Electric towel rail not working

[andyjack]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but since it concerns a towel rail/radiator it might be.

I've got a towel rail that is fed by the central heating system and also has an electric heating element in it. It gets warm when the central heating is on but the electric heating part of it seems to have stopped working. The little light on the thermostat comes on so it seesm to be drawing power, but it's not heating up.

Any suggestions as to what might have gone wrong and how it can be put right will be most gratefully received.

 

[secret squirrel]

What I'd do is take it off and put another one on. Easiest thing to do.

Has it got a re-set button?

The element might be knackered, if this is the case you may be able to get a new element if you know the make and model. It may be too warm for the thermostat to be asking for heat from the element.

 

[andyjack]

Thanks

 

[AWheating]

please ensure you ask a qualified electrician to change the heater unless you are sure you know what you are doing.

 

[gaspastemania]

please ensure you ask a qualified electrician to change the heater unless you are sure you know what you are doing.

And pay about £500 !!!!!

 

[AWheating]

no, i would charge only £450. £500 is just stupid 🙂

 

[gaspastemania]

I know the public go on about what plumbers charge but sparks are on a different planet , they turn up not a spec of dirt on them wearing shades and telling the cust that the wiring is out of date and needs a full re-wire or the place will burn down . Usually they have only turned up to repair a duff socket .

 

[AWheating]

i sort of agree with you, but im a qualified sparks aswell as a gas engineer so its a bit like slapping your own face 🙂

 

[gaspastemania]

Whats your main trade so to speak??

 

[AWheating]

plumber, heating engineer and small amount of electrical work, i have been gas registered for around 15years but decided to go back to college and learn about electrics, i can test electrical installations upto 1000v but with the current climate of work i dont get to use my electrical knowledge very offten. I hope i dont forget most of it before i need it!

 

[mikegas]

sorry to be nosey but how did you manage to do the course was it on an evening, i only ask because ive been thinking about doing it myself but i was told you cant do it on an evening any more as you need on site experience like the gas

 

[AWheating]

mikegas,
I am unsure on whether they have changed the rules now? i did hear they were changing some of the qualifications again... they change things every few years in electrical qualifications. The have even revised the 17th regs and its only been around a few years.
I did all mine on evenings, 2/3 nights a week. I completed C+G 2330 level 2 and level 3, 17th regs, inspection and testing(2391/92) levels 2 and 3. Not got my pat testing yet tho.

to be honest on site experience wont be to great a benifit on these courses, yes maybe on the practical parts but most of the theroy is calculations and regs and you dont need to be good at installing, you need to be good at maths, and revision. These course cover more than just house bashing and go into comercial,industrial,supply and generation etc. To be honest the practical is fairly easy, even for me and i have butter fingers when wiring.

i bet if you told them you had lost your job you would get on the course??

 

[mikegas]

mikegas,
I am unsure on whether they have changed the rules now? i did hear they were changing some of the qualifications again... they change things every few years in electrical qualifications. The have even revised the 17th regs and its only been around a few years.
I did all mine on evenings, 2/3 nights a week. I completed C+G 2330 level 2 and level 3, 17th regs, inspection and testing(2391/92) levels 2 and 3. Not got my pat testing yet tho.

to be honest on site experience wont be to great a benifit on these courses, yes maybe on the practical parts but most of the theroy is calculations and regs and you dont need to be good at installing, you need to be good at maths, and revision. These course cover more than just house bashing and go into comercial,industrial,supply and generation etc. To be honest the practical is fairly easy, even for me and i have butter fingers when wiring.

i bet if you told them you had lost your job you would get on the course??

thanks for that awheating it was an electrician that told me you now need on site experience, how long did it take you to complete at 2/3 nights a week?

 

[AWheating]

it all took me around 4years, mostly 2 nights a week

2330 level 2 - 2 years
2330 level 3 - 1 year
17th regs-testing-extras- 1year

and about 300 cans of redbull! 🙂

i even have a moke up whole house wiring install on my shed wall so i can practice my testing and fault finding to stop me getting rusty when i dont get to use the knowledge enough.

 

[mikegas]

it all took me around 4years, mostly 2 nights a week

2330 level 2 - 2 years
2330 level 3 - 1 year
17th regs-testing-extras- 1year

and about 300 cans of redbull! 🙂

haha cheers for the info