allow me to also fit an electical
element (150W).

The instructions that came with the element say that I should not run
it at the same time as heat is being supplied on the wet side.

I have plumbed it from the primary circuit from the boiler (and it
will also be acting as a bypass for the boiler over-run - replacing
the current bypass through the HW cylinder).

How much should I worry about the element being on in the summer when
we will probably run the HW program every other day, but would also
have the element on the rest of the time to dry the towels. In the
winter the element will be off.

Should I fit a time switch to ensure it's not running during the HW
program, or is it OK to leave it on?

I suppose, thinking about it, that a time switch would be a good idea
anyway to turn on for a few hours after AM showers and PM baths -
rather than leaving it on 24/7 during the summer - but with the first
nipper on the way there's no telling when warm, dry towels would be
desirable.

Thanks,

Will

Dual fuel towel radiator
 

"Will" wrote in message
...
Hi guys,

I'm in the process of install a new bathroom and have fitted a plumbed
towel rad. with a manifold to allow me to also fit an electical
element (150W).

The instructions that came with the element say that I should not run
it at the same time as heat is being supplied on the wet side.

I have plumbed it from the primary circuit from the boiler (and it
will also be acting as a bypass for the boiler over-run - replacing
the current bypass through the HW cylinder).

How much should I worry about the element being on in the summer when
we will probably run the HW program every other day, but would also
have the element on the rest of the time to dry the towels. In the
winter the element will be off.

Should I fit a time switch to ensure it's not running during the HW
program, or is it OK to leave it on?

I suppose, thinking about it, that a time switch would be a good idea
anyway to turn on for a few hours after AM showers and PM baths -
rather than leaving it on 24/7 during the summer - but with the first
nipper on the way there's no telling when warm, dry towels would be
desirable.

Thanks,

Will

Use a
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HOE30.html
to control the electrical side of things. You will be surprised how little
you need it on to dry and warm towels. You certainly do not need to leave it
on 24/7 during the summer months (if we get a summer).

Adam

Dual fuel towel radiator
 

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Will wrote:

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of install a new bathroom and have fitted a plumbed
towel rad. with a manifold to allow me to also fit an electical
element (150W).

The instructions that came with the element say that I should not run
it at the same time as heat is being supplied on the wet side.

I have plumbed it from the primary circuit from the boiler (and it
will also be acting as a bypass for the boiler over-run - replacing
the current bypass through the HW cylinder).

How much should I worry about the element being on in the summer when
we will probably run the HW program every other day, but would also
have the element on the rest of the time to dry the towels. In the
winter the element will be off.

Should I fit a time switch to ensure it's not running during the HW
program, or is it OK to leave it on?

I suppose, thinking about it, that a time switch would be a good idea
anyway to turn on for a few hours after AM showers and PM baths -
rather than leaving it on 24/7 during the summer - but with the first
nipper on the way there's no telling when warm, dry towels would be
desirable.

Thanks,

Will

If your central heating programmer has a live output from one of its
connections when the HW is *off* (most do) you could use this as the feed
for your towel heater - prior to whatever manual switches or timers you plan
to use. This would prevent the element from coming on when the HW system was
running. It wouldn't prevent it coming on when just the CH was on, of
course - but it would presumably be manually switched off at such times
anyway.

Another possibility would be to power it through a normally-closed relay
whose coil is paralleled with the CH pump - so that the element would be
switched off whenever the pump is running or, in other words, whenever the
primary circuit is being heated for either HW or CH or both. Whether or not
that would satisfy the requirement, I don't really know - because it would
allow the element to come on immediately after the pump had stopped, when
the water in the towel rad could already be pretty hot.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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