A dual fuel towel rail radiator is one that is powered by an electric element but also connected to the central heating system too. The main logic of having a dual use is to be able to use the towel rail in summer when the central heating is off.
Note: Please note that the electric option should not be used while the central heating is ON. Before switching to electric use, towel rail MUST be isolated from the rest of the central heating by turning both flow and return valves completely off but loosening the bleed valve briefly to avoid pressure built up. If the heating element is turned on while both valves are in ON position, heated water will escape to the rest of the central heating system through the pipes and the electric element which is designed to heat up few litres of water will end up trying to heat the whole system, never reach to a cut off point and will eventually burn out and fail.
You will need the following parts for this option;
Tip!: Do not use a room/ambiance based thermostatic electric element on dual fuel towel rails. Instead, it is best to use a water temperature control based thermostatic heating element or a standard non-thermostatic element. It is also recommended not to use a thermostatic radiator valve on dual fuel radiators. Why? Please refer to our blog post to find out.
To install a dual use towel rail, in addition to the radiator itself a pair of angled valves, two T pipes, a blanking plug and a matching electric element are needed. The T pipe facilitates the insertion of the electric element into and connection of the valve to the radiator through the same entry points on the bottom. Technically you will only require one T pipe but having two T pipes will make the connection look more symmetrical. For More Information, Please refer to our illustrations page.