Is an additional heater recommended in the bathroom with underfloor heating?

Hello everyone, we are currently planning our new house and have now reached the question of how we should install an additional quick heating option in our bathroom that reacts faster than the rather sluggish underfloor heating. The options under discussion are a fan heater (mounted on the wall) or an electric towel radiator. We are aware that both solutions have advantages and disadvantages, but this additional heater should only be used during the transitional period when the underfloor heating is not yet running or no longer running. The bathroom has a floor area of approx. 18 sqm (living space approx. 16 sqm due to the sloping roof). The installed heating system will be an air-water heat pump with a controlled ventilation system. Personally, I tend to prefer the towel radiator – but that is mainly for aesthetic reasons. What would you recommend to us? Best regards, Dirk

Hello Dirk,

... an electric towel radiator. We are aware that both solutions have advantages and disadvantages, but this additional heater is only supposed to be used during the transitional period, when the underfloor heating is not yet or no longer running. The bathroom has a floor area of about 18 sqm (living area about 16 sqm due to the sloping roof).[...] Personally, I tend to prefer the towel radiator - but that is mostly for aesthetic reasons.

YMMD! A towel radiator as a transitional heater. As the name of the radiator already says, it is intended for a specific use; nothing more and nothing less – you cannot really "heat" with it.

Have you ever thought that you will likely set the temperature of the bathroom higher than that of the other rooms, which are certainly also individually controllable by thermostats? That the temperature sensor of the heat generator is connected to an outdoor sensor and switches on or off according to the outside temperature? Leaving well enough alone once the system is regulated and thus outsmarting the slight inertia of an underfloor heating? That you save real money if you don’t keep turning the thermostats and don’t switch off the heating over summer?

A towel radiator looks nice and warms the towels; a nice gimmick, nothing more.

Rhenish greetings

Hello construction expert,

Thank you for the quick response.

The higher-level regulation for the bathroom is already clear, however, our house provider installs an electric fan heater as standard for the underfloor heating, which can also be replaced by a (surcharge-required) towel radiator.

I would also see the towel radiator more as a nice gimmick, whereas I find an electric fan heater terribly old-fashioned...

Regards,

Dirk

Without a fan heater it gets cold - our towel radiator doesn’t really manage to warm the bathroom - but it uses a hell of a lot of electricity. We have the same system technology as you.

Hello Dirk,

... however, with our house provider, a fan heater is installed as standard for underfloor heating,

He should actually know that the continuous use of fan heaters consumes a lot of electricity

which can also be replaced by the (chargeable) heated towel rail.

A simple fan heater - nowadays there are also more modern models that look like a speaker - costs around €50. The heated towel rail - depending on the provider, power, and size - also starts at €50 and can go upwards.

If I were you, I would remove it entirely, unless you appreciate preheated towels. I don't see cleaning as my hobby and this thing is just another obstacle.

Rhenish regards

What would you recommend to us?

Demand-controlled infrared heaters. Best regards.