24 hour emergency call-out07413 385767
Answered 7 days a week, day or night
Case study · Radiators · Rowley Regis, Dudley
A towel radiator replaced in Rowley Regis: tired white curved rail out, new chrome ladder rail in, on the same pipework
A straightforward swap done tidily: the old rail drained and off, the new one hung and connected to the existing valves, system refilled, dosed and bled.
A customer in Rowley Regis asked us to replace the towel radiator in their bathroom. The old one was a white curved rail that had gone tired and scuffed, and they wanted a chrome ladder rail in its place. We isolated and drained the old rail, took it off the wall, hung the new rail on fresh brackets, connected it to the existing valves and pipework, then refilled the system, dosed it with inhibitor and bled the rail and the radiators. One visit, a bathroom that looks right, and a towel rail that gets hot.
Request a quote
Four details and we will get back to you to arrange a time. Prefer to talk? Call 07413 385767.
New TRV £125 for the first radiator and £55 for each extra one on the same visit. Like-for-like radiator swap £175 labour.
No travel charge within 10 miles of B20 2JS. Further out, £2 per mile may apply — always agreed before anything is booked. Full price list
Smell gas now? Do not use this form or wait for a reply. Call the National Gas Emergency Service free on 0800 111 999 (24 hours). If you are using a mobile, make the call from outside. Open doors and windows, do not switch electrics on or off, do not smoke or use naked flames, and turn the gas off at the meter if it is safe to do so, unless the meter is in a cellar or basement. Once the supply has been made safe, we can trace and repair the fault.
BeforeThe old white curved towel rail. Working, but scuffed, marked and past its best.AfterThe new chrome ladder rail on the same wall and the same pipework, with the inhibitor going in on refill.
The job
Towel radiators are one of the most-asked-for small jobs we do. They live in the dampest room in the house, they get knocked, and the white ones in particular start to look tired long before they stop working. This customer in Rowley Regis had a white curved rail that had reached that point, and wanted a chrome ladder rail in its place.
What we did
We isolated the rail at its valves, drained it down into a container so nothing went on the floor, and took it off the wall. The new rail went up on fresh brackets, level and square to the tiles, and was connected to the existing valves and pipework, which saves cutting into the wall or the floor. Then the system was refilled, dosed with inhibitor to protect the new rail and the rest of the system from corrosion, and bled at the rail and the radiators so there was no air left in it.
The whole thing was one visit and no disruption beyond a dust sheet. The customer got the bathroom they wanted.
Getting a towel rail swap right
The swap itself is simple. The things that separate a good one from a bad one are the details. A rail that matches the old pipe centres goes onto the existing valves without alterations, so we check the sizes before we buy or before you do. Chrome rails give out less heat than white ones of the same size, so in a bathroom that relies on the rail for warmth it is worth going a size up or checking the output. And a system that has been opened and refilled needs inhibitor putting back, because a new rail in untreated water starts corroding from day one.
If you are buying the rail yourself, send us a photo of the old one and the measurement between the valve centres, and we will tell you what will fit.
What it costs
Replacing a radiator or towel rail like for like on the existing pipework is £175 labour. If the new rail needs the pipework moving, or you would like us to supply it, we quote it first. Fitting a thermostatic valve at the same time, so the rail can be turned down in summer, is £125 for the first valve. Full details are on our radiators and valves page.
Common questions
Can a new towel rail go on the old pipework?
Usually, yes. Most towel rails come in standard widths, so a new one of the same width connects to the existing valves without touching the wall or floor. If you want a different width or height, the pipework has to move, which is a bigger job. Send us the measurement between the two valves and we will tell you what fits.
Do you supply the towel rail or do I buy it?
Either. Many customers choose their own rail and we fit it. If you would rather we supplied it, tell us the size, the finish and roughly the style, and we will quote for supply and fit together.
Does a chrome towel rail give out as much heat as a white one?
No. Chrome rails of the same size give out noticeably less heat than painted ones, because of the finish. In a bathroom that relies on the rail for warmth, go a size larger or check the heat output before you buy. We can advise when you send the photo.
Why add inhibitor when you fit a radiator?
Opening the system to change a rail means draining part of it and refilling with fresh water. Fresh water with no inhibitor starts corroding steel radiators and towel rails straight away. Dosing the system on refill protects the new rail and everything else, and it is part of the job rather than an extra.
Job attended and photographed by our engineers in Rowley Regis, March 2026. Written up by Saeed Iqbal, the engineer who leads Synergy Gas & Plumbing (Gas Safe registered 594385). More recent jobs in the area are on our Dudley page, and every job we write up is on the case studies index.
What it costs
Updated Sept 2026
TRV from £125
New TRV £125 for the first radiator and £55 for each extra one on the same visit. Like-for-like radiator swap £175 labour.
No travel charge within 10 miles of B20 2JS. Further out, £2 per mile may apply — always agreed before anything is booked.
Heat exchanger stripped and cleaned on a Viessmann that is showing its age, then the Tempest cylinder serviced on the same visit. Customer given a straight view on when to start planning a replacement boiler.
A London landlord booked online for a tenant with no hot water from an Intatec Hiper HIU. The pressure independent control valve was sticking and the strainer behind it was seized and packed with dirt. Freed, stripped, cleaned and refitted; a new valve booked for a return visit.
The main heat exchanger had failed on a boiler that had done 17 years, so the numbers pointed one way. Like-for-like swap into the same cupboard, Worcester magnetic filter fitted, system dosed, guarantee registered.