Note: This guide concentrates on electric towel rails and electric radiators only, and not central heating.

Electric towel rails are ideal for homes without a central heating system (such as apartments) or rooms with no pipework running into them (like conservatories added onto a house).

1. What is the difference between Single Heat and Variable Heat?

We offer two types of heating element with our electric products as follows...

•   Single Heat
  • The cheaper option of the two.
  • Easy to use, no on/off switch on the unit, simply operates from the fused spur (switch put in by your electrician).
  • No control of the temperature, as it will heat to a fixed heat of approximately 65 degrees.
  • Some customers have added a Temperature Control Plate to their single heat element, because they found the surface temperature too hot for them (think about the position of your electric towel rail and how close it may be to bare skin).
  • Available in Chrome cap with a matching grey flex, or White cap with a matching white flex (our electric towel rails and electric radiators come bundled with the best matching colour).

•   Variable Heat
  • The more expensive option of the two.
  • Buttons on the control panel allow you to choose the temperature between 20 and 70 degrees.
  • Use the '+' and '-' buttons to change temperature.
  • Operates across 5 settings, in increments of 10 degrees. LEDs will flash to denote element is working to reach that stage and then flash static once that temperature is achieved.
  • Features an internal thermostat located on the probe of the element which responds to the temperature of the solution inside the rail/radiator and once required temperature is achieved it switches on and off to maintain that temperature.
  • This is the safer option if you have children, as you can turn the rail down if you feel it is too hot in the reach fo young children who might come to stay or live with you?
  • Available in Sparkling chrome unit with matching grey flex or Matt grey unit with matching grey flex (our electric towel rails and electric radiators come bundled with the best matching colour).

2. What are the running costs of an electric radiator / electric towel rail?

The exact running costs of your electric towel rail or electric radiator will vary taking into account many different factors (such as the time of year, the insulation of your room etc). Basically the electric heating elements thermostatically regulate at their working tempereature, so the colder a room is the more often they will switch themselves on and off to regulate (once the element drops 2 degrees or less below the temperature at which it should be running, it turns itself on again). See this diagram for a more detailed explanation...

3. What type of plug is used on an Electric Towel Rail / Radiator?

Your electric towel rail or radiator connects to your household mains electricity and runs on the same voltage as most household electrical appliances.

The only real difference is that you shouldn't fit a standard 3 pin plug, instead it should be hard wired into a fused spur (as shown ion the image below). Your fused spur will have a separate on/off switch (normally outisde the room if this is a bathroom). Note: In mainland Europe radiators are connected with a standard plug on the end of the cable, but UK wiring regulations prohibit this. Fused spurs are well known to electricians and connection is no problem.

4. Can I connect an Electric Towel Rail / Radiator myself and is There Important Things I Need to Know?

It is extremely important that a qualified electrician fits your electric product. An incorrectly fitted electrical appliance can be lethal, especially in a bathroom environment where there is a lot of moisture.

When purchasing an electric towel rail for your bathroom it is imperative that it is installed correctly, ensuring that on first use the electric towel rail (or electric radiator) is vented and correctly bled, as per the Geyser fitting instructions supplied with every electric towel rail. If this isn't done the electric towel rail can potentially blow one of the blank plugs out and then hot water can spray out and potentially scald a member of the household. This is due to the fact it is a sealed, closed unit (unlike a towel rail connected to a central heating system). Therefore when the cold heating solution inside heats up it will expand. If there isn't the perfect internal vacuum inside the rail there is nowhere for the expanded liquid to escape, so this will then force the blank plugs out of the rail and it will blow (sometimes even right off the wall).

Many people like to attempt their own DIY today and you may be thinking about installing your own electric towel rail. Our advice is that, unless you know exactly what you are doing we strongly recommend that you seek professional help from a fully qualified electrician.

Note: Your chosen heating element will be supplied loose in the box (so that you have the choice of fitting this to the left or right hand side of the product), but more importantly, this puts the onus on the electrician to ensure that it has been inserted, earthed and connected properly to ensure it is safe in your home.

5. Are there any limitations as to where an electric towel rail in a bathroom can be fitted?

Yes and the guidelines regardings this are detailed in the IEE wiring regulations 2008 which we have detailed as follows:

Firstly, an electrical appliance fitted in a bathroom must have an appropriate IP rating (Ingress Protection) which is a measure of the protection against water infiltration. All Geyser electric towel rails are IP54 rated or higher which means they all have the correct IP rating.

Secondly, there are are certain areas in the bathroom where the electric towel rail should not be installed. The diagram below, splits the bathroom into 4 different Zones (0, 1, 2 & 3). An electric towel rail should not be fitted into either Zones 0 or Zone 1. Zone 0 is the area inside the bath or sink itself (which will fill with water). Zone 1 is the area directly above the bath; you shouldn't install them here, due to the fact that if you slip in the bath you may potentially grab hold of the electric towel rail and pull it into the water and electrocute yourself. With this, you should install your electric towel rail in Zones 2 or Zone 3 or anywhere else in your bathroom.

Ultimately, it is your decision as where to install your electric towel rail, but we advise you follow these guides to reduce the risk of electrocuting yourself or your family. In the images below you can see the electric towel rail on the right has been installed above the bath and this could be a potential risk if someone slipped in the bath, grabbed hold of this rail and pulled it off the wall.

If you are a landlord we strongly advise you follow these guidelines as otherwise if your tenants shock themselves, they could sue you for not adhering to the Wiring Legislation. In your own home it's your own risk, so the decision lies with you.

6. How long is the cable supplied with the Electric Towel Rails / Radiators??

The Single Heat elements are supplied with a 1.2 metre long cable.

The Variable Heat elements are supplied with a 1.5m metre long cable.

Both can simply be cut down to size as required for your bathroom. Should you need to extend these, you will need to ask your electrician to do this. It will need to be extended and not replaced, as you cannot open the element to put a new longer cable on it.

7. What type of Heating Solution is used in Geyser Electric Towel Rails / Electric Radiators?

Modern techniques mean we can now use a water based heating solution. Traditionally an oil based solutions was used, but increased environmental concerns, rising costs of oil and the fact it was very messy if it ever leaked, have led to the perfect water substitute being adopted.

Due to the volume of electric towel rails we sell, we have invested in a dedicated "Electric Prep Station" which dispenses the required amount of heating solution into the towel rail / designer radiator using pressurised hand levers. An overhead water tank contains the pre mixed solutions, which is made up from the following Glycolic Compound Solutions:

1. FERNOX™ Rust Inhibitor... which eliminates lime scale build up, prevents freezing of the radiator in winter and contains anti-corrosive properties.

2. FERNOX™ Boiler Noise Silencer... which promotes a quieter operation when the heating solution starts to bubble inside.

Many of the budget electric towel rail suppliers only use water to save on cost, so ensure the relevant additives are being used when making comparisons between our products .

8. What are the exact contents of the electric towel rail / electric radiator?

Our electric heating products are supplied complete with the following items:

1. The Rail / The Radiator

95% filled with the heating solution, this allows for expansion of the solution once hot

sealed and pre fitted with 3x blank plugs and 1 x bleed valve, each with PTFE tape fitted around the thread to form a water tight seal

supplied with the releavnt fixing brackets to mount the product onto the wall

2. Your Chosen Heating Element (single heat or variable heat)

supplied loose in the box, so that you have the option of fitting this to the left or right hand side of the towel rail / radiator (depending where your fused spur will be, space limitations in your room etc)

3. Detailed Fitting Instructions

we suppy our own detailed fitting instructions which guide you through installing the product, these are normally found in the packaging with the element

9. How long do the heating elements last for and what is the Guarantee on them?

Your element will last you many years, but just like the element in your kettle, depending on how much you use it.. it may go after sustained heavy daily usage. Normally they will simply stop working and you will know it has reached the end of its life. They are easy to replace.

The heating elements are all guaranteed for 2 years. Note: The product itself (ie the towel rail or radiator) will have its own guarantee separate to the element (see the product page under "specification" for details of this).

Should your element develop any kind of fault within the first two years we shall simply request it back from you to test it and supply you with a brand new one. Easy!

10. What is IP Rating of the Elements supplied with Elecric Towel Rails and Electric Radiators?

IP Rating is an international classification system for the sealing effectiveness of enclosures of electrical equipment against the intrusion into the equipment of foreign bodies (i.e. tools, dust, fingers) and moisture. This classification system utilizes the letters "IP" ("Ingress Protection") followed by two or three digits. All of electric heating products are suplied with elements which are IP54 rated.

• The first digit of the IP code indicates the degree that persons are protected against contact with moving parts.
• Our first digit is 5 - Protection from dust that would interfere with the operation of the equipment.
• The second digit indicates the degree of protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against the harmful entry of various forms of moisture.
• Our second digit is 4 - Protection from splashed water.