Manufacturers are now producing radiators with both electric options and central heating supplies in one unit. The process of combining central heating and electric can be a little tricky, so read on for the low-down on dual fuel radiators.
If you’re thinking of installing a dual fuel radiator, you should consider a few things before you take the plunge.
Before you get started with your new Dual Fuel Radiator you'll need a few things to make sure you're ready to install it:
There are fewer cosier feelings than wrapping a nice warm towel around you after stepping out of the bath or shower. It’s wildly satisfying, particularly during the winter months – although we’d all agree that any time of the year is perfect for that satisfying hug of warmth a hot towel provides.
It’s fair to say that a heated towel rail is something of a necessity, particularly for more vulnerable family members (such as the elderly, children, or those with compromised immune systems) – but how should you fuel your heated towel rail?
Centrally heated gas-powered towel rails make up part of your regular central heating setup, much like the radiators around your home. They are cheap to run and ideal for the wintertime – although they’ll only heat your towels when your central heating is active.
The beauty of electric towel rails is that they can be independently switched on whenever you want, which is perfect during the summer months (when you won’t use it quite as often). These appliances connect to your mains electric, and while they might not be quite as cheap as gas-powered towel heaters, they more than make up for this in convenience.
Now there’s a way you can combine both, with a dual fuel towel rail.
A dual fuel towel rail uses a combination of gas (central heating) and electricity (mains electric) to heat up your towels, providing you with the benefits of both types of heated towel rail in one convenient appliance. You can run a dual fuel towel rail alongside the rest of your home appliances. Dual fuel towel rails are energy-efficient, convenient, cost-effective and suitable for use all year round.
Purchasing a heated towel rail for your bathroom is no more complicated than choosing a standard home radiator. If you want also your towel rail to also act as a radiator (in other words, to heat the room as well as the towels placed upon it) you should use our BTU calculator to ascertain what BTU will be required to heat your bathroom.
However, if you simply want to use your towel rail for the sole purpose of keeping your towels warm, you won’t need to worry about BTU ratings.
Design is important when it comes to towel rails. After all, if you’re going to go to the effort of installing a dual fuel towel rail in your bathroom, you’re going to want to ensure that it matches your existing décor.
Thankfully, towel rails are available in a variety of materials, designs and finishes to suit all preferences. From traditional towel radiators to contemporary chrome-railed heaters, the choice is yours. To get an idea of what’s available, you might find it beneficial to browse our selection of towel radiators.
Because dual fuel towel radiators feature a separate electric heating element, they can be used separately from the rest of your central heating system. This is particularly useful during the summer months when you might not want your central heating blasting out during a heatwave, but still want to enjoy a nice warm towel after a shower, or perhaps take the cold sting out of an early-morning trip to the bathroom.
If you want complete flexibility and control over your bathroom heating, a dual fuel towel rail is certainly the way forward. Without one, you’ll spend time moving around the entire household to turn each radiator off during the spring/summer, simply to keep your bathroom warm while ensuring the rest of the building stays cool. When the winter months roll back around, you’ll spend even more time going around the house to turn each radiator back on. Why bother when you can choose a cost-effective and convenient option instead?
If you’re replacing an existing single fuel radiator with a dual fuel towel rail, you’re going to have to consider the placement of the current device, as this could affect whether you can install a dual fuel appliance in its place. Each bathroom has its own set of spaces which can accommodate electrical equipment and those which can’t – these are known as zones, which are split up into three ratings, dependent on the risk of water accessing the electricity supply.
Products used in these areas should have the correct level of IP – or ‘ingress protection’. IP ratings are international standards used to define the effectiveness of the sealing of an electrical enclosure, and how this enclosure protects from moisture intrusion. The higher the IP rating, the more effective the protection. For further information on IP ratings and bathroom installations, you may want to contact a member of our team for help and advice.
We would strongly recommend hiring a professional heating engineer/electrician to install your dual fuel towel rail. There are several health and safety regulations in place which prevent unqualified persons from working with combinations of gas, electricity and hot water. A DIY install might therefore still need to be checked and “signed off” by a qualified engineer, which is why it makes sense to leave things to the professionals in the first place.
A dual fuel towel rail is a worthy upgrade to practically any bathroom. Having a rail which is separated from your mains heating can be incredibly useful, particularly in the summer months. You’ll most likely notice a decline in your heating bills after installing a dual fuel heater – so why not see what dual fuel options we’ve got on offer? If you need help and advice, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’ll be happy to discuss your requirements and offer recommendations based on the information you provide.
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