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Towel Rail Installation: How to Install a Heated Towel Rail

Heated towel rails and radiators are a highly useful addition to any bathroom heating system. During winter, you can keep your towels cosy, snug and warm, ready and waiting to heat you up. In spring and summer, they are useful to ensure that wet towels dry quickly. Read our towel rail installation guide for some handy tips to ensure a successful fit. If you’re about to install a heated towel rail in your home, here’s what you will need before you begin:

Towel Rail Installation:

You will need:

  • A Hammer action drill driver
  • A Hammer
  • A screw driver
  • An adjustable spanner
  • Grips
  • A masonry bit
  • Rule plugs
  • Crews
  • A tape measure
  • A pencil
  • A spirit level
  • PCFE tape
  • A cloth
  • A hex key (also known as an allen key)
  • An angle grab valve (for pipe work that stems from the wall) or a straight through valve (for pipe work that stems from the floor)
  • The instructions supplied with your towel rail

Got all that? Good then let’s get started!

Towel Rail Installation – How to Install

To Start

1. Drill two holes to enable your pipe to peek through. You will be securing the heated rail to the piping. 2. Secure a nut into each side of the towel rail and tighten with your spanner. You will notice a small hole to the side of each nut. Try to tighten the nut so that the hole is visible at the side so that when you come to bleed the radiator you can catch the excess water rather than have it damage your wall or flooring.

Fit the Valves

3. To fit your radiator valves, turn the towel rail over. A straight radiator valve can be used if your pipe work emerges straight through the floor. An angle grab valve can be used if pipe work stems from the wall. Secure PTFE tape to the main connection of your nuts. Place the nut into the hole and tighten firstly by hand. Use the hex key to tighten up further. 4. Attach PTFE tape to the base of your valves and place inside the nut and tighten by hand and finalise using the adjustable spanner. Place a cloth between the valve and screwdriver to prevent marking the metal.

Fitting The Brackets

5. Using your tape measure and spirit level, locate the centre between your piping and mark this in pencil. This is where you will need to fit your brackets. 6. Lightly tap a screw with a hammer to create a small indent in the tile and begin drilling. If you then need to cut through brick, switch to the hammer action. Insert your plugs into both holes and hammer a screw into each until you feel you’ve hit your brickwork. Then, remove the screws. 7. Release the lock in screw from your bracket and place a new screw into the hole of the bracket. Insert this into the hole you just drilled and screw it into place. 8.Use your spirit level to ensure that your brackets are level. Get your retaining bracket and unscrew it to part it. Place the lock in screws back into your brackets and tighten into place.

Attach the Towel Rail

9. Release the locking nuts from the towel warmer and place these onto your pipe work and secure. Place the towel warmer to the brackets (you may need help holding it into place) and screw the brackets into place. 10. You’ll now need to fit two bottom brackets. Once you’ve selected a spot, make a mark with your pencil, remove the towel rail and fit the bottom brackets in the same way that you fixed the first two. 11. With four brackets fitted, the towel warmer can now be attached. Attach your connection brackets and screw in gently. You’ll now need to attach PTFE tape to your final connections. Apply a cloth over the connections as you secure them with your spanner into place to prevent scratching. 12. Check over all fittings to ensure they are tightly in place. 13. Open the radiator valves to release the air and once the water has departed, screw them back into place. If you need any help choosing the ideal heating option for your bathroom then read our buyer’s guide to heating.