How to repair bathroom towel rail?

[calccom21]

 

Hi all, I need some help and advise on how to fix or repair this towel rail on my bathroom... It snapped or break apart and I can see inside it seems to have screen and white thingy but unsure how in to repair or fix it. Any advise?

[EricL]

Hello @calccom21

Thank you for sharing your question about your towel rail. Underneath your towel rail near the mounting point is the location of the grub screw. You'll need to use an Allen key to remove the grub screw so that you can disassemble the towel rail. The towel rail you have is called a Caroma Cosmo Double Towel rail.

The plastic mounting fitting has been broken, I suggest going to your local store and asking the special orders team to quote you the mounting bracket for the Caroma Cosmo towel rail. Please make sure to bring the broken piece so that they will know what to order. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[wooshka]

@calccom21 , 2 of my pet hates , that design of towel rail holder and people using countersunk head type screws for load bearing applications to hold them on, , as the tighter you do them up the less they will hold.

I am hoping that they screw into a timber batten behind the gyprock so you could your some pan head or flat head screws screws in at 12 oclock 4 and 8 oclock to spread the load to secure the plastic retainer then  reattach the towel rail 

Other than that buy a new towel rail kit 

[calccom21]

Ah.. thanks @EricL . Does local bunnings store happy to do special order or it really depends on individual store?

[calccom21]

Thanks @wooshka . Not really knowledgeable on this kind of things but good info..

[EricL]

Hi @calccom21 

The team will be more than happy to do it for you. The first thing they will do is to try and determine if the spare part is available. Since it is a Caroma-branded towel rail your chances are very good since Caroma has a wide range of spare parts. However, if they say that the spare parts are not available, I suggest looking at another towel rail to replace the one that you have. I recommend bringing the old towel rail to the store to make sure that you purchase one that has the same width. In this manner, you won't have to drill new holes in your wall.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.   

Eric

[calccom21]

Awesome thanks @EricL 

[Jewelleryrescue]

Hi @calccom21 

Why  they make the base out of plastic in the first place I think  every towel rail in the universe will get leaned on one day and that is  a double  rail. I think  if there where stronger options  they wont be indestructable but a little better.

I wonder if that  rail is  hollow I might use a  cut down L bracket  to fit inside it.  That  would require more hands on assessment and my scrape parts bin.

[Noyade]

Hi @calccom21 

There should be a Royal Commission into bathroom products in this country. 😉

And there must be a better towel rail out there - that doesn't rely on a plastic anchoring system?

When my sons were little and naughty they constantly swung on the towel rail before bath time. The rail above would have never survived.

[TedBear]

Hi @calccom21 , I think that @wooshka is correct about the source of the problem.  Countersunk screw heads put stress on a hole as they are tightened and are only suitable for a material that can spread a little and where the hole opening has been countersunk to match the head shape. If you reuse those screws to hold a replacement part then the breakage will eventually reoccur. No matter what you replace the rail with, use screws that have a flat edge making contact with the edges of the hole in material.