Towel warmer installation – water-heated and electric

Water-heated or electric?

A water-heated towel warmer heats up from the water circulating through it. In blocks of flats, it is usually connected to the domestic hot water circulation pipe, so it stays warm all year round. In a detached house, it can also be connected to a water-based heating system, but then it only heats up during the heating season.

An electric towel warmer is not connected to the water pipes, so it suits places where there is no water connection nearby. A plug-in model can be fixed to the wall and plugged into a socket suitable for wet rooms. A hard-wired towel warmer and a new socket are always an electrician's job, and there are strict requirements for where sockets may be placed in a wet room.

A dual-fuel towel warmer has both water circulation and an electric heating element, which lets you heat it in summer too. The water connections are done by a plumber and the hard-wiring of the element by an electrician.

How a water-heated towel warmer is installed

Choose a spot where the towels can be reached from the shower but the towel warmer is not in the way of the door or shower screen. When a towel warmer is replaced in the same spot, the existing pipes determine its position.

The towel warmer is fixed to the wall, the holes drilled in the tiles are sealed and the towel warmer is connected to the pipework. The fixings are chosen to suit the wall, as masonry and plasterboard walls need different fixings. It is worth fitting shut-off valves on the connections, so the towel warmer can later be removed without shutting off the water to the whole flat or riser.

Finally, the towel warmer is bled, the joints are checked and we make sure it heats up. If it stays cool even after bleeding, the cause may be the flow in the circulation pipe, and adjusting it is agreed with the housing company (taloyhtiö). A towel warmer connected to the heating can be bled much like a radiator – see how to bleed a radiator.

Replacing an old towel warmer is easiest when the new model's connection spacing and the direction of its connections match the old one. Otherwise the pipes have to be modified, which adds to the work.

In a block of flats or terraced house

The domestic hot water circulation and the heating system are usually the housing company's responsibility. That is why a renovation notice (muutostyöilmoitus) is submitted to the property manager (isännöitsijä) before a water-heated towel warmer is installed or replaced, and the housing company can set conditions for the work. Our guide to the renovation notice explains the process.

In terraced houses, the heating and water systems may be either shared or specific to each home, so check the division of responsibilities before ordering the work.

The water shut-off is arranged with the maintenance company (huoltoyhtiö) if your flat has no shut-off valves of its own. A towel warmer connected to the domestic hot water circulation must be suitable for domestic water, so check this in the product details before buying.

If your housing company has a pipe renovation (linjasaneeraus) coming up, first find out whether it includes replacing towel warmers. If it does, it usually makes sense to leave your own replacement until the renovation.

What affects the price

Towel warmer installation is priced as a quote. The price depends on the type of towel warmer, whether an old one is being replaced or a completely new connection is made, any pipe modifications needed and the valves required. Extra fittings and hoses are charged separately.

You can buy the towel warmer yourself, but check the connection spacing before buying – the wrong measurement often means extra work. You can claim the household tax credit (kotitalousvähennys) for the labour part, but not in a housing company if the towel warmer is the company's maintenance responsibility.

If there is other work to do in the bathroom, such as shower screen installation, several jobs can be done during the same visit. If other changes are needed to the heating system, see also radiator installation.