BTU Calculators

metricspaces

Has anyone experience with using BTU calculators for bathrooms and then purchasing a towel rail to match the BTU value calculated? Did the towel rail work out to be warm enough to heat the room?

I am in the process of looking for a towel rail to buy for my bathroom. I've read many reports about people saying the heat from them is not great, and chrome are the worst. I am going for a chrome one. So I am concerned about not having enough heat.

I have one bathroom that is 1.75m x 1.8m x 2.4m. One window (skylight) at 0.7sqm. Only one external wall, it is not north facing. Timber frame construction house, A3 rated. Timber floor and insulated attic above. Room below is heated.

I used http://www.bestheating.ie/btu-calculator to calculate the BTU and I get 1200. I was planning on getting a 1512x600 chrome rail that has 25mm diameter pipes and claims to have a BTU of 2529 http://www.mylifebathrooms.com/Products/View/3/Product/728/ProductCategory/350

Based on the BTU calculator this towel rail would be far too much for my room - but wondering in reality how accurate is (a) the calculator (b) the claimed BTU value of the towel rail.

Pete67

Don't forget that if they are covered with towels, they are effectively insulated so their heat output will be very much reduced.

metricspaces

Thanks. Definitely that's a consideration. So maybe a good idea to go for higher BTU than calculator suggests?

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has experience of calculating BTU figures and then buying towel rail. How did it work out in reality?

Anyone who has worked on a new build house I guess would have to calculate these BTU figures and show the towel rail meets to BTU requirements in order to get energy rating for the house?

Wearb

Do you have room for a rad as well. I retro fitted a towel rail and turned off the existing rad. It didn't stay off too long. Hard to have a bathroom too warm, especially when you are 2nd, 3rd, or 4th into the bathroom with the rail full or half full of wet towels.

metricspaces

I've only room for the towel rail unfortunately.

I could go for the larger BTU rated rail and put a TRV on it. That way if it's too warm i can turn it down.

If I go for a lower BTU and it turns out to be too cold I'll need to buy a 2nd warmer rail and pay 2nd time for plumber to fit.

wiz569

It will also depend on whether your boiler is outputting enough BTU's to allow for it.

Tommy Ferguson

Wearb wrote: »

Do you have room for a rad as well. I retro fitted a towel rail and turned off the existing rad. It didn't stay off too long. Hard to have a bathroom too warm, especially when you are 2nd, 3rd, or 4th into the bathroom with the rail full or half full of wet towels.

A towel rail unless You seriously over size it will do as a rad.

metricspaces

Tommy Ferguson wrote: »

A towel rail unless You seriously over size it will do as a rad.

Is a towel rail of BTU 2529 seriously over sizing for a room calculated to required BTU of 1200?

metricspaces

Has anyone on here got direct experience with using BTU calculators to determine BTU for a room and then choosing a radiator\rail based on that figure? I would have thought it would be quite common, how else are people deciding what size radiator\towel rail to put in a room?

j@utis

I know this is an old topic but it came up of my google search, so here's my 2p:

- our bathroom is ~8 m2 (2.25m ceiling height) with one smallish window and one narrow (1m) external wall (L-shaped room)
- house is B1, standard timber floor and insulated attic
- BTU calculator mentioned above comes up with 1800BTUs required to heat the bathroom

We have two towel rails installed, total of 4400BTUs output, running off central heating, partially covered with towels, yes I know, but they're towel rails after all. One hour worth of heating gets the rest of the house ROASTING but bathroom remains FREEZING. We're considering installing taller towel rails to combat the problem.

jimf

j@utis wrote: »

I know this is an old topic but it came up of my google search, so here's my 2p:

- our bathroom is ~8 m2 (2.25m ceiling height) with one smallish window and one narrow (1m) external wall (L-shaped room)
- house is B1, standard timber floor and insulated attic
- BTU calculator mentioned above comes up with 1800BTUs required to heat the bathroom

We have two towel rails installed, total of 4400BTUs output, running off central heating, partially covered with towels, yes I know, but they're towel rails after all. One hour worth of heating gets the rest of the house ROASTING but bathroom remains FREEZING. We're considering installing taller towel rails to combat the problem.

imho the bigger the rail the more clothes /towels that will be piled on it

wiz569

Do the two towel rails get as hot as the rads in other rooms?
If you remove towels does the room then get hot enough?

metricspaces

wiz569 wrote: »

Do the two towel rails get as hot as the rads in other rooms?
If you remove towels does the room then get hot enough?

That depends on whether they have the same BTU figures at the same temperature.

andybookie

I have a really confusing BTU situation if anyone in this thread could help?
https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057915929

wiz569

metricspaces wrote: »

That depends on whether they have the same BTU figures at the same temperature.

I meant in a relative sense, in other words are they heating properly and if so does removing the towels help,

If not then he can move on to the next step.

j@utis

wiz569 wrote: »

Do the two towel rails get as hot as the rads in other rooms?
If you remove towels does the room then get hot enough?

1.yes, they get as hot as other radiators.
2. I'm yet to test that as I really don't want towels hanging around the house.

wiz569

j@utis wrote: »

1.yes, they get as hot as other radiators.
2. I'm yet to test that as I really don't want towels hanging around the house.

OK so we know the towel rails are working properly, relatively speaking


If the room is warm enough without the towels then you will need bigger rails to allow for the insulation effect from towels,


If its still cold then there might be an insulation/draught problem in the bathroom or the original BTU calculation was incorrect.