In the winter, a heated towel rack can be at the top of your list of essential bathroom items. What you need know about selecting the ideal heated towel rail for your bathroom or ensuite is provided below.

Think of grabbing a towel as you exit the shower on a chilly winter night and enveloping yourself in a blanket of warmth. A heated towel rack may provide this type of cozy warmth to your life. Essentially the bathroom equivalent of a giant warm embrace, these game-changing heating attachments are saying goodbye to damp bathmats.

Heated towel rails are available in a variety of designs and sizes to fit every space and price range, whether you have a huge bathroom or a small ensuite. The best part, then? Your wet towel problem may be solved by the surprisingly energy-efficient warm heating appliance.

Therefore, whether you’re thinking of remodeling your bathroom or just want to make winter more bearable, here’s everything you need to know about heated towel racks and professional advice for picking the best choice for your bathroom.

How do heated towel racks function?

A heated towel rack is a bathroom enhancement with several uses. A heated towel rack may assist your towels dry in between usage as well as keep them warm before use, which is especially useful during the chilly winter months.

Heated towel rails can warm up to roughly 50C and use the least amount of energy possible, making them a pretty cost-effective equipment to operate, according to Head of BATHVO Desmond.

How long does it take heated towel rails to preheat?

Most electric towel rails have short heating and cooling times. Some towel rails can begin to heat up in only a few minutes and reach their highest temperatures in approximately 30 minutes. A wet towel may dry quickly on a heated towel rack after being taken out of the washer, eliminating the need to turn on the dryer.

A heated towel rail’s maximum temperature

Depending on the kind and brand, temperatures range from 40 to 60 degrees Celsius for the majority of heated towel rails. However, if a towel is placed on top of them, they may become considerably hotter than this. Heated towel rails may be hot to the touch depending on the maximum temperature of your unit, so it’s crucial to take caution, especially if you have young children in the house.

Are heated towel rails energy-intensive?

Different brands of heated towel rails consume different amounts of electricity. The majority of heated towel rails use 100 to 200 watts of power each hour. Some just require 60 watts. Depending on the size and design of the towel rail, it will require a different amount of energy.

At 35 cents per kilowatt-hour, the daily operating cost of a big 200-watt heated towel rail would be around $1.68, according to Desmond. This is similar like turning on a few incandescent light bulbs from the past or a few LED TVs from the present.

This cost drops to around $0.40 cents per day if you only use a heated towel rail for a few hours per day (let’s say four, which is roughly how long it takes to dry a sopping wet towel right out of the washing machine).

Desmond remarks, “That’s a lot less expensive than the expense of using a clothes dryer to dry and warm your towels.”

Which heated towel rail is the best?

Heated towel rails come in three different categories. The ideal option for you will depend on your space, style, and spending limit.

• 1. Electric: Depending on the design, this sort of towel warmer may either be hardwired by a licensed electrician, which connects it directly to your power source, or it can be plugged into an existing power outlet. It may be controlled by a standard switch and doesn’t require any plumbing. Depending on size, voltage, and manufacturer, electric towel rails employ a thermostatic dry element to maintain a consistent, ideal temperature of between 40 and 60 degrees Celsius. These may be run for as long or as little as you’d want because they are controlled by a standard on/off switch. To further increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness, some even have timers.

• 2. Hydronic: In contrast to electric towel racks, hydronic racks are made to not only heat your towels but also slightly warm the entire space. By pumping hot water down the rails, they may reach temperatures of roughly 55 degrees. Since boilers are necessary, the amount of time it takes for them to heat up depends on whether the boiler is already operating or the water is already hot. They are only practical if your house already has a hydronic heating system. Once you’ve heated the unit up, it will stay warm since water absorbs heat quite effectively, according to Davies. The main drawback is that they might be slow to heat up.

• 3. As implied by the name, these towel warmers are filled with anti-corrosion fluid, which is heated by an electric element. To achieve their ideal temperature of approximately 55 degrees, they need roughly an hour. For anyone who likes the gentle heat of hydronic systems to the dry heat of electric filaments, they are a fantastic alternative.

All heated towel rails offered for sale in Australia must adhere to local safety regulations. Make careful to confirm the unit’s IP rating before making an online purchase. An appliance is rated according to how well it is protected from the entry of water and other fluids using this system, which is known as an ingress protection rating. When installing in damp places, it is crucial to take into account the second number since the higher it is, the better protection it offers against water penetration. Most towel rails are protected against dust, low pressure water jets, and spray thanks to their IP55 classification.