Installing a Heated Towel Rail: Step by Step Guide

If your towels never seem to dry fully, then heated towel rails can be a great solution. But first buying the one that is perfect for your space and hiring a professional for its fitting can expensive. That’s why I decided to tackle the installation myself. 

In this blog, I will be sharing the steps I took to install a heated towel rail in my bathroom.

A heated towel rail is a device commonly installed in bathrooms. It consists of bars or pipes, typically made of chrome metal, that are electrically powered to warm up towels. You may also connect them to the central heating system of your house to keep the space warm at all times.

• Heated towel rails provide a luxurious experience by ensuring your towels are warm and dry when you need them.
• You can connect to your central heating system helping to keep the space warm. 
• Available in a variety of types are Heated towel rails and finishes allowing you to choose the options as per your bathroom’s aesthetic requirements. 

Towel rail when chosen right can be your style statement in the bathroom. For example, if you want to create a modern bathroom then choosing a radiator with a sleek and contemporary finish can help.

There are generally three types of heated towel rails as discussed here.

Contemporary and stylish, these towel rails are hung on the wall. These are the most common types of rails that are found in bathrooms in the UK. The greatest thing about these rails is the space-saving and sleek design that is perfect for small bathrooms.

Designed to mimic a ladder or rack, ladder-style rails consist of multiple horizontal rungs. They are suitable for hanging many towels at once. You must select the appropriate ladder rail style according to your bathroom theme.

No wall fitting is involved. Simply put them on the floor anywhere in the bathroom and hang your towel. The freestanding rails are flexible and suitable for the bathroom where you prefer frequent change in the position. 

Remember

Choosing the right type of heated towel rail requires careful consideration of a variety of factors. This may include space available, the number of towels required to keep warm, whether you use it for only keeping the towel dry or warming up the whole space, and aesthetic requirements.

It is important to ensure that you have access to the necessary tools and materials before the start of the installation process. Always shut off the water supply before the start of any plumbing work in the bathroom.

Here is a list of tools and materials you will need to DIY install a heated towel radiator.

• Safety glasses
• Measuring tap
• Pencil or Marker
• Spirit level
• Drill driver 
• Rawl plugs 
• Hammer 
• Allen key/ wrench
• Screwdriver
• Wire strippers
• Electrical Insulation tape

Remember

This installation guide is only a bathroom where no electrical work is involved or you already have power out available to connect the towel radiator. Hire a qualified electrician if you need to create one. 

Here is step-by-step process to install a heated towel rail. 

Step 1.  Take out the heated towel rail from its packaging if not yet and remove plugs from each corner. 

Step 2. In case your heated towel rail was not assembled, then fix the chrome air vent, cap, and plug. Use the spanner to finish the fitting.

Step 3.  Pinpoint the place in your bathroom where you want the rails to be installed. A point somewhere along the centre of the room should be preferred so as to easily heat the whole room. Consider a minimum 600mm clearance from the floor and surrounding fixtures.   

Step 4.  A mounting fixture or frame may need to be installed under the wall sheet with which the rails are attached for some towel rails. Make sure you know if the towel rails need an in-wall mounting stand that holds the rails in place.

Step 5. Use a level to mark the position for wall brackets while ensuring everything is straight. You can simply measure the distance between bolt holes on the bracket or heated towel rails. And use the dimensions to correctly mark the position on the wall using a pencil. 

Step 6. Now use a drill machine to drill holes by using drill bit on the marked positions.

Step 7. Once holes are created,  insert the rawl plugs into the holes and secure the bracket to the wall using the screws provided. 

Step 8. Your bracket is positioned securely and ready to hang on the heated towel rail. Mount the towel rail on the bracket and secure it with the retaining screws.

Step 9. If your towel rail works on electricity then you will need to connect it to a power source.

Step 10. Simply switch the electricity and test the heated towel rail. Check if everything is working perfectly. 

Congratulations! The installation is now complete.

Installing a heated towel rail as DIY turned out of a surprisingly simple job than I thought. I was able to get everything done at a fraction of the cost of hiring a professional bathroom fitter. If you are on a budget but want to install a heated towel rail, then this DIY heated towel rail installation guide is for you. With little effort and determination, you can enjoy the benefits of a heated towel rack without the hefty price tag.