Nero heated towel rails buying guide
Nero heated towel rails here are dry electric rails in 304 stainless steel with a coloured finish, and they are made to sit with Nero tapware, showers and accessories. For most bathrooms the right call is to choose the shape first: a 7 bar ladder for a family bathroom, a single horizontal bar for a low wall, or a vertical rail for a narrow one. Then choose the voltage and the finish. This guide sets out the rails in this collection with their real specifications.
The Nero rails in this collection
| Rail | Size | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecca 240V 7 Bar ladder | 600mm wide, 800mm high, 122mm deep | 240V, 80 watts, IP55 | Surface mounted or recessed, cable from the left or right, concealed wiring at the top or bottom mounting position |
| Mecca 240V single rail | 632mm long, 90mm projection | 240V, 15 watts, IP55 | Multiflex concealed hardwired wiring, 1.5 metre lead |
| Bianca 240V single rail | 632mm wide, 40mm high, 70mm deep, fixing distance 592mm | 240V, 15 watts, IP55 | Multiflex concealed hardwired wiring, 1.5 metre lead |
| Heated vertical rail, 12V | 142mm wide, 900mm high, 100mm deep | 12V, 30 watts, IP55 | Integrated on and off switch, transformer and hook included, hardwired by a licensed electrician |
The Mecca ladder suits a standard bathroom wall, and it is the rail to choose when several towels hang at once. A ladder gives a towel more contact with the heated bars than a single bar does, so it dries and warms a towel better. The single Mecca and Bianca rails are one bar each, so use one bar per towel, and fit two or three side by side if more towels hang at once. The single bar heated towel rails collection holds single bars from every brand.
Mecca or Bianca
The Mecca and Bianca single rails are the same length, 632mm, and the same output, 15 watts. They differ in profile. The Bianca is a flat 40mm bar that projects 70mm from the wall, and the Mecca projects 90mm. If wall clearance is tight, measure the projection against the space between the wall and the door, the vanity or the toilet. Both have Multiflex concealed wiring and come with a connection wire leg kit and a 1.5 metre power cord.
12V or 240V
- 240V rails connect straight to mains power with no transformer. The Mecca ladder and the Mecca and Bianca singles are 240V. The 240V heated towel rails collection holds mains-powered rails from every brand.
- 12V rails run from a transformer. The Nero heated vertical rail is 12V, and the 12V transformer is in the box with it. It is hardwired only, by a licensed electrician. The 12 volt heated towel rails collection holds the full range.
Settle the voltage before the wall is set out, because it decides where the cable and the transformer have to end up.
Finishes
Nero offers the Mecca and Bianca rails in a wide set of finishes, so the rail can match the tapware already in the room:
| Finish | Where to see it |
|---|---|
| Brushed nickel | Brushed nickel heated towel rails |
| Chrome | Chrome heated towel rails |
| Matte black | Black heated towel rails |
| Gun metal | Gunmetal heated towel rails |
| Brushed gold and brushed bronze | Brass and gold heated towel rails |
| Matte white | White heated towel rails |
The Mecca ladder comes in chrome, matte black, brushed nickel, gun metal, brushed bronze, brushed gold and graphite. The Mecca and Bianca singles come in chrome, matte black, brushed gold, gun metal, brushed bronze and brushed nickel, and the Mecca single also comes in graphite. The coloured finishes are PVD on 304 stainless steel, and the matte white vertical rail is powder coated. The 12V vertical rail also comes in brushed bronze, brushed gold and graphite.
Nero's Zen range is made from marine grade stainless steel and is the range to look at for a coastal bathroom. It is available in all the same colours.
Wiring and installation
- The Mecca ladder has concealed wiring at the top or bottom mounting position, and the power cable can connect from the left or the right. It can be surface mounted or recessed.
- The Mecca and Bianca singles have Multiflex wiring, which is concealed and hardwired, with a 1.5 metre power cord and a connection wire leg kit in the box.
- The 12V vertical rail has an integrated on and off switch, and the cable exits through the bottom mount. The box includes the transformer, a wired and a non-wired mounting bracket, wall plugs, screws, an Allen key, the connection wire leg kit and a hook.
Have a licensed electrician connect the rail. Fix to a flat wall, use anchors suited to the load on a hollow wall, and set out the holes from the fixing distance, not the overall width. The Mecca ladder has a fixing distance of 568mm left to right and 600mm top to bottom, and the Bianca fixing distance is 592mm.
Sizing the rail to the wall
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 Mecca ladder is 600mm wide, and its fixing centres are 568mm across. Leave clear wall above and below the rail so air moves around the towels. For one towel in a narrow space, the 900mm vertical rail is the right size. For a standard wall, the 7 bar ladder at 800mm high is the usual choice. For a low wall, such as under a window or above a vanity, a 632mm single bar fits.
How much power a Nero rail uses
Divide the rail's wattage by 1,000, then multiply by the hours it runs. A 15 watt single rail running six hours a day uses 0.09 kilowatt-hours. A 30 watt vertical rail uses 0.18, and an 80 watt Mecca ladder uses 0.48. Three 15 watt rails in a set use 0.27 over the same six hours. Left on for 24 hours the 80 watt ladder uses 1.92 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, and the Nero 12V vertical rail has an integrated switch on the rail. The controllers and thermostats and Thermogroup timers and thermostats collections hold timers that match the rail.
Ladder or single rails
| Wall and use | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A family bathroom with a clear 600mm wall | Mecca 7 Bar ladder | Seven heated bars, 80 watts, and the most contact with the towels |
| A narrow wall beside a door or vanity | 12V vertical rail, 142mm wide | One 900mm bar, a hook in the box and a switch on the rail |
| A low wall under a window | Mecca or Bianca single, 632mm | One bar at 15 watts, and two or three can be stacked |
| A wall where projection matters | Bianca single, 70mm projection | The flat profile sits closer to the wall than the Mecca at 90mm |
The numbers make the trade-off plain. Three 15 watt single rails draw 45 watts in total and give three bars. One 80 watt ladder gives seven bars and draws 80 watts, so for drying towels a ladder gives more bars per watt than a stack of singles, and the stack gives more freedom in how the rails are laid out.
Running time and load
| Rail | Watts | 3 hours | 6 hours | 24 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecca or Bianca single | 15 | 0.045 kWh | 0.09 kWh | 0.36 kWh |
| 12V vertical rail | 30 | 0.09 kWh | 0.18 kWh | 0.72 kWh |
| Mecca 7 Bar ladder | 80 | 0.24 kWh | 0.48 kWh | 1.92 kWh |
How a set of rails is planned
If you fit more than one single rail, decide the layout on the wall before the wiring is run. Each rail needs its own connection, so the cable position, the lead length of 1.5 metres and the spacing between bars all have to be set before the wall is lined. Keep clear wall above and below the set so air moves around the towels.
Lead length and what is in the box
The 240V Mecca and Bianca rails and the Mecca ladder have a 1.5 metre lead, and the 12V vertical rail has a 1.3 metre lead, so check the distance from the rail to the connection point before you order. The ladder and the singles arrive with a 1.5 metre power cord and a connection wire leg kit. The 12V vertical rail arrives with its transformer, mounting brackets, wall plugs, countersunk and machine screws, grub screws, an Allen key and a hook.
Placement and rating
Every Nero rail here is IP55. Check that rating against the spot you have in mind and confirm the position with your electrician, because the rating and the bathroom electrical zones together set where a rail can sit.
Caring for the finish
Clean the rail with a soft cloth and a non-abrasive cleaner, because harsh scrubbing and acid cleaners mark a stainless steel surface. A rail is hot to the touch, so supervise young children near it.
Are Nero heated towel rails worth it?
For a household that showers daily, yes. A rail dries a wet towel and keeps it warm for the next use, which also cuts the damp smell that builds up on a towel left wet. The running load in this collection is small, from 15 to 80 watts.
Where to go next
The heated towel rails collection compares every brand, finish and voltage together.
