Heated Towel Rail Installation Cost

How Much Does It Cost To Install a Heated Towel Rail?

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. Planning a bigger bathroom refresh at the same time? It can help to find out the cost of fitting a new shower while you’re comparing prices.

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.

Heated Towel Rail Installation Prices

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.

Bathroom Extractor Fan Cost

If you’re improving warmth in the bathroom, it’s worth thinking about ventilation, too. A good extractor helps clear steam and keeps mould at bay. The cost of fitting a bathroom extractor fan will depend on the model you choose and how tricky the wiring and ducting are. That being said, it’s a common add-on when updating bathrooms.

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 that plugs into a standard socket, normal three-pin sockets aren’t usually allowed within reach of a bath or shower. In most UK bathrooms the room is too small to meet that distance rule, so plug-in models are generally better suited to other rooms, not inside the main bathroom.

It’s also important to fit your towel rail a safe distance from any water source. Bathroom electrics are split into zones (0, 1 and 2), and anything electric has to be installed in the correct zone with the right IP rating, so your electrician will advise on the safest position.

In many homes a heated towel rail is either wired on its own fused spur or on a suitable dedicated circuit, depending on the load and layout. Either way, a qualified electrician should handle the wiring so it’s protected correctly and properly signed off.

Hardwired towel rails look neater as the wires are hidden, but they are more expensive to install. Many heated towel rails are made from stainless steel or chrome-plated steel, both of which cope well with steam and damp towels when they’re looked after properly. The only disadvantage of hardwired towel rails is the cost of hiring an electrician.

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Doing it Yourself

Most bathrooms in the UK already have a radiator connected to the central heating system. If you’re thinking about upgrading more than one heater, it’s worth checking the cost of radiator installation for comparison. 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.

If the isolation valves work properly, there’s usually no need to drain the whole central heating system or lift any floorboards when you’re just swapping like-for-like. 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, the safest route is to use a qualified electrician, as the work needs to follow Part P rules and the current wiring regulations.

Checklist: Towel Radiator Installations in the UK

Before you get someone in, double-check a couple of things first. Here’s what to ask before agreeing to get them to do the work:

• Are they suitably qualified? You’ll want a plumber who knows what they’re doing and, ideally, one who’s registered with a recognised trade body. It just means the job’s more likely to be done safely and to a good standard.
• Can they carry out the electrics, too? Some towel rails run off your heating. Others are electric. If yours needs hardwiring, you’ll also need an electrician — or a plumber who’s qualified for both. Worth checking early on.
• What’s included in the price? Always ask for a full breakdown so you’re not hit with extras later. The quote should cover parts, labour, and things like wall fittings, pipe tweaks, or getting rid of your old radiator.
• Will they drain and refill the system? For plumbed towel rails, the central heating needs to be drained first. Make sure that’s part of their quote. Last thing you want is someone packing up halfway through.
• Have they done this kind of job before? Fitting a towel rail in a tight bathroom or tiled wall takes an incredibly precise hand. Look for someone who’s done similar installs and can show you photos or reviews.
• Do they have insurance? Public liability insurance isn’t compulsory, but it’s a massive plus. If something goes wrong, you’ll both be covered — and that’s one less thing to worry about.
• Do they offer any kind of guarantee? An honest, reputable plumber will. Ask how long their work’s covered for and if the towel rail or parts have a manufacturer’s warranty too.

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