Electric Towel Rail Output

[TP2010]

Hi,

Having a bit of a debate about an Electric Heated Towel Rail and the output it gives out. Say theres an 840mm h x 600mm w towel rail filled with the relevant fluids to make electric only. It is advertised as giving out 518watts of heat output. By putting a 300watt heating element inside, this would heat the towel rail to its maximum wouldn't it! By using a 600watt one, the only difference is it would heat up to it's maximum quicker.

Can someone explain it to me how it works please.

Regards

TP

 

[stem]

The towel rail output is based on its heat output as a metal object, but of course that will depend on the heat input too, as you won't get more out than you put in.

The electric elements have controlling thermostats that switch the element on and off to keep the temperature of the liquid in the radiator at a set, safe temperature, so with the 300w element the maximum it will ever give out is 300w, so if the towel rail is loosing its heat into the room (ie. it's not covered with towels) then the element will remain permanently on and the rail will be emitting more or less 300w of heat into the room.

With the 600w element it will heat up quicker, until the set temperature is reached then it will cycle on and off to maintain it. Meanwhile the rail if uncovered and at working temerature will be emitting aproximately 518 watts to the room.

Towels make very good insulators, so don't expect to get 518 watts emitted when it's covered with towels. In that instance, it may only allow 100w to escape, and if so, the 300w element will be more that enough to get it up to the working temperature and then start to cycle on and off.