Towel rail does not heat up

[Linda876]

When the heating is turned on, all the radiators in the flat is on. But the towel rail in the bathroom does not heat up. I have a combi boiler. Photos of towel rail are attached.

Looking at the towel rail - there's a wire coming out of it at the bottom but no valves(?). I'm confused and wonder if the rail is even connected to anything?

Thanks in advance

 

[JohnD]

I see no pipes attached to it, so it must be an electrically heated one. This might have been done to save on plumbing work, or perhaps so it could be heated when the CH was turned off.

The switch for it might be on the other side of the wall where you see the electrical outlet. Or the cable might go into the floor and emerge at some convenient (or inconvenient) point. It might be close to the bathroom door. It could be inside the bathroom, as long as it is away from the fixed bath or shower, or perhaps hidden in a cupboard.

It will most likely be a switched, fused, conection unit, preferably with an indicating neon.

example

it might be on a timer. Some low-power rails can be wired to a lighting circuit, and might come on with the light switch, or the extractor fan.

It's possible that some previous occupant disabled it because they were enraged by the cost of electrical heating (about four times as expensive as gas). Unfortunately, unless you have having work done on the central heating, it will be quite expensive to plumb in a radiator or rail and will perhaps involve taking the floor up.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

It's simply an electric towel rail, no connection to the heating system. Allows towels to be warmed when heating is not required. Look for an electrical switch in an adjacent room or cupboard, (for safety reasons only Pull Cord switches are allowed in Bathrooms, this will probably have a wall mounted switch outside the room.)

 

[JohnD]

(for safety reasons only Pull Cord switches are allowed in Bathrooms, this will probably have a wall mounted switch outside the room.)

sorry, this is not correct . Switches, but not* sockets, are permitted outside the zones. Very commonly there will be an isolating switch for the extractor fan, mounted above zone 1 or zone 2.

zones are measured from a fixed bath or shower. There are no zones caused by proximity to a WC or washbasin.

Useful briefing paper

Very annoyingly, the official document is copyright and expensive so I can't provide it.

*not usually (edited)

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

sorry, this is not correct . Switches, but not sockets, are permitted outside the zones.

zones are measured from a fixed bath or shower. There are no zones caused by proximity to a WC or washbasin.

Actually sockets are permitted provided they are 3 metres away from a bath or shower, but given the distances involved, few bathrooms are big enough to permit installation, and doing so is not recommended by many due to risk of electrical appliances being used outside the safe zones. Likewise, a wall mounted lightswitch has the risk of someone using it with wet hands, so again isn't recommended. Vast majority of Bathroom installations are Pull Cord switches for these reasons.

 

[JohnD]

for these reasons.

or perhaps because people are repeatedly (wrongly) told "only Pull Cord switches are allowed in Bathrooms"

 

[flameport]

Likewise, a wall mounted lightswitch has the risk of someone using it with wet hands

Doesn't happen and no danger would occur even if they did.

Vast majority of Bathroom installations are Pull Cord switches for these reasons.

Pull cords are installed in bathrooms because unthinking individuals are still relying on dubious guidance published decades ago that was written by people who didn't know what they were doing.

Wall mounted light switches have always been permitted in bathrooms. Pull cord light switches have never been required.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I stand corrected, only going on information I have been given over the years by others.

 

[Linda876]

Thanks for the clarification. There is a switch located just outside the bathroom. Ran some tests;

1. Turned the switch on
2. Turned the switch on and bathroom light on
Changed the fuse in the switch and retested 1 and 2. For all scenarios I left it running for 15 mins to 30 mins and there were no heat generated.

Does it sounds like it has been disabled completely?

 

[kidgreen61]

The element may have died, you need someone to rest it for you, starting with finding out if it has a supply.