Towel rail running cost - CH vs Element

RickFraser

Assuming that the gas Central Heating side is off and only the Hot Water side is active, heating the bathroom towel rail on its circuit via the HW cylinder, is it cheaper to run the towel rail that way or to fit an element into same towel rail for summer use? Don't actually need the HW- just on to heat the rail.

matelodave

You'll probably find that if the towel rail is in the feed to the hotwater tank, then it will only heat when the tank stat (assuming that you've got one) calls for heat.

So to get the rail hot when you want it hot you'll have to make sure that the tank is calling for heat either by turning the hot water on or tweaking the thermostat.

If you want heat when the tank isn't heating then you'll need to fit an electric element to the towel rail.

As to cost, it depends on what size element you fit and how long you have it on. Are you trying to heat the bathroom or just warm the towels.

Running the boiler just to heat a few towels doesn't sound everso economical, especially if you are heating 50 gallons of water in the tank at the same time.

I'm guessing that a towel rail element on a timeswitch might work out a bit cheaper to run even though leccy is 4-5 times the price of gas.

Cardew

matelodave wrote: »

You'll probably find that if the towel rail is in the feed to the hotwater tank, then it will only heat when the tank stat (assuming that you've got one) calls for heat.

I wonder how many heated towel rails are connected to the feed to the HW tank.

You may be correct in stating 'probably' but personally I have never had such a system.

matelodave

Cardew wrote: »

I wonder how many heated towel rails are connected to the feed to the HW tank.

You may be correct in stating 'probably' but personally I have never had such a system.

I don't know how his system is configured but the OP suggests that his towel rail is in the hotwater circuit.

This is what he says "heating the bathroom towel rail on its circuit via the HW cylinder"

RickFraser

Sorry to not be clear. My CH has a HW circuit and a Raditor circuit. Both independently controlled by the programmer. The Radiator circuit will only operate if the HW is actively on. Seems a wierd arrangement actually.
Anyway during the Summer the rads circuit is turned off.
On the HW circuit, the towel rail is in parallel to the HW cylinder (indirect), as is a bypass valve.
The controller all year switches the HW on at intervals and it operates when the cylinder temp gets low (presumably as it comes on and goes off). No water is circulated by the pump unless HW is active so also no heat to towel rail whilst not active.
I am torn between leaving as is, add the element to the rail and switch off all CH during Summer, or replace the whole thing with an oil filled towel rail