The Benefits of a Dual Fuel Radiator for Cost-Effective Bathroom Heating

During the summer, drying towels can be a pain - you, naturally, don’t want to turn the central heating on to heat the radiators but the British weather can be too unpredictable to leave them hung up on the line. Enter dual-fuel radiators. Now more than ever, households across the country are beginning to acknowledge the benefits of switching to dual-fuel heating. In particular, dual fuel designer heated towel rails are becoming extremely popular as a means by which to provide the bathroom with highly efficient and effective heating. But what exactly is it about heated towel rails that’d generated such hype among homeowners and interior designers alike?

What is a Dual-Fuel Radiator?

A dual-fuel radiator works both as part of your central heating and independently using electricity. It enables you to keep your bathroom warm over the winter by relying just on the central heating system while also being able to use it to dry your towels during the warmer summer months while the rest of your heating is turned off.     A plumber is required to install the towel rail and ensure the pipes are connected and the system balanced properly but a qualified electrician is needed for the installation of the electrical element as it will need to be wired into a fused spur (which should be protected with an RCD to prevent electric shock). Many plumbers are also qualified electricians as there are quite a few electrical components in a bathroom, but it's best to check that yours is and if not, find yourself a qualified electrician.

Why Choose a Dual-Fuel Radiator?

So why should you opt for dual-fuel radiators over a standard one that only relies fully on your central heating system? There are a number of reasons why central heating powered or electric-only towel rails aren’t the best or most cost-effective options out there. Other styles of radiators don’t allow you the same amount of control and can be less energy efficient.

Central Heating Powered Towel Rails

While a central heating towel rail can be both effective and efficient, they are limited in the fact that it can only be used when the central heating is switched on. As such, in warmer months where the heating may be switched off but the heated towel rail is still required, this can be present several problems.

• Control - The boiler on/off function is generally governed by the main boiler thermostat, usually located in the living room. Without separate zone control, you’ll find that the boiler may never turn off and burn constantly to heat the towel rail, as you wouldn't want the radiator in your living room to be on in the warmer months, so that room may never reach the temperature required for it to turn off.
• Environmental/cost - Even if you do have your bathroom set up on a different heating zone, the excessive energy needed to produce heat in just one room has a high environmental and monetary cost.
• Boiler Health - If you try to control the bathroom temperature with a TRV in the summer months, turning off all other radiators, you will likely break your boiler. As the TRV shuts off, the boiler will still try to heat hot water but with nowhere to go.

While central heating is the most cost effective solution in the winter months, when it’s used on a single radiator in the summer months, there are many considerations that need to be met in order to make the system work.

Electric Only Towel Rails

The benefit of electric towel rails is, of course, that they can be controlled and used independently at any time, regardless of whether or not the main central heating system is on or off. Their independent nature makes them ideal for those areas where it's just not possible to connect to the central heating system. A thermostat keeps the temperature under control and electric towel rails are easy to install. On the downside, they also have the potential to become quite costly in the winter months because the electric element will need to work much harder and be on longer in order to reach the desired temperature. So they are great for summer when just a little extra heat is needed to dry those towels, but not quite so good for cold winter rooms.    

Dual Fuel Heated Towel Rails

In terms of what they are and how they work, the dual fuel towel rail is supplied with no fluid inside it as it needs to be plumbed directly into the home’s standard central heating system. This allows it to be used in the same way as any other radiator when the main central heating system is on. However, what makes the dual fuel rail different is the way in which it also features an electrical heating element. This means that it can also be used when the main central heating is switched off, providing greater control and flexibility throughout the year and is particularly useful in the summer when central heating tends to be turned off but heated towel rails are still required. Going dual fuel can help to protect your boiler because you're not using excess fuel to heat just one radiator or towel rail. Instead, you’re using an electric element to give you nice dry towels - saving you money, protecting your towel rail from external corrosion (caused by hanging wet towels on a cold radiator), and even doing your bit for the environment by making your heating more efficient. Our dual fuel towel rail bundle offers 3 electric element variations:

• Standard - on/off control at a set 60°C, simply wire this element into either a switched fused spur or one with timer capabilities for more control.
• Thermostatic - programmable control with a temperature range of 40-65°C, offering 5 heating modes to suit your schedule.
• Thermostatic WIFI - smart WIFI/APP control with a temperature range of 30-70°C, this element can be programmed to suit your shower or bath times using the digital touch screen or, even better - from your phone via the Tuya app, whether your at home or out and about!

In addition to power, using the home’s central heating system during the winter represents a much more economical option than powering an electric-only heater for several months each year. Built to last and supplied with extensive guarantees, dual fuel heated towel rails represent a long-term investment in both superior quality and energy efficiency for the home. If you already have a central heating towel rail but would like all the amazing benefits of dual fuel, then why not take a look at one of our Dual fuel conversion kits which include everything you need to go dual fuel. Browse our full range of dual-fuel heated towel rails and radiators to find the perfect cost-effective option for your home.