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?
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
@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
Ah.. thanks @EricL . Does local bunnings store happy to do special order or it really depends on individual store?
Thanks @wooshka . Not really knowledgeable on this kind of things but good info.. 🙂
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.
Awesome thanks @EricL
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.
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.
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.
thanks @Jewelleryrescue - probably a bit complex for me with no-skill hahaa..
ya... unfortunately mine did not survive a 5yo kids... told not to pull the towel but eventually this happened. lol.. but oh well...
ah.. ic.. thanks @TedBear @wooshka
I had no skills once @calccom21 every project you do will build yours just dont expect perfect results first time and start off smaller you definatly have the skills to do what I suggested if you can use a cordless drill/driver in short it would be a frankinstein of a hand rail mount on the inside and I probably wouldnt recommend the undertaking of that approach as it also comes down too modifiying other components for other projects and there is no Guarantee I could make it work 100%.
Well in a way that plastic breaking might be a good thing as if it fails it saves the wall sheeting from breaking if it is not mounted to a stud. But you would need an adjustable length hand rail to get on to two studs each end. That would be smart for a Manufacturer
Hi again @calccom21
"ya... unfortunately mine did not survive a 5yo kids... told not to pull the towel but eventually this happened. lol.. but oh well.."
Yeah, kids - who'd have 'em. 😓
Just to complete the coroner's report - the entire fitting that attaches to the wall is made completely of plastic?
That chrome flange then fits over it?
Then the hollow of the rail shaft fits over the plastic protruding rod?
And then finally, it's all held in place by - metal grub screw/s? Into plastic?
To my eyes this is designed to accept countersunk screws - otherwise that flange will not sit on correctly?Coroner's Inquest
What is that dark 'channel' indicated - you can just see it between the gap?
Apologies - I'm just curious and like to understand how things are made and why they break.
Cheers.
Graeme.
The installation guide for this model towel rack is available here:-
https://gwa-prod-pxm-api.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/pdf/41304_is883b-instruction-sheet-cosmo-accessoriespdf-11.pdf
You will need to remove the grub screw, if you haven't already. If you can't get a new mounting plate it could be possible to repair the existing one, assuming that it is the cracking around the mount holes that are allowing it to let go of the outer shroud. You could try a glue, such a Super Glue (not the cheap stuff, use this https://www.bunnings.com.au/loctite-2g-and-4ml-2-part-all-plastic-superglue_p1210073 ) to repair the cracks. If it attaches (depends on what the plastic is) then I would also run the tip of a soldering iron over the cracks to melt the plastic a little and form a stronger join. But if they hold well enough just with glue then use a small flat washer on the screws to spread the clamping force over a wider area than just a screw head size will.
While you are fixing things, I recommend removing the other end and putting washers and different screws there too before that end breaks for the same reason.
(If you can get a new backing plate then of course that would be preferable to gluing the broken one.)
Evening Ted @TedBear
To me - @calccom21 's wall bracket definitely appears to be plastic, cream coloured and with a plastic arm (just visible) protruding into the rail support arm.
Whereas the Cosmo product as seen in your PDF has a pressed metal wall bracket with protruding top and bottom lips that grab a notch at the top and secured with a grub screw at the bottom. Note also the screws are close together and in a vertical alignment - very different to @calccom21 's wall bracket above. They don't look compatible.
I can confirm the above as I have the toilet roll holder - which is a rubbish product.
Maybe @calccom21 can give as further details. I have no idea why the makers would have gone with a plastic wall bracket.
It's great that you've received excellent advice from @wooshka, @TedBear, @Jewelleryrescue and @Noyade. If you do manage to get the spare part, I suggest using Pinnacle 5 x 40mm Black Round Timber Screw - 20 Pack. They are not counter-sunk and should hold the towel rail mount effectively.
Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your towel rail repaired.
@Noyade
Rhetorically saying Nice hand Sketch Noyade it gets all the great details across you have artist skills with that added shadow shading I hope you dont mind me saying. I nice skill to have.
Thanks All. I finally fixed it.. might be easy for some but first time fixer here..hard to take it out..but what I did is quick fix with super glue and seem sturdy enough...and I think my plaster wall behind has wood support in as I need to unscrew and screw harder than I thought.
Fisrtly Merry xmas and a great little fix i hope it stays strong forever.
On the chance it my get hurt again that plastic part looks symetrical can the weak spot be rotated away and try bonding with super strength Araldite.
(Araldite the little known Greek goddess of bonding and family) Xmas Furphy
Great to see your repair done @calccom21..
It must be satisfying to find out that you are a DIYer after all.
(Given the strain that these rails take, I hope that it was/is held in with all four screws?) It was also interesting to see that the backing plate holes are actually countersunk, so the screws used should not have been the source of the original problem.
Great work, @calccom21! Please reach out anytime you need assistance around the home or garden; we're here to help.
Mitchell
