There is an available, wide range of devices of this type on the market, so you need to focus on the objectives to be met.
- providing adequate comfort of heating
- aesthetic appearance
The choice of a particular type of heater is also affected by the place where it is installed:
- location of the building on Polish territory;
- location of the building and wind conditions;
- temperature of heating water;
- type of floor, where the room is situated
- installing the heater and its possible built-up area
Outside air temperature during the heating period in Poland
Table of temperature of climate zones.
Climate zones I II III IV V
Temperature [°C] −16 −18 −20 −22 −24
When you are planning to warm up a bathroom, we need to know what is the demand for heat. If your house is under construction, it is best to check the size of the heater from the installation project. However, the heating system is modernized, it usually does not have access to this kind of calculation. Then the power of exchanged heaters is estimated.
It is assumed for a well-insulated home that the demand for heating is 100 W per square meter of space. Thus, there should be selected heater power of not less than 600 W for the bathroom area of 6 m2(keeping in mind that in order to ensure thermal comfort in it, we should keep the temperature in the range of 24 ° C).
Note that manufacturers show heater power for the parameters of 75/65/20°C (supply temperature/return temperature/temperature in room) of the installation in catalogues. If the system is working on other parameters or you want to have a different temperature in the room, you should take advantage of the corrective factors. For instance: the heater is powered by solid fuel boiler at 80/60/24 ° C parameters has the power of 610 W, and gas condensing boiler with the parameters of 55/45/24 ° C - 305 W. The power will be even less, if you choose chrome-coated heater instead of paint-coated item. The chrome-coated heater emits less heat, so when a model is selected, you need to take the power by 25-30% more. The power of the heater decreases when wet clothes and clothes are hung.
It is worth to note that all of these things should be taken off after drying from the radiator or simply buy a heater with a hanger.
Despite of the facts, it is not at all a simple matter to replace heater in the bathroom.
The radiator is usually replaced when it starts leaking. But the opportunity may also be room renovation or modernization of the heating system.
Although the range of modern radiators is large, we can not always buy the one that we like. The choice depends on whether you decide to change it only if you are planning a renovation.
How to connect the heater to the heating system which is determined not only by its efficiency, but also the comfort and aesthetics of the room .
How to connect the heater depends on how it is installed - in the furrows of the wall or hidden in the floor. The type of heater is also important, because some of them can be installed only sideways, others might be sideways and at the bottom.
Under the window as standard
Most heaters are placed on the external wall at the window, or in the coldest places in the room. Because of effective work, they ensure uniform circulation of hot air in the interior. If the heater is to be moved to the inner wall for some reason, you should choose the power that is 10% higher than in the project.
In addition, you should hang over it an extra protection, such as a shelf that will prevent the wall getting dirty by air blast over the heater (it causes dark, unsightly streaks).
Note: When the inner wall is made of drywall, there should be suspended an additional reinforcement frame at the heater that will support the weight of the radiator with water.
Distance from the floor and windowsill
In order not to cause loss of thermal radiators, the plumber should keep appropriate minimum distance from the floor and the bottom of the windowsill (given in the installation instructions of the heater). These values will vary slightly which depend on the material of a heater.
The heater is connected to the system.
Each radiator is connected to the central heating system with two pipes: supply pipe which is connected to the hot water from the heat source and return pipe, which drains chilled water to the system.
The bottom or side connection depends on the type and manner of the heater and tubes.
Bottom connection. In this option, both pipes are connected to nozzles located in the heater, at the bottom, by the left or right edge.
The lower connection is used with special sets, which are equipped with shut-off valves. Due to this, for example in the event of a heater’s failure, you can turn off both valves (inlet and outlet preventing water) without having to empty the water from the heating system.
The pipes that come directly from the floor, a set of simple figure is used, but the pipe which comes out of the wall heater - a set of angle figures. First solution is easier, but it makes difficult position of the floor (in the place where you need to have properly cut panels, parquet or terracotta), then do the cleaning of it.
An interesting variation is to make the connection of the middle lower. Connections in this version are always in the middle of the heater, irrespective of its dimensions. The advantage is that, the plumber does not have to wonder where exactly put supply pipe and return pipe to hung symmetrically mounted radiator under the window.
Side connection. Supply pipe and return pipe are in the furrows of the wall and connected to the probe on the side of the heater - the right or left side.
In the side connection the supply pipe must be connected at the top of the heater but the return pipe to the bottom. Opposite connection causes that the heater power will decrease by at least 30%.
Practical information
Mistake in connection. If the supply pipe and return pipe are inversely connected, we can avoid rework system, using special cross connector . Inside of it, the reversal of the direction of the flowing heating water is made, so the heater operates properly. Connector is available in right angle version and angular version.
Connecting the towel heaters and decorative heaters. The traditional ladder is constructed of vertical pipes (collectors) and connected by horizontal pipes to the heating system, so thermostatic valve with head is mounted to that one of the manifold (power)and the second (return) - shut-off valve. Some models, especially those with unusual shapes or decorative, but vertical collectors are placed side by side (usually within 5 cm). Then you can use the combined power connections. The thermostatic valve and shut-off valve are hidden at the elegant mask, but from the outside you can only see the head.