Radiantec
INSTALLATION OF A HEATED TOWEL RACK
INSTALLATION SUPPLEMENT
295
Towel Rack
For the ultimate in bathroom luxury, the towels must be heated. Some spend over $1,000 for a luxurious towel warmer. Fortunately, the common man can have this luxury for about $30 and a little ingenuity.
Just use some source of warm water (such as the radiant heating source) and enter the wall cavity. Go in and out of the wall cavity where appropriate to make heated towel racks. Secure them very well. Consider that someone might use them for a handrail and make them strong enough.
Here is how we make our towel racks. Obviously you can change the dimensions to suit the project.
We build the towel rack in the wall space within 2”x4” studs spaced 16” on center.
Drill the blocking where indicated and place them where they will best support the towel rack and risers. Off-set them so that you can nail or screw directly into the blocking instead of toe nailing. Don’t fas- ten them permanently until the work is level and square.
Assemble the piping and solder it together. Adjust the blocking until level and square, then fasten securely. After the sheet rockers leave, you can dress up the wall penetration with standard escutcheons. Then paint or coat with urethane.
Some professionals provide the towel rack to the customer at little or no charge as a public relations gesture.
TOOLS
Drill and bit to drill 7/8” holes
Soldering kit
Nails or screws (screws preferred)
Wood saw (to cut blocking)
Tape measure
PARTS LIST
4—2×4 blocking cut to the stud space
10—10 ft copper tubing plus or minus (type K is preferred but L is satisfactory.
Cut as follows:
2 towel rails
4 cross pipes (3 are 6 1/2” and one is 5 1/2”)
supply and return pipes to size ( we used 24” and 2 1/2” pieces)
4 3/4” copper ells
4 escutcheons
Copyright 2003, Robert J. Starr
Revised on
1/18/2004