Towel rails with cold spots at the top need a simple maintenance task that takes minutes and costs less than £1
Heated towel rails have revolutionised bathrooms, offering warm and dry towels at your convenience. However, if you’ve noticed cold spots at the top of your rail, similar to what I experienced, then something might be amiss.
I place my hand towel on the top rack of my rail, but it started feeling noticeably colder than the rest. Upon inspection, I realised the heat stopped halfway up the rail.
Rather than immediately calling a plumber, I decided to attempt fixing it myself and, to my astonishment, I discovered an effective solution. I usually bleed my radiators when I detect cold spots, so I thought to apply the same method to my towel rail.
If you find that your towel rail is warm at the bottom but cold at the top, it likely needs bleeding. Many may not be aware, but towel rails operate in the same way as standard radiators.
All you require is a cup, an old cloth, and a radiator bleed key, which can be purchased for as little as 97p from Screwfix. Don’t hesitate to try this yourself; it’s so straightforward that you’ll wonder why you ever had reservations about attempting it, reports the Express.
Bleeding a towel rail
1. To get your towel rail hot again, you just need a cup, an old towel and the radiator bleed key or a flat screwdriver.
2. Turn your heating off and let the rail cool down.
3. Find the valve on your towel rail. Mine is at the top.
4. Place your radiator bleed key or flat screwdriver on the valve and undo it slightly. You will hear a hissing noise, which is all the trapped air escaping.
5. The rail will start to fill up with water. When water starts to come out of the valve, tighten it. Use your cup to catch and escaped water and the towel to dry things off.
6. Turn your heating back on, and your towel rail should now heat up all the way to the top.
The first time I bled my towel rail, I was astounded by the immediate results. The heat promptly returned to the top of the rail.
Experts advise bleeding your towel rails at least once a year. It’s particularly recommended to do this at the end of summer, especially if you’ve had it switched off during the warmer months.
Bleeding a towel rail will release trapped air that prevents the hot air from circulating, which can cause cold spots, typically at the top of the rail.
Not only will cold spots be an issue, but leaving them like this results in inefficient heating, higher energy bills and noisy pipes. However, once you have bled your towel rail, you can enjoy those nice warm towels once again.
