How To Fit a Towel Radiator

Step out of the bath and scoop up a toasty towel from your newly installed towel radiator!

With varied shapes and sizes to choose from, towel radiators are often space-saving and can look much more attractive than a standard radiator, becoming a feature of your bathroom.

Follow our guide to the materials you need for the job, how to prepare your bathroom before work begins and the installation process.

Preparation

Ideally, your new towel radiator will replace the identical space of your former radiator. This way, there’s no need for the hassle of draining your system, or taking up your flooring and skirting boards. Simply turn off your heating and isolate your old radiator before removing it from the wall. Your new towel radiator will connect to the existing pipework.

If you purchase a new chrome towel radiator and you want chrome pipes to match, you will need to drain the current system before you make the necessary changes.

Top tip: Before mounting your new radiator, check that the wall brackets are sturdy enough to hold the weight of your new towel radiator when filled with water.

Materials

• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Adjustable spanner
• Pipe and cable detector
• Power drill with masonry or ceramic tile bits
• Screwdriver
• Pipe wrench or waterpump pliers
• Adjustable spanner
• Pipe cutter
• PTFE tape (Teflon tape)

How to install a towel radiator

If you’re connecting a towel radiator to the current pipework:

1. Take your radiator off the wall and fit telescopic extending tails to the towel radiator inlet and outlet.

2. Install a compression elbow joint to the telescopic extending tail on the radiator inlet.

3. Cut your pipe to a length able to run from the new elbow to the existing radiator valve.

4. Apply PTFE tape to the threads of the compression fittings.

5. Replace the valve head and attach the pipework to the wall. Tighten all joints and nuts to ensure it doesn’t move out of place.

If you’re connecting new pipework to your towel radiator:

1. Drain the system and expose the pipes. Turn on your water and heating to check that there are no leaks.

2. Use PFTE tape to seal the pipe threads, then remount the radiator.

3. Cut into the hot water supply pipe using a pipe cutter and give it a good clean.

4. Install a push-fit straight coupler and cut a length of pipe to extend the supply pipe as far as the inlet of your new radiator.

5. Cut a carefully measured length of chrome-plated pipe and place it between the radiator inlet down to the supply pipe. Link the horizontal and vertical parts of the new inlet pipe and apply PTFE tape on the threads. Repeat the process on the opposite side.