How can I replace a radiator with a towel rail one?

[Gary111]

Hi, I want to replace a radiator with a small towel rail.Ideally don't want to have to drain the heating, but would like the towel rail to be a bit narrower than the radiator fittings.

Is there some fitting I can use to achieve this?
Can I use flexi hoses maybe?

Thanks

 

[stem]

A chrome slidable extension like this, is usually the neatest way. Maybe just at one end or both.

But be careful. Towel rails, or to give them the more accurate name of 'towel warmers' aren't really designed to heat a normal bathroom, just to dry towels. Many people have removed a radiator and installed a towel warmer only to end up with dry towels and a cold bathroom.

If you look online to find a radiator of a similar size to the one you have now and compare its heat output (BTU's) with that of the towel rail you are considering you will get a direct comparison. As a rule of thumb, a towel warmer will emit about one third of the output of a radiator of a similar size, but once it's covered with fluffy insulating towels it reduces even further. So unless your bathroom is super insulated, or very small, usually it's necessary to retain a radiator when adding a tower warmer. Sometimes a towel warmer can be fitted on the wall above the end of the bath if there isn't any other wall space available.

 

[ETAF]

i have used those type of extensions a few times, when replacing radiators , old ones imperial and new ones metric - so 1220mm to a 1200 mm radiator - they work really well
i think i purchased from toolstation , and can be cut with a pipe wrench/cutter

Made4Trade Rigid Radiator Valve Extension 1/2" x 15mm

A rigid extension piece that can be cut using a pipe cutter to get the exact length required when installing a radiator.

www.toolstation.com

this type of thing

Fast Kut Copper Pipe Cutter

This Fast Kut pipe cutter is ideal for when you need to reduce the size of copper piping. It's perfect for use when redecorating the bathroom or installing a new toilet. The small size works well in those tricky bathroom alcoves, and it will fit a 15mm diameter pipe.This compact tool is quick to...

www.toolstation.com

re-placed 4 radiators now ....

have you looked into the BTU rating - can the towel rail be larger - we have a full height towel rail in bathroom and it heats up the bathroom really well - but its high and wide
even with 2 towels on it, all the time

 

[Gary111]

Thanks for your help, I'll look into those

 

[Mottie]

have you looked into the BTU rating - can the towel rail be larger - we have a full height towel rail in bathroom and it heats up the bathroom really well - but its high and wide

We have the same - it’s about 6’ high and 500mm wide. Heats our bathroom well too. Before that, we had a small towel rail and a separate radiator.

 

[Gary111]

Thanks for your help, what I don't understand is how I can still use these existing fittings which come out horizontally, and make it so that the pipe goes straight up as the towel heater has the holes for fittings vertically?

 

[Mottie]

Hi, I want to replace a radiator with a small towel rail.Ideally don't want to have to drain the heating, but would like the towel rail to be a bit narrower than the radiator fittings.

Thanks for your help, what I don't understand is how I can still use these existing fittings which come out horizontally, and make it so that the pipe goes straight up as the towel heater has the holes for fittings vertically?

Simple answer is that unless you put a couple of 90° bends or repipe the towel rail, you can’t. Repiping would be the neatest solution but that will probably entail a system drain down (even if adding some 90° bends) and taking the floor up. That’s what I had to do.