Bathroom towel rail and/or radiator 30 November 2022 at 7:18PM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 25 replies 651 views

twopenny

I have a radiator on the left hand side wall of the bathroom as you enter.

The design I've been given has cupboards on this wall and a heated towel rail on the back wall facing as you go in.

I'd prefer to keep the radiator which is warm and cosy and the bungalow is a little short on heating.

Is it the same plumbing to move the radiator to the position as it would be to put in a heated towel rail if the towel rail was part of the central heating system or am I completely off track that towel rails can be part of the heating system?

This is the one suggested and reading the specs it seems to me it is electrically heated as it refers to 'heating elements'

https://www.homesupply.co.uk/Eastbrook-Addington-790-x-500-Type-10-Matt-Anthracite-Designer-Towel-Rail

I'd be grateful for any info on either as it depends on whether I can just place this design in someones hands or spend longer trying to get all the elements together myself for a free standing bathroom. Harder than you may expect post pandemic.

SergeantBaker

twopenny said:

I have a radiator on the left hand side wall of the bathroom as you enter.

The design I've been given has cupboards on this wall and a heated towel rail on the back wall facing as you go in.

I'd prefer to keep the radiator which is warm and cosy and the bungalow is a little short on heating.

Is it the same plumbing to move the radiator to the position as it would be to put in a heated towel rail if the towel rail was part of the central heating system or am I completely off track that towel rails can be part of the heating system?

This is the one suggested and reading the specs it seems to me it is electrically heated as it refers to 'heating elements'

I'd be grateful for any info on either as it depends on whether I can just place this design in someones hands or spend longer trying to get all the elements together myself for a free standing bathroom. Harder than you may expect post pandemic.

Yes, it's the same work moving the pipes for the towel rail. 

You can have an electric element element in the towel rail so it can dry when the main heating is off. 

diystarter7

OP
You can have towel rail/s off your central heating. The boiler needs to have the capacity to mange your radiaotirs inc towe rail. Most poeple have  central heating towel rails

born_again

Heated rail will not give as much heat as radiator. 
Yest heated towel rails can use the same heating system as radiator.

twopenny

Excellent! Thanks.

I thought that was the case but purely guess work.

I'm fighting beauty over comfort with anyone suggesting fitting the darn tiny bathroom - and myself to be honest.

I will ask the company if this towelrail is electric. I have a suspicion it is.

https://www.homesupply.co.uk/Eastbrook-Addington-790-x-500-Type-10-Matt-Anthracite-Designer-Towel-Rail

ka7e

I  have an electric towel rail in my largish (180 x 250cm) shower room and it certainly can't heat the whole space on it's own. OK for warming towels, but that actually absorbs the heat and feeds back to the thermostat so it switches off. I have an electric convector as the main heat source, but it is only switched on if the shower is in use. My Mum also replaced a CH towel rail with a proper radiator as it wasn't warm enough.

SergeantBaker

diystarter7 said:

OP
You can have towel rail/s off your central heating. The boiler needs to have the capacity to mange your radiaotirs inc towe rail. Most poeple have  central heating towel rails

If it manages with the radiator then a towel rail shouldn't be an issue if used as a replacement. 

Mutton_Geoff

twopenny said:

This is the one suggested and reading the specs it seems to me it is electrically heated as it refers to 'heating elements'

https://www.homesupply.co.uk/Eastbrook-Addington-790-x-500-Type-10-Matt-Anthracite-Designer-Towel-Rail

That link shows a wet radiator with options for "optional dual fuel heating elements". The spec talks about delta (that's water in/out temperature) and then you've got the electrical element to add.

Boat_to_Bolivia

My heated towel rail was run from the central heating. It was a small bathroom so a towel rail made sense, but in hindsight, I wish I'd just installed a radiator. The towel rail just didn't provide the warmth I'd hoped for.

twopenny

 ka7e that's a good comparison. Very welcome and reflects what I've heard and experienced.

That the towel rads do look more lovely but need some assistance.

I'm trying to keep practicality ie being warm v beauty but it's a struggle as I've never had a nice bathroom in my long life. However I would rather the indulgence of being really warm to a pretty room that only I see on the whole.

twopenny

Thanks folks.

Good to have personal experience Boatn.

 I think it's showed that for me, the choice I wanted is right. I'll go for the vintage look

Really helpful .

Mutton_Geoff, that sound fancy. I'd love something fancy but frankly being simply warm and money for other things is the end result.

If I have an electric bathroom fan and a radiator run on gas that covers a couple of bases. And you still get the heat from the radiator with towels drying in front as the rads also have top convection.