All About Towel Radiators & Heated Towel Rails

What could be more irritating than walking into your bathroom to find a damp towel in a heap on the floor? It is an age old problem that many householders face, and while not a life threatening one by any means; it is simply one of the most annoying ones.

So what is the answer to this age old problem? Pack the offending towel user out of the door? I would suggest this is probably a little extreme; perhaps a better solution could be that of a heated towel rail.

Once a feature only found in the hotel industry, heated towel rails have become increasingly popular throughout the housing industry. They offer the room a feel of luxury while offering the user a great and practical way to heat the room and dry towels in use. It is a simple process for home owners to go through to have a towel rail fitted.

If you are planning on having a heated towel rail fitted there are a few points to consider first.

• This size of your bathroom will dictate the size of rail you need to install
• Finding a reputable installer is vital to ensuring you get a great finished product
• You should consider the distance between the pipe centres for both radiators before purchasing
• You can have a heated towel radiator fitted to your existing heating system or you can choose an electric wall mounted option

If you are renovating your bathroom, it is a great idea to choose a heated towel rail. They not only keep the room warm but also enable you to dry those pesky damp towels, if you have a large family it really can be a blessing.

There are a few options for you to consider when choosing your towel rail. If you have a central heating system you can opt for a radiator towel rail that is connected to the system, it uses hot water that heats the rails.

If you don’t have central heating you can go for the electric heater. This will be heated using a heating cartridge or heating cable. There is a third option for those of you who feel that you want to conserve energy throughout the year. Despite the fact you have central heating you may not want to have this on in the summer months, you can however opt for a rail that also runs from the electric supply. You simply switch between the functions to suit your needs.

At www.towelradiator.co.uk we recommend that you use a reputable plumber or electrician to fit your towel rail for you. We have a vast selection of rails for you to choose from on our website, with easy to use filter options and categories to help you find your perfect radiator rail. For expert advice from our dedicated team, call us on 02036435897. Our experts are friendly and more than happy to help you with any aspect of our service.

While it still feels like December/January, we have gone past the Easter break and well into Spring 2013. Soon it will start to feel warmer – At least we all hope so - and many will take advantage of this warm weather by renovating their homes. Most of these renovations will also involve their bathrooms and perhaps replacing old bathroom radiators.

During the preparation period for a spring home renovation, most home-owners and especially women take forever looking for the perfect wall paper, paint, color and other features to use or implement. With an ever-growing number of designer radiators and heated towel rails on the market, it also takes a lot longer to select a new bathroom radiator. At the end some actually do give up this search during this preparation & research period. In fact many never bother to change the radiator at all. Depending on the model and type, they may well get a lick of paint but that is pretty much the only change or improvement on bathroom radiators.

It is however possible to buy a modern looking, designer towel radiator to replace your old and tired radiator. There are many variations to select from but it is not a daunting task. You will very likely need to re-arrange your pipe work to accommodate the new modern bathroom radiator. This can be done by a qualified plumber who is able to cut or extend your existing pipe work.

Most radiators on sale in the UK are made from steel, stainless steel or brass. While the first two are a more common material, last one is relatively rare. Finish on these products range from chrome, white, anthracite or other colors all of which actually look aesthetically pleasing. Whether you install your new radiator in your bathroom, lounge, kitchen or hallway, they will simply look great and improve your home.

With so many high street & online shops, range and availability, costs are relatively low nowadays compared to last decade. Prices start from as little as £70 going up to £200 or £300. If however, you have a bigger budget or wish to get something really to strike out, then you have the top end options where the price range starts from £300 or £400 and goes up to £1000’s

If you can get yourself a designer towel radiator or a heated towel rail to replace your old, outdated and tired bathroom radiator, it could form part of the décor that graces your bathroom in an affordable way.

If you wish to add value to your property, have a moisture free bathroom and to heat up in style, it's a good investment to make. Not only you will have storage to place your towels, but your bathroom's temperature will be adequately managed. Some designer towel radiators are now used as the centre piece of the bathroom like a feature wall.

Homeowners are always looking to add a new feature to their bathrooms. Already, there are many components, objects and furniture in the bathroom like the shower and/or bathtub, sinks and toilets, clothes baskets, bath mats, cabinets and towel rails.

Although not too common in smaller bathrooms, designer towel radiators are now a necessity in the average bathroom around the country. They're a handy tool which holds towels. It's incredibly convenient for a homeowner to have a built-in towel rail in their bathroom. All the family's towels are all in one place, so they don't need to worry about travelling to their closets to grab their own towel for bathing.

What is more important is that a bathroom without sufficient heating and the changing temperatures can also affect the entire environment in a negative way, causing mold, mildew and other unsavory things to affect the bathroom. Heated towel rails are a solution to this problem. By having one of these installed, it helps to reduce the amount of moisture, humidity and mildew found in bathrooms. Heated towel rails are an inexpensive investment to make when considering ways to reduce moisture in the bathroom.

Most towel warmers or designer towel radiators are relatively inexpensive, though you're likely to find several on the market in a variety of different prices and types. In fact, the two main types of towel warmers are electric and central heating heated towel rails.

Electric towel rails have lower energy consumption rates, making them rather energy efficient since they consume the same power as your standard light bulb. Central heating type towel warmer uses the hot water heated by the boiler, mainly by running said water through the warmer's rails. Today's electric towel rails also include safety features like safety thermal fuses and automatic shut-off devices.

Towel rails can be wall mounted, floor mounted and free standing—not to mention, they come in a variety of different size, shape and styles which will fit to any bathroom’s design.

Most properties in the UK have central heating systems in place and more and more home owners are replacing their standard panel radiators in their bathrooms with towel radiators. If you already have a central heating in place and have an existing radiator in your bathroom, it is quite a straight forward job to replace these radiators with a brand new shiny, polished and an eye catching towel radiator.

But what if you live in a flat? What if your property does not have gas supply? What if you do not have a central heating system in you home? Why do you have to stick with a fan assisted, noisy and most of all, not very functional and efficient electric heaters? Well you don’t! You can easily convert a towel radiator to an “Electric Only Towel Radiator” or as we call it, “Electric Use Only”.

Most towel radiators and heated towel rails are originally designed and manufactured to be part of a central heating system. However, most of them can be converted to electric use too. To do so, instead of buying a pair of valves, you will simply need to purchase an electric heating element and a blanking plug. Installation of those is also quite straight forward. In fact, it is probably easier as there is no pipe work involved.

So how do you convert a towel radiator to an electric use only?

Assuming you have the following parts and the required tools,

• Towel Radiator
• Electric Heating Element
• Blanking Plug

1. First, you will need to insert the electric element into the radiator from one of the bottom entry points. This can be either the left or the right side but the usual practice is to insert and install it to the right hand side of the radiator as you look at it.

2. You will then insert and screw the blanking plug into the other entry point at the bottom of the radiator.
   Tip: Please note that you will need to use PTFE tape or similar on both threads!

Once you have both entry points used and sealed, you are left with one more entry point on top of the radiator which will be sealed with bleed valve, also known as air-went.

3. Next, you will need to fill the radiator with water from the top entry point.
   Tip: As you fill the radiator, shake and tip the radiator to the left and right. This will enable water to flow through all the horizontal bars. You will also need to leave a gap of an inch or two on top of the radiator.

4. After you complete the steps above by sealing the bottom ends, filling the radiator with water leaving a little gap on the top, you will then hang the radiator using the wall brackets supplied with the towel radiator and wire the electric element to a fused spur.

5. Once ready, you will need to turn the electric element on and wait for a while for the water inside the radiator to get as hot as possible.  If you have followed the steps above, you will find that the top entry point is still not sealed. By leaving this open to air, you will let water expand freely without causing any pressure inside the radiator. You now gather why you needed to leave a  gap on top the radiator on step 3. By doing so, you will avoid water spillage.

6. Last stage will be to seal the top entry point using the bleed valve supplied. But you should only do this when water inside the radiator has reached its hottest possible level , again using a PTFE tape or similar.

There you have converted a central heated towel radiator to an electric only towel radiator, or electric only use for your bathroom.

Understanding DeltaT50 vs DeltaT60

When comparing towel radiator heat outputs, you'll often see BTU ratings listed for both DeltaT50 and DeltaT60. These aren't different models - they refer to the mean water temperature differentials used in heat output testing. Here's what this really means:

What Are DeltaT50 and DeltaT60?

DeltaT (ΔT) represents the difference between:

• The average water temperature inside the radiator

• The ambient room temperature

The two standard testing scenarios are:

Why This Matters for Heat Output

1. Higher ΔT = Higher BTU Rating

   • The same radiator will show 27% higher BTU at ΔT60 versus ΔT50

   • Example: A 600x1500mm large ladder towel rail might be:

     • 2540 BTU at ΔT50

     • 3225 BTU at ΔT60 (2540 x 1.27)

2. Real-World Implications

   • UK central heating systems typically operate closer to ΔT50 conditions

   • Older systems or commercial applications may reach ΔT60

   • Heat Pump systems will never reach these levels. These are usually at around ΔT30

   • Always compare radiators using the same ΔT standard

How to Choose the Right BTU Rating

For most residential installations:

• Focus on ΔT50 ratings - more representative of actual performance

• Use ΔT60 figures only if:

  • You have an older high-temperature system

  • Your installer confirms your system runs at higher temps

• Use ΔT30 figures if you have a heat pump system

Technical Note: Testing Standards

All reputable manufacturers test to:

• BS EN 442 (European standard for radiator testing)

• Uses controlled laboratory conditions

• Requires specific temperature differentials

This ensures fair comparison between different models when evaluated at the same ΔT.

Key Takeaways:

✅ DeltaT refers to testing conditions, not radiator models
✅ Same radiator shows different BTU at ΔT50 vs ΔT60
✅ Most homes should reference ΔT50 ratings
✅ Always compare using the same ΔT standard