Towel Heaters Download Catalogue

Many homeowners believe that a heated towel rail isn't an essential bathroom installation but they have many practical benefits.Craig Taylor from Bathroom Butler says they may cost more than a plain towel rail but whether or not to include one into your bathroom is a no brainer. "They really provide an easy and inexpensive means of adding the finishing touch and that extra bit of luxury to any bathroom space.

Dry Element Technology

There are two types of heated towel rails on the market – those that operate using Wet Element Technology (WET), and those that use Dry Element Technology (DET).

WET heated towel rails, also known as fluid-filled heated towel rails, are how all heated towel rails used to operate in the past. Using WET, the rails are heated by immersing a cartridge element into a heat transfer fluid, such as oil or water. Much like a kettle or geyser, the element then heats up and in turn, heats up the surrounding fluid. The heated fluid causes convection currents to form, which circulates the fluid around inside the heated towel rail and heats up the rails. However, WET heated towel rails can take up to 90 minutes to warm the rails.

In contrast, DET technology ensures that the rail can reach its operating temperature in 10 to 15 minutes. This is termed as Rapid Heating and it means that you can switch the rail on when required and off when it is not in use – saving electricity in the process. Taylor explains that DET comprises of a length of special purpose heating wire that is installed within the tubes of the heated towel rail. Similar to the technology used for underfloor heating, DET heats the wire, which heats the towel rail directly. He says DET has the advantage that the special purpose wire can be limited to the horizontal rails and only one post, saving electricity and reducing the watts required by up to 30 percent. 

Another benefit of DET heated towel rails is that they allow for Direct Intelligent Heating, which provides heat directly where it is needed – in the horizontal bars under the towel. This ensures that only the rails under towels warm up. When there are no towels on the rail, the exposed surface will reduce in temperature to below 50°C, which is safe to the touch. "By not heating up rails that are not in use, DET allows for a comparative energy reduction of up to 30 percent, along with an increase in temperature of the rails under the towels. It also ensures safer operation.”