ᐅ Are towel warmers necessary or optional?

We don’t have one, but as a precaution, we had an outlet installed where a towel radiator would normally be placed. We have now been living without a towel radiator for 9 months, and it looks like this will continue. It feels like stepping out of a water park shower and having to get dressed. One person feels freezing, while another doesn’t mind because they dry off and get dressed quickly.

Shiny86 schrieb:

@Curly
So, do you really need a heated towel rail or not?

No, you don’t need one. In our case, both bathrooms (including the small children’s bathroom) are about 23–24°C (73–75°F), which is comfortable for us. The towels also dry quickly because the bathroom ventilation keeps the air from becoming humid.

Best regards,
Sabine

Curly schrieb:

No, you don’t need it. In both of our bathrooms (including the small children's bathroom), the temperature is around 23–24°C (73–75°F), and that’s enough for us. The towels also dry very quickly since the exhaust air keeps the bathroom from getting humid.

It depends... A heating system is always designed based on an outdoor temperature, and a bathroom as the warmest room should, as far as I recall, be able to reach at least 23°C (73°F).

And if you live in Nuremberg or even better: on the Swabian Alb at about 700 meters (2,300 feet), then on some days with -14°C (7°F) outside it might be tight, because the heating engineer will size your system for exactly that:

If they can’t do it because you don’t want an additional radiator, then they MUST raise concerns with you. Otherwise, if you later complain in winter that the bathroom is too cold, they have the upper hand and can be held liable!

On the other hand, if you don’t mind this or are willing to accept it (or maybe just use a portable heater for a few days every few years), then you can probably skip the towel radiator with its relatively low output! You would just sign that the installer raised concerns and you acknowledged them. Having an extra outlet in an easily accessible place for a small 500-watt (continuous use in deep winter) to 1000-watt (for quick heating) portable heater for your 4 m² (43 sq ft) bathroom shouldn’t use much electricity and would be perfectly sufficient when needed.

Simply use the walls and, if necessary, the ceiling as heating surfaces. And the heating engineer will just bypass the whole issue by raising the supply temperature high enough. There is no liability for claims.
So, in conclusion: nobody needs a riser ladder.

I estimate that over 99% of people live without a towel warmer in the bathroom – it is really not an absolute necessity. It is comfortable to have, and if planned from the start, it is not a major cost factor. If space is limited: have the wiring installed for connection and then install a bathroom radiator yourself – the total cost stays under €300 and it requires very little DIY skill.

We have a towel radiator (as the only heat source) and find it very practical. Not only for hanging and drying towels and the children’s washcloths. Since we would have needed a regular radiator otherwise, it was also the better option visually. I think I would always want something like this in a main bathroom.