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myHeated Towel Rail Installation Cost
At a Glance
- The average cost of installing a heated towel rail is around £430.
- The job will take approximately 1 day to complete.
- A complete pricing breakdown which includes things you need to consider, along with what such a task usually involves.
- How long the job should approximately take and a general overview of what types of services can be performed.
- How to find and hire a plumber.
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The average price of fitting a towel heater radiator is around £430.
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£430
Table of Contents
How Much is Heated Towel Rail Installation?
Everyone loves having a warm towel, especially on colder days. With warm towels, you stay warm for longer after a hot bath or shower, but to keep your towels warm you need a heated towel rail.
A heated towel rail is a popular bathroom accessory in which the rails heat up to keep your towels warm. These heated rails can use either hot water from your central heating system or electricity to stay warm.
They are available in a wide variety of styles, and the electrical type can be hardwired or simply use a power cord which needs to be plugged down to an electrical outlet.
To fit an electrically heated towel rail in a bathroom you will need a qualified electrician. To fit a towel rail which is connected to your central heating system you should use a qualified plumber.
Is there a timer switch available for a shower room towel rail?
"Yes, this is possible to install. It would depend on the way your radiator is currently powered and where the cable is coming from, etc. These two factors will affect the ease and possibility of the job. But, definitely, thermostatic timers are available to install."
Heated Towel Rail Installation Prices
| Job Description | Duration | Material Cost | Labour Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric towel rail installation | 1 day | £220 | £200 |
| Plumbed in towel rail install | 1 day | £250 | £200 |
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Additional Heated Towel Rail Installation Costs
If you're having a heated towel rail fitted as part of a larger bathroom renovation, you might want to consider some of these jobs at the same time:
New Bathroom Tiles Cost
If your bathroom tiles have seen better days and are cracked or falling off, the time might have come to replace them. Replacing bathroom tiles costs £750 depending on the size of your bathroom and the tile you choose, with ceramic and porcelain bathroom tiles carrying the highest costs.
Underfloor Heating Cost
You may want to continue improving your bathroom's heating by adding underfloor heating - and if you're taking up your tiling, it's the best time to install this as you won't disturb your existing tiles. Underfloor heating costs around £800 for an average-sized bathroom.
Regrouting Bathroom Tiles Cost
Perhaps your existing bathroom tiles aren't in bad condition but just need a freshen-up. A cost-effective way of doing this is by regrouting them to remove any hard-to-remove dirt and grime.
The cost of regrouting bathroom tiles is around £250, and takes between 1 and 2 days to complete depending on the size of your bathroom.
Things to Consider with Heated Towel Rail Installations
Hardwired electrical towel rails can easily be hung on any wall, but on a stud wall, you should try and locate it so that at least two of the supports can be fixed into the wall studs.
Of course, this is not a problem if you have concrete walls. Although you can buy electrically heated towel rails with a power cord which can be simply plugged into a standard electrical socket, this is not possible in a bathroom where standard three-pin sockets cannot be fitted.
In any case, the heated towel rail should have its own dedicated circuit so a qualified electrician would be required in any case so you may as well have the towel rail safely hardwired into the mains electricity supply.
Hardwired towel rails look neater as the wires are hidden, but they are more expensive to install. Most electrically heated towel rails are made of stainless steel so rust is not a concern even when hanging damp towels over them. The only disadvantage of hardwired towel rails is the cost of hiring an electrician.
Doing it Yourself
Most bathrooms in the UK already have a radiator connected to the central heating system. Therefore, if you choose a towel rail with the same width as the existing radiator in the bathroom, replacing that radiator with that heated towel rail is quite an easy job.
Just remember to turn off the heating system and isolate the radiator using isolation valves before you disconnect any pipework. Once pipework is disconnected, simply remove the radiator from the wall and connect the new radiator.
There is no need to drain the central heating system or to remove the floorboards with this method. However, if you are not comfortable with plumbing work, then you should hire a local plumber to do this job for you.
If you are fitting an electrically heated towel rail, you need to remember that these will come under electrical wiring regulations as bathrooms are designated as special locations under Part P regulations.
So, for electric towel rails in the bathroom, you will always need to hire an electrician, and this type of job cannot be taken on as a DIY project.
I’m looking to replace the electric radiators in my flat (two with a more modern version, one with a towel rail). I’m just wondering if it is a difficult/timely job for an electrician to do?
"As long as the power rating of the current radiators are similar, it's a straightforward job. I would be looking to see if the fused switch is placed outside the bathroom, and the protective device is correctly selected (the circuit breaker)."
Towel Rail Benefits
- Heated towel rails are an affordable luxury!
- Electrically heated towel rails are easier to install.
- Plumbed in "wet" towel rails are cheaper to run.
- Dual fuel towel rails offer the best of both worlds but are more expensive to buy.
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FAQs
What is a heated towel rail?
Heated towel rails are a type of radiator that will dry towels and wet clothes. They are used mainly in bathrooms, but people do install them in other rooms.
Are towel radiators and heated towel rails the same thing?
Yes, they are both essentially the same product.
What are heated towel rails made of?
They are made of various materials, including steel, aluminium, cast iron and brass, but stainless steel is probably the most common.
What are dual fuel heated towel rails?
This type of heated towel rail is connected to both central heating and the electrical supply. So in the summer, when the central heating is switched off, you can still use it as an electrically heated towel heater.
Can I replace my ordinary radiator with a towel radiator?
Yes, towel radiators and radiators essentially operate in the same way, and if you choose a heated towel rail of the same size as your radiator, you probably will not even have to modify the existing piping.
How much does it cost to install a heated towel rail?
The average cost of heated towel rail installation in the UK is £430.
Can I install a heated towel rail myself?
No, you shouldn't install a heated towel rail yourself as a DIY task. You will need a plumber to take care of the installation to ensure it's connected to your central heating system correctly, or an electrician if it's an electric towel rail.
Where can I install a heated towel rail?
Towel rails are usually installed in bathrooms to provide convenient access to towels after showering or bathing. They need to be fitted a safe distance from water sources, in Zone 3, where no water jet is likely to be used. For professional advice, speak to your plumber about safe positioning.
