Dual fuel radiators?

kellyp

Not sure if this is best place for this but seems as good as any!

I am in the process of getting a new bathroom and en suite, and duel fuel radiators have been mentioned to keep towels dry and warm in the summer months when heating is off. I hate getting out of shower and bath in the cold and hate fact towels don't dry properly in the summer so it seems like a good option. The more I think about it though am I better off turning off all the normal gas central heating trv's in every room except the bathroom during the summer months and then leaving the heating on for a few hours in the morning? - so effectively just have the bathroom radiator on via the central heating as opposed to going for electric heating?

Thoughts appreciated!

ryder72

A dual fuel radiator with / on a timer is a far better and cost effective alternative that firing up your CH system all year round. In fact a thermostatic dual fuel radiator on a time is even better so you can time it to some on for say a couple of hours each morning/evening and then turn off then it gets to its temperature.

JohnB47

I'm with ryder on this but it would be interesting to compare the actual costs.

On one side you have the cost of running the central heating, just to dry the towels. On the other you have the extra cost of a dual fuel rad, cost of the timer and cost of the electricity. There would be a break even point but it could be quite a few years.

Still, I have a dual fuel rad which I use in summer to dry towels, although I haven't fitted a timer - yet. I just have to remember to turn it off.

Jonesya

If you've got space I'd say have a radiator on the central heating and a separate electric towel rail, that's what I did in my bathroom.

That way you get the best of both worlds because towel rails struggle to heat a room because they don't give out much heat, and radiators aren't that good for drying towels as you need rails adding and the towels stop them heating the room effectively.

What ever you do, definitely get a timer fitted to the towel rail/element, you only need it running a few hours each day to dry the towels.

arbrighton

Jonesya wrote: »

If you've got space I'd say have a radiator on the central heating and a separate electric towel rail, that's what I did in my bathroom.

That way you get the best of both worlds because towel rails struggle to heat a room because they don't give out much heat, and radiators aren't that good for drying towels as you need rails adding and the towels stop them heating the room effectively.

What ever you do, definitely get a timer fitted to the towel rail/element, you only need it running a few hours each day to dry the towels.

Oddly enough, our dual fuel towel rail gets the room perfectly warm even with the tiles on.

We could do with a time though as we do tend to forget to switch it off.

But dual fuel is brilliant