500mm to 599mm heated towel rails buying guide
The heated towel rails in this collection are 530mm to 590mm wide, and most are 550mm ladders. That width fits the space between a vanity and a door, a standard ensuite wall or a small powder room, and it holds three to eight bars. For most small bathrooms the right call is a 550mm ladder with four or five bars, dry electric, on a timer. This guide sets out the ladders in this collection with their real sizes, power and wiring.
The 550mm ladders compared
| Ladder | Size | Power and rating | Wiring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermogroup 3 Bar | 550mm wide, 450mm high | 240V, 33 watts, IP55 | Multiflex, hardwired or plug-in |
| Thermogroup 4 Bar | 550mm by 550mm | 240V, 41 watts, IP55 | Multiflex, hardwired or plug-in |
| Thermogroup 12V 4 Bar | 550mm wide | 12V, 65 to 70 watts, IP55 | Hardwired only, transformer supplied |
| Phoenix Five Flat Bar | 550mm by 740mm | 240V, 35 watts, IPX4 | Hardwired or plug-in, 1.3 metre lead |
| Phoenix Wiltern, 5 bar | 575mm by 750mm, 111mm deep | 240V, 35 watts, IPX4 | Hardwired or plug-in |
| Phoenix Cromford | 550mm wide | 240V, 62 watts, IPX5 | Hardwired or plug-in, 1.4 metre lead |
| Phoenix Radii | 550mm by 738mm | 240V, 62 watts, IPX5 | Hardwired or plug-in, round or square plate |
The Thermogroup 8 Bar ladders in this collection are 530mm wide and come in two heights, 700mm and 1120mm. The 8 Bar straight flat free standing rail is 590mm wide, and the 8 Bar round swivel ladder is 570mm wide and 1260mm high. The freestanding and swivel rails collection holds them.
A ladder gives a towel more contact with the heated bars than a single bar does, so it dries and warms a towel better. More bars means more hanging space, but output does not rise in step with the bar count: the Phoenix Five Flat Bar draws 35 watts and the Cromford draws 62. Compare the output on each product, not just the bar count.
Choosing the bar count
- 3 bars: the Thermogroup 3 Bar, 450mm high, for a short wall and one towel.
- 4 bars: the Thermogroup 4 Bar, 550mm by 550mm, for a small space and one or two towels.
- 5 bars: the Phoenix Wiltern and Five Flat Bar, about 750mm high, for a standard ensuite wall.
- 8 bars: the Thermogroup 8 Bar, 700mm or 1120mm high, for a tall narrow wall or a family bathroom.
Plug-in or hardwired
Whether a ladder plugs in decides who installs it. The Thermogroup 3 Bar and 4 Bar ladders have Multiflex wiring, with a connection on the left and the right, and they mount either way up. They can be hardwired or plugged in. The Phoenix ladders can also be hardwired or plugged in, with the cable leaving through the bottom right vertical tube. The 12V 4 Bar can only be hardwired, and it comes with a transformer. A rail that is hardwired needs an electrician, and a rail that plugs in needs a power point within reach of the lead. The 240V heated towel rails collection holds the mains-powered ladders, and the 12 volt heated towel rails collection holds the transformer-powered ones.
12V or 240V
- 240V ladders connect straight to mains power with no transformer. The Thermogroup 3 Bar and 4 Bar are safe in Zone 2 and the outside zones.
- 12V ladders run from a transformer. A 12V ladder can go anywhere in the bathroom, including Zone 1, as long as the transformer and any timer or switch are placed correctly. The transformer must sit outside Zone 2, within 2 metres of the rail, with adequate access and ventilation.
Heat is set by wattage, not voltage. A 12V ladder and a 240V ladder of the same size and wattage give off the same heat. The 12V 4 Bar is designed to heat up quickly and reach around 45 to 55 degrees.
Installing the ladder
Have a qualified electrician install and test the rail. For a Thermogroup ladder, these points apply:
- Mount it on a flat wall at least 600mm above the floor, with 300mm clear of permanent fixtures.
- Screw into studs where possible. On a hollow wall, use anchors suited to the load.
- Protect the rail with a suitably rated RCD circuit.
- Fit any timer or switch in the zone that suits its IP rating.
On a 550mm wall, the 300mm clearance from permanent fixtures decides the placement, so measure the free wall before choosing the ladder. A rail is hot to the touch, so supervise young children near it.
The Phoenix ladders
The Phoenix ladders are designed in Australia and sit with the matching Phoenix tapware, showers and accessories. The Wiltern follows the Art Deco era, with refined fluted lines and faceted handles. The Cromford has a plain design that suits a farmhouse or an industrial bathroom. The Radii has wide, flat surfaces with round or square shapes, and its 550mm size comes with a round plate or a square plate. The Five Flat Bar has flat bars at 550mm by 740mm. If the bathroom already has a Phoenix range, choose the ladder from the same range.
The Thermogroup ladders
The Thermogroup 4 Bar 550mm ladder is designed to heat up quickly and reach around 45 to 55 degrees, and it suits a small space and one towel. Its Multiflex wiring means a connection point on the right or the left, typically at the bottom, and the rail can be flipped so the connection is at the top. It is 304 grade stainless steel. The 3 Bar is 201 grade stainless steel. Both come with a fixing kit.
Which 550mm ladder suits which wall
- A short wall of about 450mm high: the Thermogroup 3 Bar.
- A small powder room or ensuite: the Thermogroup 4 Bar at 550mm by 550mm.
- A standard ensuite wall about 750mm high: a Phoenix Wiltern, Five Flat Bar or Radii.
- A narrow tall wall: the Thermogroup 8 Bar at 530mm by 1120mm.
- No wall to spare: the free standing 8 Bar at 590mm, or a swivel rail.
Finishes by family
| Ladder | Finishes |
|---|---|
| Thermogroup 4 Bar | Black, polished stainless steel, brushed brass, brushed nickel, gunmetal |
| Phoenix Cromford | Chrome, brushed gold, brushed nickel, brushed bronze, matte black |
| Phoenix Radii | Chrome, brushed nickel, brushed gold, brushed carbon, matte black |
| Phoenix Five Flat Bar | Chrome, brushed nickel, brushed gold, brushed carbon, matte black |
| Phoenix Wiltern | Brushed nickel, brushed gold, brushed carbon |
Switching and timers
A 240V ladder needs a wall switch or a timer, so decide where it will sit before the wiring is planned. The Thermogroup Eco Timer runs a 12-hour schedule, so the rail is on at the same time every morning and evening, for 1 to 11 hours at 50, 75 or 100 per cent heat. The TRTS touchscreen timers let you program each day on its own, set all seven days the same, or set one schedule for weekdays and another for the weekend, with a manual override for drying clothes. The Portrait Boost Timer gives a boost of 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours and then switches off.
Sizing and fixing
Measure the wall before the rail. Overall size is the footprint on the wall, and the fixing distance is the distance between the mounts. They are different numbers: the Phoenix Wiltern is 575mm wide overall. Set out the holes from the fixing distance, and leave clear wall above and below the rail so air moves around the towels. Check the lead length against the distance to the connection point: 1.3 metres on the Five Flat Bar and 1.4 metres on the Cromford and Radii.
What a 550mm ladder uses
Divide the rail's wattage by 1,000, then multiply by the hours it runs. A 33 watt 3 Bar running six hours a day uses 0.2 kilowatt-hours. A 41 watt 4 Bar uses 0.25, and a 62 watt Cromford or Radii uses 0.37. Left on for 24 hours the 41 watt 4 Bar uses 0.98 kilowatt-hours, four times as much. A rail should not run constantly, because heat builds up under the towel. A timer keeps the running hours to the ones that count. The Thermogroup Eco Timer sits behind the switch plate and runs a 12-hour schedule, and the controllers and thermostats and Thermogroup timers and thermostats collections hold the full range.
Finishes
The Thermogroup 4 Bar comes in black, polished stainless steel, brushed brass, brushed nickel and gunmetal. The Phoenix Cromford comes in chrome, brushed gold, brushed nickel, brushed bronze and matte black. The Radii, the Five Flat Bar and the Wiltern come in a similar range, including brushed carbon. The black, brushed nickel, brass and gold, chrome and gunmetal collections each narrow the choice.
Other widths
If the wall is narrower or wider, the narrow heated towel rails and 700mm to 799mm heated towel rails collections hold other sizes, and the heated towel rails collection compares every width, finish and voltage together.
How hot a ladder gets
A heated towel rail is not a radiator. A Thermogroup ladder is designed to reach around 45 to 55 degrees, which is enough to dry a towel and keep it warm. It does not heat the room, so a bathroom that needs warm air also needs a ceiling heater or underfloor heating, which the bathroom heating and ventilation collection covers.
Care
Clean the rail with a soft cloth and a non-abrasive cleaner, because harsh scrubbing and acid cleaners mark the surface. Do not hang anything on the rail that has been in contact with oil, petroleum products or dry cleaning fluids.
