Towel Rails

[Jack]

Hello

We're in the process of having our central heating refurbished - new boiler plus radstats and tankstat. As a result of losing the gravity circulation, our upstairs rads will now only be warm when the central heating is on - ie not also when the hot water is on. To make up for this we are thinking of replacing the bathroom radiator with an electrically assisted towel rail - so that it can be switched on when the heating is off.

I'm a little concerned about the mixture of hot-water (=corrosion), mains voltage and bathrooms. How safe are these installations, what special safeguards do they need and what level of professional qualification do I need to look for in an installer. In particular, can these devices generally be safely installed by corgi registered plumbers as part of the refurbishment or do we need to get in an electrician?

Many Thanks Jack

[rob]

are ok (as you would expect)and give them guarantees, they pass various tests and regulations, electrics and water, kite marks, bs.standards etc etc etc. Providing they are fitted properly and have adequate inhibitor put in, they should be ok. Fitting the towel rail is usually the plumbers job, even wiring it to the fused spur sometimes, from there, it belongs to the electrician. Most plumbers will put the rail in for you if they are given a fused spur nearby.dont even need to be corgi reg either, as no gas is involved rob

[IMM]

The bathroom towel rail/rad can operate in summer by taking the flow after the pump and before the zone vale(s). This is best.

[Christian McArdle]

You can run it off the unzoned pipework instead of the heating zone. This way it will get hot when the hot water is heated, or when the heating is on. This is good, because you often want a warm towel after a bath. Running the bath makes the radiator hot as the cylinder is reheated.

If you do go electric, ensure it is fed via a 30mA quick acting RCD. If there isn't already one on the circuit you are proposing to use, install an RCD fused spur.

Christian.

[Jack]

Thanks for that (thanks to IMM & rob too).

If I fit an appropriate RCD, does this mean that I can site the towel rail whereever I like - eg right next to a bath or shower. Or are there regs or codes forbidding that?

Thanks Jack

[IMM]

Installing an electric towel rail when you have a gas heating system doesn't sound that logical at all.

[Christian McArdle]

Look up bathroom zoning. The regulations in this area were changed a year or two back.

Christian.

[Dave Plowman]

Why not run the towel rail off the hot water heating 'circuit'? Then it will be hot when only the water is being heated - same as before. Cheaper to run than full price electricity.

[Dave Plowman]

In terms of corrosion, etc, surely it's no different than having an immersion as a back up in most gas fired systems which use a storage tank?

Well, I'd not trust the average CORGI type to change the battery in a torch, electricity wise.