Just get an oven heating element and install it vertically coming up from the floor.

Careful, blacknumber...someone might take you seriously :-D

I once had a customer ask for parts for a unit made in Europe. At the time America did not do heated towel racks. If you touch the piping you have a risk of burning yourself. The piping was chromed mallable iron with cute decorative fittings. The rack was several bars high. This rack is going to act as a radiator into the room, once the towel is dry. I would imagine that you would need to regulate the water flow to keep the unit from frying the cloth. The unit I saw had a bad control, and this was what the customer was looking for. At this time the only place you would find a towel heater was in a hotel. Houston was a far place in a distant Galaxy for this in 1974.

I was thinking about using a check valve and forced circulation so it would only be heated for an hour or two each morning. Also a second mixing valve to give me water temp hotter than the radiant floor but lower than boiler temp.

Thanks for the comments.

I have the old cast oron rads in my house I just use my bathroom rad as a towel warmer. my rad is right near the claw foot tub and shower of course this only works in the fall winter and early spring when the heating is on but thats when I mostly want a warmed towel. I do have setback thermostat which brings the heat up in the morning so the rads are hot when I am showering. for me its like I have a free towel warmer. maybe you can find and old iron radator that has some nice details, sand and repaint so it looks good then work it in to the room. use that to drape your towels over like I do.

I like Mike's idea. But, a European style panel radiator would also work.

Thanks kframe19 but I think it depends on the look he is going for. if he wants an older look my idea would be great I think. If he is looking for a more modern look then a panel towel rad would be better like you added. I think panel rads are nice looking and take up less floor space but look more modern which is not in character with my house. I am adding a link that shows what kframe is talkiing about. not sure of price but I bet its cheaper than the euro brands like Myson.

Here is a link that might be useful: Burnham panel Rads

Thanks for the radiator ideas. I probably should go that way, however what I was asking about what I need to consider if I intend to fabricate my own "radiator" out of stainless tubing. Fabricating it myself allows me to practice producing liquid tight welds in stainless. It also allows me to do an interesting design that fits the space.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

--markM

good luck with whatever you decide to do. Even if you do make your own you may want to look at the specs of ready built one, pay attention to the fittings and how they connect to the heating system so that you can make yours the same that way it connects up with out any extra fittings that could leak later. also try to copy the the wall mounting systems too.

The only potential problem with attaching a stainless steel radiator to the existing heating system could be the potential for galvanic corrosion caused by the two separate metals.

Most newer hot water heating systems are copper piped, while older ones tended to use cast iron piping.

If you do this check with a plumbing supply warehouse to make sure that you don't need special fittings to militage the potential problem.

I wonder if this towel rack ever materiaized.
Running one off a hot water line puts one at the mercy of the thermostat controlling that zone.
I too have considered a heated towel rack. My version would have used heated fluid ported through a Mielie dishwasher water heater element: runs on 120 VAC and has rubber tube connections. I'd have just used 3/4" copper pipe painted in some nice enamel color in a pretty wood frame. But then I stumbled across this
http://www.homedit.com/electrically-heated-towel-rack/
for $80
Hard to beat a wall mountable plug in unit for that cheap

Better have it plugged into a properly installed GFIC socket!

Is this thing UL or CSA approved?

You may be in for something other than a shockingly low price...

SR

Rated Voltage: 220-240V @ 50 Hz