Can you put a switch in a bathroom for your electric radiator?

A question that is asked a fair amount is 'Can you put a switch in the bathroom?'. By switch, what is meant is one that is like the one turning on and off your other lights (ie not a pull cord).

The quick and simple answer is no.

There are different zones in your house, these go from 0 to 2 and other areas as displayed below.



Zones explained

Zone 0 - IP68 submersible to 9 metres
Where items are able to withstand submission of 9 metres into water

Zone 1 - IP65 jetproof
Where items can withstand water being jetted towards them

Zone 2 - IP44 splashproof
Where items can withstand small splashes

Other areas
Areas where splashes of water will NOT occur


IP Rating explained:

First Digit: The first digit indicates the level of protection that the enclosure provides against access to hazardous parts (e.g. electrical conductors, moving parts) and the ingress of solid foreign objects.

Level 0 - No protection against contact and ingress of objects

Level 1 - Effective against any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part

Level 2 - Effective against fingers or similar sized objects

Level 3 - Effective against tools and thick wires etc.

Level 4 - Effective against most wires and screws etc.

Level 5 - Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; complete protection against contact

Level 6 - No ingress of dust; complete protection against contact

Second Digit: Protection of the equipment inside the enclosure against harmful ingress of water

Level 0 - Not protected

Level 1 - Dripping water (vertically falling drops) shall have no harmful effect

Level 2 - Vertically dripping water shall have no harmful effect when the enclosure is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees from its normal position

Level 3 - Water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60 degrees from the vertical shall have no harmful effect.

Level 4 - Water splashing against the enclosure in any direction shall have no harmful effect.

Level 5 - Water projected by a nozzle (water jet) against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect.

Level 6 - Water projected in powerful jets against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effects.

Level 7 - Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1m of submersion).

Level 8 - The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer.
NOTE: Normally, this will mean that the equipment is hermetically sealed. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that produces no harmful effects.

An IP rating of 68 is the most protected against water and ingress of solid foreign objects.

How does Dual Fuel differ from Electric Only?

There is a lot of confusion between how an electric only towel rail is different from a dual fuel towel rail.

To put it very simply, a dual fuel towel rail can be plumbed into the central heating system while also having the capability of running on an electric heating element, whereas an electric only towel rail is only capable of running from an electric heating element.

The most common situation for a dual fuel towel rail is where a home-owner wants the towel rail to heat towels when the central heating is on in the winter, but also have the capability of warming towel rails in the summer, using the element.

The electric only towel rail would be used on the electric system all year round. Usually these are fitted because the home-owner does not have the capacity to fit the towel rail to the central heating system and fitting the element is more convenient.

Below is a diagram of how a dual fuel system would look and work:

In contrast, the electric only would look like the following:

Items you would need in order to make a dual fuel towel rail include the following:

- The towel rail

- An electric element

- A set of valves (as seen in picture above, most often angled valves are used)

- 2 x T-pieces

- One blanking plug

Items you would need to fit an electric only towel rail include the following:

-The towel rail (this would need to arrive filled with a water based chemical fluid)

- An electric element

You may also need (for both):

- Fused spur and back box

- Timer