HEATED TOWEL RAILS

HEATED TOWEL RAILS

In Christchurch and across Canterbury, cold mornings and damp bathrooms are very common. They are a part of daily life, especially in winter. A professionally installed heated towel rail is a simple upgrade that brings both comfort and practicality to your bathroom. Heated towel rails will keep your towels warm and dry, making getting out of the shower a lot more comfortable. However, they are much more essential than that, as they help reduce excess moisture in your bathroom by drying the towels faster. This limits dampness and risk of mould - an ongoing problem in many New Zealand homes.

Zenith Energy Solutions offers supply and install of heated towel rails to suit your bathroom, whether you're renovating, upgrading or building. We ensure safe, compliant installation and can advise on style/size and location to suit your bathroom layout and household needs. Timers and automation are also available and is a low-cost way of improving comfort whilst maintaining a drier, healthier home. If you're based near Christchurch and looking to upgrade your bathroom, it is a small addition that makes a noticeable difference and we at ZES would be glad to help.

STYLE
Ladder heated towel rails have a large capacity and they are great for families or rentals. They can come in flat or curved profiles, circular or square rails, and different heights and widths to suit your space. These ladder styles do have the towels overlapping, so in high-use bathrooms this will mean the towels are slower at drying.

Rails (horizontal) are popular in new builds as they provide a clean, modern aesthetic similar to the ladder style but without the vertical side rails. This provides greater airflow for the towels giving faster drying times. There are options for single or multiple rails and they can be automated individually to customize to each household member. This rail style takes longer to install and more wiring is required.

Poles (vertical) are another popular choice in new builds, due to their clean aesthetic similar to the horizontal rails. They provide a modern look, but their vertical setting saves a lot on space which is excellent in ensuites or compact bathrooms. They are excellent at drying due to a higher surface area of the rail in contact with the towel compared with the horizontal options where the towels are hanging. Similar to the horizontal rails, more installation and wiring is required, and may not be suitable for family bathrooms with young children as they can be awkwardly high to reach.

S-bend towel rails were the industry standard for many years and provide great airflow for towels to dry. Whilst they are less trendy or aesthetic for most new builds, they are excellent for renovations when needing an easy like-for-like replacement. This avoids wall damage by using the same holes so you do not have the headache of patching and painting the walls - great for rentals and simple renovations.

LOCATION
For a heated towel rail within 60cm of a wet zone (e.g. bath/shower), this has to have a 12V transformer for safety reasons, rather than your standard 240V. This can be beneficial by having your towel within arm's reach when exiting the wet zone to minimise cold and wet downtime, One of the considerations is that the transformer is bulky and install can take longer and is another component to the system.

For a heated towel rail outside 60cm of a wet zone (e.g. bath/shower), this can be your usual 240V towel rail which is beneficial as the install is straightforward and there are less parts. However, you would need to consider if that location is practical for you in winter, because it would potentially be a further reach for a warm towel.

In either circumstance, heated towel rails will usually require a specific IP rating (waterproof rating) depending on its location in the bathroom. In the modern era, almost all heated towel rails are well IP rated, however it is wise to check with your electrician before purchasing a heated towel rail.

TIMERS & AUTOMATION
A typical heated towel rail costs around $91 per year to run continuously, Adding a simple timer to your installation can pay for itself within the first year by reducing unnecessary usage. If you have a regular morning or evening shower routine, we can automate your towel rail to match so you get the comfort of warm, dry towels without wasting energy.

MORE QUESTIONS?
Are you still stuck on which option is going to suit your bathroom needs best? We can advise you on what options would suit your household, space and budget.