Buying Towel Radiators: What You Need to Consider

Electric towel radiators make the perfect choice for heating the bathroom. They have many advantages in comparison to traditional radiators: they give you a place to store and dry towels, they take up very little space, they look nice, and they keep the room dry (-although, to be fair, any radiator will keep the room warm!). There are a few things that you need to consider before you buy your towel radiator, and we are going to explore these considerations now.

The Two Types of Heater

You will find that towel radiators come in two different types of technology:

1.       Dry Element technology

2.       Wet Element technology

The difference simply refers to the internal components within the radiator. Some radiators use liquid that is heated by an element – this is the wet element technology. They take longer to heat up, but they are cheaper to run and tend to retain their heat longer. Dry element electric towel radiators heat bricks, instead of liquid. They are very responsive and heat up faster than wet element towel radiators. The choice really depends on your personal circumstances. You should research the difference between both types in greater depth, and then make your choice.

Energy Source

Modern electric radiators often allow for dual fuel. This can mean one of two things:

1.       It can refer to a radiator that has two heating sources: it can be heated through the central heating system but also has an option for ad hoc heat using the electrics. This is useful for those of you who want to use your towel radiator in the summer, but who don’t also want to switch on the entire heating system.

2.       It can refer to a storage heater-type radiator. These have two electricity sources: one connected to the off-peak rate, and one connected to the on-peak rate.

Your choice depends on the system you have. For example, you can’t have the first type of radiator if you don’t have a central heating system. You can have the second type with a central heating system, but it seems a little pointless as it’s more expensive, but some people will choose this option because the style of radiator they like may not be available for a central heating system.

Safety

When buying any type of radiator, including electric towel radiators, you need to make sure that they are of a high quality, and that they conform to safety standards. If you’re buying from a UK source, then they have to adhere to our health and safety regulations, so you only need to research this issue if you’re buying radiators from abroad. There are some international ratings that you can use to asses foreign radiators.

Maintenance

You need to ensure that you buy a model that is easy to maintain. If it develops problems and it is difficult to service, then you will need to replace it or call out an electrician/plumber, which can get expensive. Ask the retailer if the radiator is serviceable.

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