Heated Towel Rails

A ladder rail is on almost every bathroom wish list and it is the single most common cause of a cold bathroom afterwards. That is because people swap a compact radiator with a decent output for a slim chrome rail with a fraction of it. Choose properly and you get warm towels and a warm room, and it is not difficult to get right.

The three fuel options

Central heating only

Plumbed into the heating circuit like a radiator. Cheapest to run and simplest to fit, but it only works when the heating is on, so from May to September your towels stay damp. Fit a thermostatic radiator valve so the bathroom can be controlled independently of the rest of the house.

Electric only

A sealed rail with an internal element, wired to a fused spur outside the room or through a switched connection unit. Ideal where there is no convenient heating pipework, such as a loft conversion en suite or a downstairs cloakroom. Modern elements with programmable thermostats are efficient and quiet.

Dual fuel

Both. Plumbed into the heating and fitted with an element, so it runs off the boiler in winter and off electricity in summer. It costs a little more and it is what we recommend to most households, because a towel rail is most useful precisely when the heating is off.

Sizing it properly, in BTUs

Room heat loss depends on volume, insulation, window area and how many external walls you have. A small internal bathroom in a modern house might need 1,800 BTU; a 1930s semi bathroom with a large single glazed window and two external walls could need 4,500 BTU or more. Manufacturers quote rail outputs at a delta T of 50, which many modern condensing boiler systems never reach in practice. If your system runs at lower flow temperatures, apply the manufacturer correction factor or the rail will underperform on the coldest days.

Practical rules of thumb for a typical Stoke bathroom:

• Cloakroom or small en suite, 1000mm to 1200mm high by 400mm to 500mm wide.
• Average family bathroom, 1600mm by 500mm or 600mm.
• Older, poorly insulated or large bathroom, a wide 600mm rail plus underfloor heating, or a designer flat panel rail with a much higher output.

Finish and style

Chrome is the classic and reflects light well, but chrome plating slightly reduces heat output compared with the same rail painted. White and anthracite rails give more heat for the same size. Matt black looks striking against light tiles and hides limescale marks less well than you would hope. Flat panel and mirrored rails give far more output than a ladder for the same wall area, which is worth knowing if the room is cold and wall space is tight.

Position

1. Within reach of the shower or bath, so you can grab a towel without crossing the room dripping.
2. Not directly in the shower spray path, or the towels never dry.
3. Under a window is a good position for tackling condensation, if the sill height allows.
4. Leave enough clearance above for the towel to hang without touching a light switch or shelf.
5. Allow 40mm to 50mm off the wall so air can circulate behind it.

Running costs

Electric elements are typically 200 to 600 watts depending on rail size. At 600 watts for two hours a day, that is 1.2 kilowatt hours, so on a typical tariff a matter of pence per day, and less if it is thermostatically controlled and only maintaining temperature rather than heating from cold. Use the timer function rather than leaving it on constantly and the cost is negligible.

The combination we fit most often

A dual fuel rail sized properly for the room, plus electric underfloor heating on the free floor area. The floor does the room heating, the rail does the towels, and you free up the low level wall space the old radiator occupied. In a small room that combination transforms both comfort and layout.

Ask us to size yours

We calculate the heat loss at survey rather than guessing, and we price the rail, valves and any element as clear line items. Free survey, fixed written price in 24 hours, all plumbing and electrical work carried out in house.

Common questions