The Ultimate Guide to Electric Towel Rails

What are electric towel rails?

Electric towel rails are a type of radiator that uses electricity to heat up your room rather than your home’s central heating system. They make great additions to any room in your home but are particularly ideal for kitchens and bathrooms. These heating appliances can do the same job as a regular radiator, but with the additional benefit of operating in isolation from your central heating system.

How does an electric heated towel rail work?

Electric towel radiators function by heating up a water-based solution inside the radiator. This creates a water-based thermal transfer and heats up the towel rail. A heated towel rail functions in the same way that a regular radiator does, and can be a great solution in bathrooms to keep towels warm and dry.

Types of electric heated towel rail

Heated towel rails are great because they can adapt to suit any home heating system, as they are available in different fuel types. The main types of towel rails vary on how they interact with the rest of your home heating system, and each can suit different heating usage habits.

Electric towel rails

This type of towel rail operates independently of your home’s central heating system, and gives you full control and flexibility with your heating needs.

Dual fuel towel rails

A dual fuel towel rail is a heated towel rail which is connected to both your central heating and mains electricity. This provides maximum flexibility as it allows you to control your heating from either your mains electricity or your central heating system.

Why choose an electric towel rail?

Now we’ve covered what electric towel rails are, let’s get into the reasons you’d want to choose an electric towel rail. When it comes to choosing a radiator for your space, you have a lot of different options. From central heating to electric, vertical and horizontal, column and panel, not to mention the BTU you need, things can get a little complicated. So if you’re considering an electric towel rail, here’s what they have to offer...

Simple set up

One of the best reasons to choose an electric towel rail is how easy it is to set up. With no need to connect up to your central heating system, the installation process for an electric heated towel rail is simple and quick. It’s a matter of connecting your electric towel rail to your mains electricity, without any of the planning permission and installation complexities that come with many central heating radiators. If you’re looking to simply replace your current radiator or add in a new one without renovating a whole room or building, an electric towel rail is a great fuss-free way to heat a room.

Versatile controls

Whether you opt for a fully electric towel rail or the dual heated variety, you can have your heating the way you want it. Towel rails and electric radiators offer versatility and a quick heating solution. Nothing’s worse than feeling cold and having to wait for the whole central heating system to come on. Electric heated towel rails offer you full control without having to wait for your home’s central heating system to start up. You also have the convenience of choosing to heat one room rather than the whole house. This is great for a range of situations too, from stepping out of the shower to a warm toasty towel to heating up the kitchen if you’re feeling a little chilly.

Perfect for all seasons

Because they’re so quick heating up and cooling down, electric towel rails are perfect for any weather or season. Whether it’s the dead of winter and you want to keep your toes toasty when you step out of the shower, or summertime but you want to avoid damp towels, electric towel rails can do it all.

Variety of designs

As is the case with most radiators nowadays, you’re positively spoilt for choice when it comes to the design of your electric towel rail. In terms of colour, choose from classic black or white to on-trend anthracite and even orange towel rails! And there’s not just a range of colours - you can choose which finish you want, such as matte or chrome, and even the size and style of the towel rail itself. No matter your space or wall size, you’ll be able to find an electric towel rail perfect for you. There are hundreds of size combinations available, in vertical as well as horizontal options. For those of you with an eye for design, you can even get your hands on a curved electric towel rail.

They’re better for the environment

Electric towel rails are better for the environment because - being modern creations - they use up less energy when functioning. Their ability to cool down and heat up quickly, as well as operate independently from your central heating, mean that you’re much less likely to waste energy on heating up rooms you simply aren’t using.

Where to put an electric towel rail

Electric towel rails are ideal for a range of rooms and heating needs due to their versatile looks and functions. However, the most common use for electric towel rails is, of course, in bathrooms. This is because they offer a perfect solution to keeping towels warm and dry throughout the year, whether your central heating is in use or not. And as bathrooms are rooms we tend to not spend a lot of time in, it can be much more convenient (not to mention cheaper) to be able to control the heat in these rooms. For similar reasons, heated towel rails are a great fit for kitchens, where you may want to control the temperature of the room without having to turn the whole house’s central heating on. The sleek, modern look of electric towel rails make them a highly desirable heating appliance for all types of rooms, and their versatility means that you can put an electric towel rail in pretty much any space!

What to consider before getting an electric towel rail

As with any home appliance, there is a range of factors to consider when making your choice. You want your new appliance to not only fit in your space but to satisfy your needs too. Here’s some of the boxes that you’ll need your electric heated towel rail to check off to ensure it’s the right choice for your home:

The shape of your space

The first thing to consider is where your electric towel rail can fit in your room. Consider the size and dimensions of your space, as well as the placement of other furnishings such as doors, sinks and other fittings. Doing so will help you figure out which size and style you’ll need to go for to ensure your towel rail fits into your room. If you have limited wall space, then a vertical towel rail may be the best choice, but if you have lots of space available then you could opt for a larger model.

The fuel type

Electric towel rails can be wholly electric or dual fuel, meaning that they can work off of your home’s central heating system or in isolation from it. This gives you the best of both worlds and provides maximum flexibility in terms of controls. It’s worth checking your existing pipework when considering the fuel type of your electric towel rail though.

Heat distribution

It’s worth noting that the flow of heat in an electric towel rail means that the higher and lower sections of the rail will not be as hot as the middle section. This is because when the liquid inside the rail is heated up and then the heat is distributed by diffusion, similar to how a kettle works. So by the time the heat reaches the bottom, the temperature isn’t as high.

Accessories for your towel radiator

With electric towel rails, you’ll need an electric towel rail element. Using a heating element allows you to choose when your towel rail heats up independently from the rest of your central heating system. You can choose from a standard element, which gives you the choice of when you want your towel rail to heat up with a simple off/on switch. There’s also the thermostatic option that provides complete control of your heat, with the option to raise or lower the temperature in 7.5°C increments.

Your tastes

Depending on the decor of your home or room, you’ll want to make a stylistically smart choice for your electric towel rail. Luckily you have a lot of choice with designs, styles and colours, so are sure to find a towel rail that suits your needs and home decor! With home appliances, it’s important to get it right, and with our guide to electric towel rails, you’ll have all the information you need to pick the perfect towel rail.  

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  If you’re after more information on choosing the right radiator for your home, you can read our blog about it here or for more information specifically about towel rails, check our ultimate bathroom radiators guide.