Having an electric heated towel rail installed in your home can be a very convenient solution to keeping your towels warm and dry.
If you have a gas boiler and central heating, an electric heated towel rail is easy to install without needing to connect it up to the pipe network in your home. Alternatively, if you don't have central heating, an electric towel rail is a simple install for a qualified electrician and give syou added heating flexibility.
In this article we'll look at how electric heated towel rails work and how they differ from a standard heated towel rail.
Electricity vs gas
It's important to establish that an electric heated towel rail is a towel rail connected to and powered by your mains electricity supply. It does not get it's heat from connecting to copper piping and having hot water flow through it.
A standard heated towel rail is a towel rail that is connected up to your central heating system, just like your radiators. At the centre of the system is a gas-powered boiler which heats up water and send it around your home via a network of copper pipes. Your radiators and heated towel rails are connected up to this pipe network and are heated up by hot water.
Heating an electric towel rail
Because an electric heated towel rail doesn't have hot water running through it, you might be wondering how it heats up.
Every electric towel rail is attached to an electric heat element, of which there are two main types:
- Single Heat Element - This is a non-thermostatic element which keeps the towel rail at a single fixed temperature when it is switched on.
- Variable Heat Element - This is a thermostatic element which allows the user to change the temperature of the towel rail when it is switched on.
Inside every electric heated towel rail is a mixture of water (85%) and anti-corrosion inhibitor (15%). When the electric towel rail is switched on, the electricity causes the element to heat up. In turn the element heats up the fluid inside the towel rail and emits heat.
Installing an electric heated towel rail
The installation of a electric heated towel rail is actually a very straightforward job for a qualified electrician. It is important to emphasise that installing an electric now rail is not a job you should do yourself.
Because it's connecting up to the mains electricity supply, it must be certified by a qualified electrician to ensure it's safe and meets building regulations.
However, although you need a qualified electrician to install the rail, in most cases it is a fairly simple task and should not cause you much disruption.
Many people who have a conventional central heating system choose to have electric towel rails installed in bathrooms, ensuites, kitchens or utility rooms. This is often because of the ease with which they can be fitted, avoiding the potential disruption of lifting up the floor to fit new pipes.
Further reading: The Complete Guide to Electric Heating
Our electric heated towel rails
If you are considering purchasing an electric heated towel rail for your home, then look no further than our fantastic electric heated towel range.
Electric heating has come a long way in recent years so you now have an abundance of choice on terms of size, style and finish of electric towel rails.
We give you the choice of chrome-plated mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium. You can also choose from a range of colours such as anthracite, black, chrome, white and silver.
With a huge variety of sizes, you're sure to find an electric heated towel rail that will fit your space, look great and suit your budget!
All Electric Heated Towel Rails
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