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—What you are noticing

The electric towel rail will not heat

A cold towel rail is usually a switch, a timer or the heating element — rarely the wiring in the wall.

An electric towel rail heats either by an element inside it or by a heating fluid warmed by an element. When it stops heating, the cause is usually the fused spur or switch feeding it, a timer that has been turned off, or the element or fluid inside the rail itself.

This guide describes what people notice and what is safe to do. It does not diagnose your installation; only someone who has seen it can.

The safe checks are at the switch, not inside the rail. Confirm the spur or switch is on, check whether a timer controls it and is still set, and note whether the rail is warm in one part and cold in another. The rail itself should be left to someone who works on electrics.

01In short

The points that matter most

  • Check the switch

    A fused spur or switch outside the bathroom can be off or its fuse gone.

  • Check the timer

    A timer that has been reset or run down stops the rail heating.

  • Warm in one part

    A rail warm at the bottom and cold at the top points at the element or fluid.

02Detail

What the cause usually is

  • Switch or fuse

    The spur is off, or its fuse has gone, so the rail receives no power.

  • Timer or programmer

    A timer that controls the rail has been reset or switched off.

  • Element or fluid

    The heating element or the fluid inside the rail has failed.

03Checklist

Before calling

  • Check the switch

    Whether the spur or switch feeding the rail is on.

  • Check the timer

    Whether a timer controls the rail and is still set.

  • Feel along the rail

    Whether it is warm in part, which points at the element or fluid.

—In practice

Putting it into practice

Check the switch, the fuse and any timer before the rail itself, because most cold towel rails are a supply or control problem. Feel along the rail: warmth in one part and cold in another points at the element or fluid. Leave the rail and its junction box to someone who works on electrics.

Common mistakes

Ignoring the timer
A timer that has been reset or run down is a common reason a rail stays cold. Check it before condemning the rail.
Opening the junction box
The element and the supply should be checked by someone who works on electrics, not opened by hand.

04Questions

Questions people ask

Why has the towel rail stopped heating?
Usually the switch or fuse feeding it, a timer that has been reset, or the element or fluid inside the rail. The switch is checked first.
Can I change the fuse myself?
You can change a fuse in a fused spur if you can do so safely and with the right rating. If it goes again, the rail or the wiring should be checked.
Why is the rail warm at the bottom only?
That usually points at the heating element or the fluid inside the rail, which is checked by someone who works on electrics.

05Related

Related guides

This guide sits under troubleshooting. All topics are on the guides page.

—NEXT

Towel rail staying cold?

Tell us whether the switch and timer are on. We will check the spur, the fuse and the rail itself.

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