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How Do Towel Warmers Work?

by Avatar Of Towel Warmer Expert in Towel Warmers January 10, 2022

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Towel Warmers not only add a useful accessory to your bathroom but also a sense of luxury each time you step out of the shower. Who wouldn’t enjoy a warm bathroom and towel to greet them first thing out of the shower or bath? In addition to this sense of luxury you receive each time you use your freshly warmed towels, there are many other benefits to the use of towel warmers.
If you have been considering installing towel warmers during your bathroom renovation project, you might have a few questions about how they actually work, and which one is right for your home. There are three main kinds of towel warmers: Electric, Hydronic and Liquid Filled. Each of these three have distinct uses and some will not be right in every home which is why it is important to research the difference in the three. And While it is great that people can choose the towel warmer that works best for them, we know that it might be a bit confusing to choose between the different options. Each option has its own benefits, and each will be right for different homes, which is why we have written down some quick facts about each type of towel warmer and how they work, in the hopes that you can more effectively choose the best option for your own home.

So How Do Towel Warmers Work?

Electric Towel Warmers

Electric Towel Warmers connect directly to the existing electrical current in the room where they are installed, which means there is no need to worry about plumbing or filling the rails with water. The towel rails on electric towel warmers are designed to run on the lowest wattage possible, which keeps operating costs low. And while they run on low wattage they do not compromise in heating, with most units heating up within 5 minutes.

Generally, electric towel warmers operate at 95-100 degrees. The way these units work is by heating up the rails with electricity, then when the towel is placed over the railing the heat is insulated increasing the temperature without having to increase the amount of power being used by the towel warmer. By using this method, the electric towel warmers are very efficient and cost-effective with each run. Thanks to the insulation, underneath the towel will be around 120-130 degrees, warming very effectively without a lot of power.

Hydronic Towel Warmers

Hydronic Towel Warmers are railings that are connected directly to a hydronic heating system in a home. Because of how they are connected to the heating system, hydronic towel warmers require a boiler to heat these rails and are usually only viable in a home that already uses a hydronic heating system throughout the rest of the home. Hydronic towel warmers work by having heated water from the hydronic heating system pumped through them, which then heat the rails allowing you to place and warm your towels on them.

Since they are connected to the heating system of the home, hydronic rails are designed to not only warm your towels but to also provide warmth in the room that they’re installed. These rails can get very hot because they are connected directly to the boiler, with most units reaching up to 140 degrees. They can also be installed on either the floor or on the wall, depending on the needs of each home. The heat up time on hydronic towel warmers is most dependent on if the boiler is already running or not, and at what temperature. The hotter the boiler is working when the towel warmer is turned on, the quicker the railing will be heated.

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Liquid Filled Towel Warmers

Liquid Towel Warmers use electricity to heat a liquid filled in the rails until it heats up enough to warm towels placed over them. Liquid towel warmers come pre-filled with anti-corrosion fluid and factory sealed, and when purchased are ready to plug into a power point or be hardwired to a switch in a home. They can act as another heat source in a room, as they can reach up to 140 degrees and provide warmth in the space.

Once powered on, liquid towel warmers generally take about an hour to fully heat up to the desired temperature. Because of this warmup time, many models will come with timers that allow the user to program the towel warmer to heat up every day at certain times, this way you can always enjoy heated towels without having to worry about forgetting to warmup the railing. The rails heat the water inside of them and not the air around the rails, so covering them with a towel will not increasing the temperature through insulation meaning you’ll always have control over the temperature that your towels are being heated.

There are other important things to know about heated towel warmers as well. Most are designed to be safe when run continuously, but it is usually better to have the ability to control when it is being run to save on energy costs. It is important to select the towel warmer with the power options that you want, as some need to be hardwired to switches while others have timers or come with an attached on/off switch so that you can control exactly when your towel warmer will be being used. Another important thing to consider with towel warmers is in their installation. While anyone can mount and install a towel warmer with the proper tools and instructions, it may be necessary to have a professional install the towel warmers for you to ensure that they are safe and secure for your satisfied use for years to come.

Towel Warmers are a fantastic option for anyone who wants to enjoy the luxury of a warm towel each and every time they step out of the bath. And while there are many options when it comes to selecting the right towel warmers, there will be a best one for each individual home and person. With seemingly unlimited design choices and many different options for operation many are surprised by how fashionable and useful they find towel warmers to be after doing more research on the subject. Many start to imagine how relaxing it would feel to get a nice warm towel on a cold winter day when everyone could use a little extra warmth and comfort or helping you to relax and unwind after a long day at work something as simple as a warm towel can go a long way and choosing the perfect towel warmer for your bathroom is the first step to this feeling every single day.