We'll cover the whole process of choosing, buying, and installing a heated towel rail so that you can get a perfect size, style, and finish for your room.
You'll also learn some vital maintenance tips, helping you to increase the longevity of your heated towel rail and to keep your heating running smoothly for years to come.
PART 1 - BUYING GUIDE
Types of Heating
The type of heating system you have in your home will determine the kind of heated towel rail you need to install.
Below we cover the three main heating types in homes. This will ensure that you choose a towel rail that is compatible with your heating system.
Central Heating
The most common type of heating system. A central heating system is powered by a gas boiler connected to a thermostat. The boiler heats up water and pumps it through a network of pipes into your radiators which give off heat.
With a central heating system, you'll need a 'standard' heated towel rail. Much like a regular radiator, standard heated towel rails are connected up to your central heating system and have hot water flowing through them to make them hot.
Electric Heating
Each radiator or towel rail can be turned on individually as and when you need them.
If you have an electric heating system, you'll need an 'electric' heated towel rail. This type of towel rail should be installed and mains-connected by a qualified electrical engineer.
When choosing an electrically heated towel rail, you can choose whether you want it to be non-thermostatic/single heat (the temperature remains the same) or thermostatic/variable heat (you can adjust the temperature settings). A heated towel rail with adjustable temperature settings tends to be slightly more expensive.
Dual Fuel
A dual fuel heating system is a combination of the two systems above. It gives you the ability to run your heating via a conventional, gas-powered central heating system.
While it's fairly uncommon for a whole house to be set up and heated this way, many people choose to install dual fuel heated towel rails in their bathrooms, en-suites, or kitchens.
A dual fuel heated towel rail allows you to choose whether or not you want it to come on independently of the central heating system. This can be useful in summer when switching on your central heating would be expensive and unnecessary, but you still want to be able to dry your towels after washing. You can simply switch the towel rail on at the mains and it will run on electricity instead.
Finding the Right Size for Your Heated Towel Rails
Before thinking about the style and finish of your heated towel rail, it's important to consider what size towel rail you need for your room. This will obviously depend on the space you have available and the heat output needed for your room.
The dimensions of heated towel rails generally tend to be between 600 - 1800mm in height and between 400 - 1000mm in width. Other measurements to consider are the projection (how far the towel rail sticks out from the wall) and pipe centers (the distance between the inlet and outlet pipes).
The size of the heated towel rail you choose should also take into account the heat output needed to heat your room adequately.
Choosing a Heated Towel Rail Style
For many people, deciding on the style of heated towel rail that you want to install in your home is the most exciting part of the process.
If this is the first time that you've delved into the world of heated towel rails then you might be pleasantly surprised at the amount of choice. We break down the most common types below to help you make the best-heated towel rail decision for your home.
Ladder Towel Rails
Ladder-style heated towel rails are the most common and popular type of towel rail.
Known for their stylish simplicity, ladder rails have made a seamless transition from 5-star hotels into bathrooms up and down the country and, as a result, there's a massive range of sizes available.
Not only practical, but ladder heated towel rails also look fantastic in any room they're installed in, including bathrooms, en-suites, and increasingly kitchens.
Horizontal Towel Rails
Heated towel rails are often thought of as only being available in the vertical orientation, however, this is not the case.
Not everybody has the space to install a vertical ladder towel rail, especially when working with small bathrooms, en-suites, and downstairs toilets.
In these types of the room where space is at a premium, horizontal heated towel rails really come into their own and provide a very useful function.
Curved Towel Rails
Another popular type of rail, which is a clever variation on the ladder-style, is the curved heated towel rail.
The ingenious design can best be seen when looking at the towel rail in profile, where you can clearly see the horizontal bars curved outwards.
The reason curved heated towel rails have become popular is that the curvature of the bars allows extra space behind the rails. This makes it easier to tuck and hang thick towels, ensuring that they are dried and heated evenly every time.
Traditional Towel Rails
Whether you've got a period property or are simply wanting to inject some homely character into your bathroom, an option worthy of your consideration is the traditional towel.
As well as providing some rustic charm, traditional heated towel rails are also very practical in nature.
Bearing the closest resemblance to a typical radiator, the traditional towel rail emits a high heat output thanks to its large chamber. The chrome heated bar across the top provides ample space for a towel, resulting in the best of both worlds for your bathroom.
Designer Towel Rails
For those with a higher budget looking to achieve a top-end, luxury finish, look no further than the wide variety of designed heated towel rails.
Not only do designer towel rails look amazing in high specification homes, but you can also find innovative designs that are not available at lower price points.
The amount of stylish craft and imagination that goes into manufacturing designer-heated towel rails is staggering. A towel rail range that must be investigated further by all current and aspiring interior designers.
Choosing a Colour and Finish
There are a huge variety of colors and finishes of heated towel rails available, so it's important to take your time when choosing what you want. This fantastic range of choice means it's perfectly possible for you to create a truly personal design for your bathroom or kitchen.
The most common material in the manufacturing of heated towel rails is mild steel with a chrome or powder coat finish. The towel rails are very popular and tend to be the most economical option.
It's also possible to purchase stainless steel towel rails made from 304-grade stainless steel; high quality and durable material that is usually at the upper end of the cost scale.
All Heated Towel Rail Colours & Finishes
Popular Towel Rail Colours
Anthracite - A charcoal color with a hint of sparkling silver, anthracite heated towel rails have become a very popular choice for those seeking to give a contemporary feel to their bathrooms and ensuites.
White - One of those colors where you can't go wrong, white heated towel rails are suitable for anyone creating a cool and crisp minimalist bathroom. White towel rails match perfectly with white bathroom suites.
Black - With monochrome bathrooms seriously back in fashion, black heated towel rails provide a great contrast to white walls and bathtubs. Black rails also look great when paired with stone, slate, and other earth tones.
Silver - Whether it's required in the family bathroom, a downstairs toilet, or the kitchen of a granny annex, silver towel rails are guaranteed to increase the stylishness of the room. Silver is a versatile color that works universally.
Popular Towel Rail Finishes
Polished - For the height of sophistication, nothing can beat the mirrored finish of a nice, clean polished heated towel rail. A polished finish is usually associated with stainless steel rails and they have the unique ability to look shinier the more they're buffed.
Chrome - The most popular type of finish is a chrome heated towel rail and is the immediate choice for the majority of people renovating their bathrooms. Other fixtures like taps, light fittings, and showerheads are chrome plated, so a matching towel rail always works well.
Satin - Also known as a brushed finish, satin heated towel rails are completed by hand and provide a slightly muted finish when compared to chrome. Satin rails actually work well in kitchens, matching with brushed stainless steel kettles, toasters, and hobs.
Best Heated Towel Rails for Small Bathrooms
When planning the remodeling of a small bathroom or the creation of an en-suite, it can be quite challenging to fit in a full-size heated towel rail.
However, just because you are working with a small space, it certainly doesn't mean you have to miss out on luxuries normally associated with bigger bathrooms.
Where Should You Place Your Heated Towel Rails?
For those with small bathrooms, it may be a case of squeezing one in where you can or where the existing pipes come out of the wall or floor.
If you have space then installing your heated towel rail within reaching distance of the bath or shower is always a practical option.
An electric towel rail provides more flexibility as you aren't reliant on any pipework. The most important thing is that placement is convenient for you and the heat can radiate out into the room without being blocked by doors or furniture.
Can You Heat a Bathroom with a Heated Towel Rail?
A heated towel rail emits less heat than a similarly-sized radiator due to its smaller surface area, so in an ideal situation, we'd recommend you also install a radiator to ensure your room is adequately heated.
Heated towel rails connected to the central heating system are fine to leave on all the time, just like a radiator. If you have an electrically heated towel rail, be vigilant about any damage to the power cord and perhaps limit usage to when you need it rather than leaving it on continuously.
Towel Rail Accessories You May Need
Our heated towel rails come with everything you need to install them and fix them on the wall. However, there are some additional accessories you may want to consider to ensure that you get the most out of your towel rail.
Valves - If you have a conventional central heating system, then you will need a pair of radiator valves in order to connect your heated towel rail to your heating system's pipework.
Heating Element - If you have an electric or dual fuel towel rail you will need to select a heating element. You will have the choice of single or variable heat elements with optional smart controls.
Rail Hangers - If you need more hanging space for your towels, you can purchase additional hangers or hooks that stylishly fit onto your heated towel rail for extra versatility.
Tail Extensions - Radiator tail extensions are needed when a radiator cannot attach securely to the pipework. The standard for a radiator connection is 15mm but some older pipes are narrower. Tail extensions are a simple way to solve this problem.
Chemical Inhibitor - Inhibitor helps to prevent corrosion in standard central heating systems. The easiest way to top up your inhibitor levels is via the valve in a heated towel rail.
PART 2 - INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE ADVICE
How to Install Heated Towel Rails
If you don't have any experience in DIY or plumbing then we recommend you avoid doing this job yourself and employ the services of a plumber.
That being said, if you have tackled DIY jobs at home in the past and have a conventional central heating system, then installing a heated towel rail is often one of the less complicated tasks.
An excellent starting point is to make sure your central heating system is fully switched off and drained down.
Please note, for the installation of electric and dual fuel heated towel rails, you must use a fully qualified electrician to connect the rails to the mains electricity supply. This is a very important point and should not be attempted by anyone other than a qualified professional.
How Much Does it Cost to Get a Towel Rail Fitted?
The type of heating system you have, whether new pipes need to be installed, who's doing the work, and even what part of the country you live in are just some of the many variables that can affect the final cost of your heated towel rail installation.
That being said, here are some approximate figures that you can expect to pay a professional to do the work:
How to Adjust or Replace Heated Towel Rail Valves
There may come a time when you need to replace the valves attached to your heated towel rail.
Sometimes this can be due to a valve that has developed a fault, while at other times it can be for aesthetic reasons. However, the most popular reason for changing heated towel rail valves is to upgrade to thermostatic radiator valves.
TRVs, as we call them in the trade, are a very effective way of having extra control over your heating. They allow you to set your radiators or towel rails to come on when rooms drop to a certain temperature.
If the room gets too cold, the TRV will allow water to flow into the radiator and when the room reaches the optimal temperature, it will cut off the supply of water to stop the room from getting too hot.
Thermostatic radiator valves help regulate central heating usage and therefore can be a useful tool in keeping down heating bills for conventional central heating systems.
How to Bleed Heated Towel Rails
Just like taking a car for a service or an MOT, keeping your heating system well maintained is very important in ensuring it runs smoothly, especially when you need it most.
One of the simplest maintenance tasks you can do yourself is bleeding a heated towel rail. If your towel rail is on but isn't getting hot at the top, the most likely reason is there's air in the system.
This can sometimes be caused by not having the central heating on for a long time, such as at the end of summer, or if air has worked its way into your system another way.
Whatever the reason, bleeding your towel rail is very simple and can solve a non-functioning heated towel rail without needing to call on a professional.
How to Clean Heated Towel Rails
As well as making sure that your towel rails and central heating system are healthy on the inside, it does no harm at all to keep those rails clean on the outside.
The most common rooms to install heated towel rails are bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms.
All of these are busy areas and inevitably result in dirt, dust, and grime, so it's important to keep your nails looking their best with regular cleaning. Indeed, stainless steel often looks even better with regular polishing, providing you with more incentive to keep them clean.
Not only will you feel more proud of your well-maintained heated towel rails, but regular cleaning will also help preserve the quality of the finish, keeping your towel rails looking fantastic for years to come.
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