Electric Towel Warmers - Heated Towel Rails
by Amba

Q. "How do the electric towel warmers work?"
A. Some models have towel rails filled with a thermal fluid that is heated by an electrical element located at the bottom of the towel rail. Via the process of convection, the fluid rises and circulates through the tubing, heating the unit. Some models use an electrical resistance wire inside the unit to heat the bars by converting electrical energy into heat.

Q. "What do the heated towel rails cost to run?"
A. These towel rails have been designed to operate continuously, and depending on the model, the power is equivalent to one to four 60-watt light bulbs (60 - 240 watts).

Q. "Are the heated towel rails safe to use in a bathroom?"
A. YES! These towel rails have no exposed elements and have a safe surface temperature (approximately 136°F - 167°F). Many of the towel rails have a built-in thermostat and internal thermal cut-out for optimal energy consumption and safety. Please note: heated rails should be installed by an electrician according to the local electrical code.

Q. "What does heat differential mean?"
A. This is how many degrees higher your towel warmer can be compared to the temperature in the room. For example, say the heat differential is 80°F (it's actually between 77-86°F) and your room temperature is 60°F, then the temperature your heater will get to is about 140°F. However, your heater is designed to stay below 154°F. So, if your room was at 90°F and the heat differential was 80°F, then your heater would use less energy and only reach 154°F (for safety) instead of 170°F.

Q. "Can the swivel towel warmers be mounted so the cord would come out of the top instead of the bottom as shown?"
A. Unfortunately, no. The cord cannot be redirected inside the bar to emerge from the top of the bar. And, the mounting bracket has a v-shaped connector that will not hold the bar in place correctly if the towel warmer is installed upside down.

Q. "What does the safety cutout do?"
A. Basically it's a safety shut off point. Since the safety cutout is at 158°F, that means the heater will turn off if it reaches 158°F (for safety). The heater will turn back on after it has cooled down.

Q. "What does the security thermofuse do?"
A. A security thermofuse is similar to a fuse in your breaker box at home. However, the security thermofuse turns off the power based on temperature. So, if the temperature of the towel warmer reaches 242°F, then the security thermofuse will turn off the towel warmer. This is an additional safety feature to the safety cutout.

Q. "How do you turn on/operate these towel rails?"
A. The wall mounted towel rails are designed to be hardwired to a switch or timer. They can even use common switches like a light switch. The freestanding unit has an integrated on/off switch that operates the unit once it has been plugged in to an electrical outlet.

Q. "How do I convert a hard-wired towel warmer into a plug-in model?"
A. These wall mounted towel warmers are designed to be hard-wired (typically to a wall switch or timer), but they can be easily converted into plug-in units. On the bottom of the horizontal tubing, there is a "knock-out" that allows a 30" cord (concealed in the horizontal tubing) to be dropped out. At that point an electrical plug (not supplied by the manufacturer) can be attached and the towel warmer can then be plugged into a standard 120v wall socket.