Ahh… there is nothing better than bathroom heating. Just brainstorming some brilliant bathroom heating ideas has brought warmth and comfort to our souls. Most people will brave their frosty bathrooms just to save money. But in the long term, are you really saving, or setting yourself up for disaster?
The Importance of a Warm Bathroom
You can choose to go down the route of fitting central heating towel rails, or perhaps even favouring some electric bathroom heating solutions. But, at the end of the day, it is quintessentially important to keep your bathroom warm.
Like any room in your home, you can’t leave it to freeze over. A cold bathroom will lead to dampness and the potential for menacing growth on your walls.
Retaining heat in your bathroom also means that you will be using less heat to reach desired temperatures. Cutting down on energy used, saving you money, and saving the planet.
But most importantly, it simply gives you pleasure. No longer will you be considering skipping those bitter, cold morning showers.
Let’s take a look at some of our specially selected bathroom heating solutions.
Heated Towel Rails
There are three main types of towel rails to heat the bathroom. Electric heated towel rails, central heating towel rails and duel fuel towel radiators.
You would probably think, “central heating all the way. No brainer”!
But…
Don’t discount electric heating so quickly. Nowadays, they are built to be energy efficient and you may find yourself with a lower utility bill by wiring your system with sparks of electricity.
If you already have a standard radiator fitted and are wondering, “how to replace bathroom radiator with towel rail”? Well, as you already have the main pipeline fitted, it’s really as easy as removing the old unit and swapping it over with your new towel rail radiator.
Bear in mind, even if you currently have a central heating radiator, you can still easily change over to electric.
Alternatively, why not have both central heating and electric? There are bathroom radiator towel rails that have the option of dual fuel for complete flexibility.
Brenton Chrome Curved Heated Towel Radiator
The Brenton Chrome Curved Towel Radiator is the perfect way to pamper your soaking wet towels.
And just to add the cherry on top, it will also bring summer to your bathroom all year round thanks to the fact you can get yours hands on this beautiful bathroom piece as a dual fuel towel radiator.
The chrome finish of this gorgeous heat radiating unit gives your bathroom that high-class status, and the curves of the rails simply add a bit of elegance to your bathroom design.
Boasting solid steel construction and a comforting 5 year manufacturer's guarantee, the Brenton Chrome curved heated towel rad is designed with the most practical and aesthetic ideas in mind! Where's the sense in a stunning towel rail if it doesn't look fabulous whilst warming your towels?
Thinking of something a bit more creative? Why not consider looking for designer towel radiators?
Hudson Reed Harrow Traditional Heated Towel Rail
Traditional bathrooms are essentially timeless and are a wonderful choice for those who don't fancy an on-trend design such as 'millennial pink' that will likely need updating in years to come.
If classic if your cup of tea, the Hudson Reed Harrow Heated Towel Rail has everything your bathroom needs for a toasty feel.
An elegant blend of polished chrome and crisp white, the Harrow is crafted from mild steel and is available in both a standard and cloakroom size for maximum flexibility.
Boasting a highly dependable heat output, CE approved, and a comforting 5 year manufacturer's guarantee, the Hudson Reed Harrow traditional towel radiator is proof that just because something is traditional in design, certainly doesn't mean it's any less practical than modern design towel radiators!
Bathroom Radiators
When you just want a basic feature to keep your bathroom warm, you can’t go wrong with bathroom radiators. They serve their purpose. Or do they?
Choosing the right radiator for the bathroom isn’t completely straightforward. But that’s why you have come to us, right?
Firstly, how warm should a bathroom be? There is no single answer to this question. Perhaps you want to step into your shower room feeling like you’ve just entered a fiery volcano. Maybe you just want to feel snug and warm like on a sunny spring afternoon. The best way to find out what kind of heat your bathroom needs is with a BTU calculator - a quick Google search should bring up plenty.
One idea would be to have a small chrome bathroom radiator. That would do the trick. But you may have to upgrade the size if you are dealing with a beast of a bathroom.
Chrome and stainless steel units are essentially completely resistant to rust. A concern that most tend to have about “how to stop bathroom radiator rusting”.
As you are probably starting to figure out, there are quite a few thoughts that go into selecting a bathroom radiator.
Here are a few great radiator styles that will compliment your bathroom design.
Traditional Column Radiators
If you are looking to maintain a traditional atmosphere within your bathroom, take a look at some of our favourites below. These column radiators are built from the finest quality steel materials, which means that they’ll last a great deal of time, and provide your bathroom with ample warmth.
You have the option to hook up these traditional radiators to your central heating system or wire in some electrics. Alternatively, you could go for the dual fuel system, which allows you to alternate between central heating and electric.
Vertical Contemporary Radiators
The vertical contemporary radiator is one of our absolute favourites. They are considered to be space saving units as they go along the wall vertically as opposed to horizontally, and there’s a range of modern designs that will bring glamour to any bathroom.
Horizontal Contemporary Radiators
You don’t necessarily need to go vertical to jazz up your bathroom. There are horizontal contemporary radiator designs that can give you the style you are looking to achieve.
With some truly aesthetic designs and a range of compact sizes, Tap Warehouse is lucky enough to have a vast array of contemporary horizontal radiators. See some of our favourites below.
Underfloor Heating
There has been an increase in the installation of bathroom underfloor heating in homes. The masses can’t be wrong. There is a reason many homeowners are moving towards underfloor heating systems.
There is the assumption about the cost of underfloor heating not being worth the trouble of heating a bathroom. The initial setup may prove to be a little pricey. Especially if you have a large bathroom where you would have more ground to cover.
There are two ways you can get underfloor heating in your bathroom.
The first is what most would expect, and that is to fit underfloor central heating pipes. If you already have a central heating system around your home, this might be the better route. The process is pretty straight forward. Pipes are fitted below the bathroom floor and linked to the rest of your central heating network.
The other method would be to use electric underfloor heating. These are far easier to install and the most cost effective way to bring warmth to your feet. You can use either heat mats or heat cables.
The simplest electric solution would be to purchase heat mats as they are a little easier to lay out. A great option would be to have something like the Impey Aqua Mat Wetroom Under Floor Heating System. It only requires 100watts of energy to operate, and in the long run means you will be making major savings on your bills.
Once you have your mats laid out, you can hook them up to an underfloor heating thermostat which allows you to easily monitor and adjust the heat settings. You can even get a WiFi enabled thermostat that you can control using your phone on the move.
Window Insulation
What use would it be redesigning your bathroom heating if it’s just going to escape out the window?
If you already have a whole heating system in place but it still feels like you’re bathing in Antarctica rather than the Libyan Desert, you should probably take a look at your bathroom window insulation.
The idea of insulating your windows is to help contain the hot air. Any flaws with the seals or glass panels and you have yourself a heat leakage. This not only hampers your bathroom from reaching desired temperatures, it can also prove quite costly on your energy bills.
There are two quick and easy methods you can use for insulating your windows.
Insulation film is a cheap solution. It acts as an additional layer on your glass windows, helping to stop heat from passing through the glass. Think of it as cheap double glazing.
Another method is to use silicone sealant around the edges of the bathroom window which will provide an airtight and waterproof barrier.
Bathroom Ventilation
Is it worth installing bathroom ventilation?
Did you know that condensation actually results in the room taking longer to heat up?
The air in a bathroom will always be damp after a steamy shower. What do we normally do when the bathroom steams up? Open the door and windows right?
But this means the condensation spreads to the rest of your home. And what about during the winter months? You don’t exactly want to open the windows! In some cases, your bathroom may not even have a window!
We're pretty big advocated of bathroom fans, so why not take a peek at a few of our favourites below?
Luxury Rugs
The simplest and perhaps most affordable way to kiss goodbye to those early morning icy cold bathroom floors is to buy a rug. There is a huge range of luxury rugs with various designs and colours, and you can certainly find one that will suit your wonderful bathroom.
Why not go for a large oval rug? Not only does it add a fluff of style but will cover most of your cold bathroom floor.
Another option is to have smaller rugs. Perhaps an under-sink rug combined with a bathmat. The perfect morning exercise routine - jumping from rug to rug, avoiding the frostbiting floor.
Warm Paints and Tiles
It is true that darker colours attract more heat. But that’s not to say that you have to splash the bathroom walls with a coat of midnight black paint. Perhaps just tone it down ever so slightly. A great option of bathroom paint colours to go for is grey. It’s all the rage now to have grey bathrooms in your home.
Burnt orange, autumnal rouge and colours that simply warm your soul are perfect for creating a feeling of warmth in your bathroom for a fraction of the cost.
So there you have it. Bet you never imagined that you had all these options to keep your bathroom warm. We hope our in depth bathroom heating guide keeps you and your home toasty this winter!
