replace towelrail with radiator

[someonelse]

Moved in this year and it's a lovely bathroom. But 4 tiled walls, tiled floor, a heated towel rail (off ch system) and no radiator.

It's cold!

So thinking of replacing the towel rail with a rad.

Any suggestions/tips for what kind, what size etc? Room is 2.3m x 2.15.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. I'm surprised that rail doesn't provide sufficient heat. I've got roughly the same room dimensions, and a very similar sized rail and its fine.
2. Have you checked to make sure its as hot as other radiators in the house when the heating is on, and is uniformly hot from bottom to top. Might just need bleeding, particularly as there is a good chance it is the highest point in the system. See how it heats with no towels on it.
3. If it is a problem and you still want to change it, then things to consider are:
3.1 It's close to the wash basin, so likely to get wet. A good smooth finish would make it easier to maintain.
3.2 Nearly all radiators have inlet and outlet one the sides of the radiator, not the bottom, so you are going to have to accommodate some pipework changes, or get a narrower radiator.
3.3 The centre distance from the inlets of the new radiator on its brackets may also need pipework adjustments.
4. Look up rails as similar as possible to what you have got on the internet, and get a view on the heat output of what you have. Look for a new radiator with 1.5 time to 2 times that, in a size you can accommodate in the space available.
5. It might look like a simple swap, but given the feeds from the wall, the fact that the room is tiled, could make it a very fiddly job.

 

[ETAF]

we have the same towel rail - in our bathroom, and about the same sort of size
really surprised , ours gets hot

it may be a balancing issue - if none of the suggestions from oldbuffer

trying to lookup the BTU of the one we have
i'll measure mine

150x50cm

room is 2.1mx2.3m
1 exterior wall , 3 internal and 1 window - NO Extractor on all the time , as we just open a window

roughly 1500-2000 BTU
my bathroom room calculates at 1600 BTU

 

[someonelse]

Thanks both.
Online BTU calculator says I need 1865 BTU. I've no paperwork so no idea what that towel rail produces.

It's very slghtly hotter at the top than bottom. Tried bleeding but there's no air.
It's not as hot as other rads.
I stopped hanging towels on it a while back but makes no noticeable difference.
There's what I assume is a valve at each side, both 3/4 open - I've now fully opened them both.

Attic above only has about 150mm insulation so I'm going add another 100, but that applies everywhere and the bedrooms are fine so heat loss can't be too bad.

 

[ETAF]

if its not bleeding air - then maybe balancing

 

[cross thread]

Fit a taller towel rail, same width no damage to tiles

 

[someonelse]

Online BTU calculator says I need 1865 BTU. I've no paperwork so no idea what that towel rail produces.

Towel rail is 50cm x 115cm. No manufacturer markings so can't look it up.

 

[stem]

If you look at similar sized chrome towel warmers, you will see that in theory they should produce around 800 to 1200 BTU depending on how hot you run your boiler. But in practice, towel warmers, are usually covered with fluffy insulating towels so only end up emitting a fraction of what they would do uncovered. I know of quite a few people who removed a radiator and replaced it with a towel warmer and ended up with a cold bathroom.

The one in your photo looks taller than 115cm to me though. Maybe it's just my eyes.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Are you sure the towel rail is run off the central heating?
2. Some are run off the hot water.
3. Does it come on when the heating is on, or when the water is heating?
4. Ignore above if you have a combi boiler.

 

[someonelse]

1. Are you sure the towel rail is run off the central heating?
2. Some are run off the hot water.
3. Does it come on when the heating is on, or when the water is heating?
4. Ignore above if you have a combi boiler.

1) yes. I tend to have the hot water off and just press 'extra hour' when I need it. But towel rail is on most of the time Heating on all day at present).
2)No
3) Heating
4) ignored!

If you look at similar sized chrome towel warmers, you will see that in theory they should produce around 800 to 1200 BTU depending on how hot you run your boiler. But in practice, towel warmers, are usually covered with fluffy insulating towels so only end up emitting a fraction of what they would do uncovered. I know of quite a few people who removed a radiator and replaced it with a towel warmer and ended up with a cold bathroom.

The one in your photo looks taller than 115cm to me though. Maybe it's just my eyes.

Thanks. Just re-measured it and yes,1m 15cm tall. I agree height looks more than double width but the tape measure says otherwise!

 

[someonelse]

I've found what looks like an identical towel rail to mine : 1228 BTU

Flomasta Towel Radiator 1200mm x 500mm Chrome 1228BTU - Screwfix

But getting a BTU requirement for the room is a nightmare. I've tried multiple different online calculators, some very basic (just room dimensions) some detailed (eg specify what's below/above the room etc) and the results are ALL different.

1709-2028
2862
1933
3153
2930
2450-2925

One thing none of them ask is about the tiling. Does it make a difference that all 4 walls + floor are fully tiled? That seems to make the room colder/harder to heat.....?

 

[someonelse]

What is the most reliable calculator? Figures entered were all the same though some calculators required more data than others.

Best Heating 2483

B & Q 2141

https://heatadviser.co.uk/btu-calculator/ 2576

Tool station 1380

Screwfix 2800

https://www.radiators4u.co.uk/btu-calculator/ 2450 - 2925

https://www.onlyradiators.co.uk/btu-calculator 2486 -2956