A. Central Heating.

 

Just like a radiator, a Heated Towel Rail can be plumbed into your central heating system, which basically fills them with water fed from the tank or the boiler. This type of rail has the advantage of being the cheapest option, (as all you need is an empty rail and a set of valves), but can only be used when the central heating is on, (mostly during the winter). People usually tend to choose a Heated Towel Rail over a radiator in the bathroom due to their dual purpose and the lack of space available.

 

B. Electric.

Electric Towel Rails are closed units, (not connected to the central heating), which are filled and sealed with a heating solution. This is heated through an element which is inserted into the bottom of the rail, wich heats the solution (in just the same way a kettle works). Click to view our dedicated Electric Towel Rails Technical Advice Page.

 

C. Dual Fuel.

Dual Fuel give you choice of using either the central heating system or the electric as the heat source. They are connected into the central heating system and also have an element fitted, with the addition of a T-Piece. These are often referred to as summertime element rails. Click to view our dedicated Dual Fuel Towel Rails Technical Advice Page.

 

1. What Heat Output do I need from my Heated Towel Rail?   Our basic recommendation is 100 watts per square metre of floor space, to adequately heat your bathroom. Note: Heat outputs are complex to understand, as they can be specified in different ways across different suppliers (Delta T50, T60or T70) given in different ratings (BTUS or Watts) and there are many varibale to take into consideration (windows, walls etc).. therefore we suggest you read our dedicated Technical Advice page: Understanding Heat Outputs.

2. Where should I install my Heated Towel Rail?   Ideally, your Heated Towel Rail should be placed on the coldest wall of your bathroom. The wall with the window on it is often the best one. If this is not possible, try to fix it on one of the external walls of the room. This will ensure a good repetition of the heat throughout the room, which will gain in efficiency.

3. How do Geyser categorise its Heated Towel Rails?   We have four categories of Heated Towel Rail: 1. Contemporary Rails, 2. Traditional Towel Warmers, 3. Chrome Ladder Rals, 4. White Ladder Rails. A ladder rail is the budget end of the range, where each design simply replicates a pair of ladders, which comes in either a chrome or white plated finish. In the contemporary rails section you will find a cross section of different designs which will be better suited to those seeking a more designer focused interior style. Finally there are the Traditional Towel Warmers which would suit a more period property.

4. How Do I Protect The Exterior Finish?   Never use aerosols, corrosive or hazardous product close to or on to these products. The towel rail should be cleaned using warm water and mild soap on a soft cloth>

5. Understanding Chrome Plating. If you are looking for a chrome rail.. then the chrome plating will be the most noticeable feature of your heated towel rail. There are three levels of chrome plate: deep coat, standard coat and shallow coat. Chrome plating is an expensive process and represents a large percentage of the manufacturing cost, hence why chrome rails are more expensive than white or black. To ensure the highest quality is maintained the plating line at our manufacturing plant uses a motion system than than a conventional air system. This ensures better surface quality, a greater resistance to corrosion in every area, including the welded joints. The chrome plating on the Geyser chrome towel rails is 50.3 microns in total complied as follows: Matt Nickel 5 microns; Acidic Copper 25 microns; Bright Nickel 20 microns; Chromium 0.3 microns. Note: Some suppliers list there chrome plating in different ways, but be midnful of companies making these up, which we have seen.. ours are 100% correct. Additionally, all the chrome ladder rails we sell have been salt tested, to ensure the have the highest resistance to rusting and corrosion. This salt testing is to ASTM B117 compliancy.

6. Understanding Tube Diameter Tube diameter is important it is directly linked to the heat output, as the larger the tubes, the higher the holding capacity of the and greater the heat output. The three most common sizes available are 19mm, 22mm and more rarely 25mm. Many of the budget ladder rails are manufactured with 19mm tubes. All of our chrome and white ladder rails are manufactured with 22mm tubes which look more substantial and provide better heat output>

7. Understanding Quantity of Tubes Again, the quantity of tubes is also linked to the heat output of the heated towel rail. When comparing matching products from different suppliers which appear to have the same dimensions (height x width), be mindful to check or count the bar pattern (listed on all of our heated towel rails) and how many gaps have been left for towels. A manufacturer can greatly cut costs by reducing the tube quantity and inserting more gaps than required. All of our smaller ladder rails, have just 1 gap for a towel and the larger rails tend to have just 2-3 gaps, thus maximising the heat output across them all>

8. Understanding Tube Profiles Most horizontal tubes on the majority of heated towel rails have a circular profile. Square bars, rectangular bars and sweeping bars are also available but due to the increased manufacturing cost, these usually cost a little more, although we have recently introduced new designs into our Contemporary Heated Towel Rails category, which are very reasonably priced when compared with a ladder rail>

9. Understanding Welding Little details can be the most important. You may not immediately notice the quality of welding on a heated towel rail in a showroom or DIY store. Welding should be neat and smooth. Rough welding indicates a lack of care and is likely to lead to a pin hole leak soon after the installation. At Geyser we are very aware of quality control and logs are maintained to emphasise the importance of this to our appointed manufacturing plants around the world.

10. Understanding Mounting Bracket Design and Bleed and Blank Design The finishing details that set off your heated towel rail. The mounting brackets, bleed valve and blank plugs shouldn't be overlooked. As standard, all of our ladder rail brackets are made from matching chrome (or white) plated plastic (most manufacturers don't use metal brackets because of the high manufacturing costs). In the contemporary rails section, the mounting brackets tend to match the colour, profile and exterior finish of the rails themselves. We always include close up shots of the brackets in the extra images gallery so you can see these details. On top of the rail there tends to be a bleed valve and blank plug on show. We have recently launched new concealed bleed valves and blank plugs following feedback from our customers that they didn't like to see the standard plugs on show. See accessories section at the bottom of the product page for the matching plugs>

11. Understanding Vertical Profiles There are two main types of vertical profile, O shaped and D shaped. All of the Geyser ladder rals have a D profile, where the horizontal tubes are connected to the flat side, leaving the curved side on the outside. The D profile is the most popular choice.