DIY Network

Towel-Warmer Radiator Toasty towels — the ultimate decadence. From "Bathroom Renovations" episode DBTR-504

Nothing says comfort like a toasty-warm bathroom complete with heated towels. Host Amy Matthews shows how to install a special, wall-mounted radiator that handles both chores.

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This radiator heats towels — and bathrooms up to 200 square feet!

Materials:

towel-warmer radiator
pencil
hammer drill with masonry bit
container of water
safety glasses
bolts
washers
wall anchors
hammer
screw gun
Allen wrench
close-quarter tubing cutter
emery cloth
Teflon tape
soldering torch
soldering flux
solder

Towel-Warmer Radiator

Note: A professional plumber turned off the steam supply, capped the supply lines and disconnected the outdated radiator in the bathroom. The new radiator will use the same steam supply as the old model.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• Position the radiator on the wall, check it for level and mark the four corners.

• Position the L-brackets to hold the radiator and mark for the holes.

  Note: Be extremely careful with these marks: It’s impossible to "undo" a hole in the wall, especially a slate-tiled wall like the one used in this project.

• Drill holes for the L-brackets using a hammer drill with a masonry bit (figure A). Dip the bit in water often to keep it cool, lubricate it and rinse away dust from the drilling.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use caution when drilling into tile or any sort of masonry. If the drilling is uncomfortably loud, wear ear protection as well.

• To attach the L-brackets to the wall, thread washers onto an extra-long bolt. Add the bracket, then a wall anchor. Tap the anchor and bolt into the hole with a hammer, then use a screw gun to tighten the bolt (figure B). This will pull the anchor tight against the inside of the wall to secure the bracket.

• Repeat this process for the other brackets.

• Slide the sleeves onto one of the radiator "legs," then place the groove nut inside the bracket and loosely tighten the screw. Repeat for the other legs.

• Slip the radiator legs over the L-brackets and tighten the screws with an Allen wrench (figure C).

• Use a close-quarters tubing cutter to cut the caps from the radiator’s copper supply lines. Tighten the cutter around the pipe, then rotate it around the pipe. Keep tightening and rotating until the pipe is cut. Sand the copper tubing with an emery cloth.

• Wrap the copper stub connectors with Teflon tape and attach them to the radiator.

• Apply flux to the stubs and the copper supply lines. Fit the each stub into a copper supply line, heat the joint with a soldering torch, then apply solder to the joint (figure D). The heated flux should suck the solder into the joint. Solder the other supply lines in the same manner. Make sure to solder all the way around each of the joints to prevent leaks.

  Safety Alert: Use extreme caution when soldering, making sure to keep the flame away from any flammable material. Don’t touch the soldered pipe or the torch tip until they have had plenty of time to cool down.

  Note: Since this was a retro-fit radiator, the plumbing connections were out in the open – and too inconvenient to move. So, host Amy Matthews built a simple plumber’s box to cover the plumbing connections. She used wood left over from the custom vanity project, so the new box matches the rest of the room.

RESOURCES :
Towel Warmer Radiator
Runtal
Website: www.runtalnorthamerica.com