What are Oil Filled Radiators?

Oil-filled Radiators are also known as Oil-filled heater, Oil-filled panel heater, or column heater, they are a common form of convection heater which is used in domestic heating. It is filled with oil and oil is used as a heat reservoir, not as a fuel, oil-filled radiators are electrically heated.

How Do Oil Filled Radiators Work?

Electric oil-filled radiators have metal columns with cavities that allow heat transfer freely around the heater. It works by using an electrical heating element to heat the reservoir of thermal oil inside the unit.  The electrical heating element is fully submerged within the oil, and the heating element heats the oil, which transfers heat to the metal wall through convection then through the walls via conduction, and again to the surroundings by air convection and thermal radiation.

The oil-filled radiators with central heating models also use a heated liquid to transfer warmth across the surface of the appliance. The only difference is that an oil-filled radiator uses its internal heating element to warm the liquid inside, while the central heating radiator uses a boiler to warm up externally to the appliance and depends on an interconnected system of pipes.

The heating element which is used in an oil-filled radiator is just like a coil of metal protected wire inserted into the base. When the electric current is supplied into the radiator, the electrons bump together and move through the narrow length of wire, creating friction and heat as they move. And when the wire heats the oil, the warmth is transferred to the radiator body, and then heats the room by air convection method. The working process may vary from manufacturers to manufactures but the basic process will always be alike.

How long Do Oil Filled Radiators Stay Warm?

Generally, Oil Filled Radiators take time to warm up and the same in the cooling down process, it also takes time. How long an oil-filled radiator stays warm, it depends on the external temperature, it may stay warm from an hour and a half to two and a half hours. The main reason for stay warm is the diathermic oil that is used to evenly distribute the heat to the surroundings. It has a great capacity to absorb a lot of heat without rising in temperature, that’s why it can radiate out heat for a long time without cooling down.

How long do oil-filled radiators last?

The durability of an oil-filled radiator is directly proportional to the internal temperature of the radiator’s heating element. These elements are used to heat the oil in the radiator. As time passed, the protected coil will diffuse out to the surface of the wire and its oxidization started. Which may become the result of oxidization and your oil filled radiators won’t last long. So for long-lasting performance, keep the coil temperature remains between 750-1000 F throughout its operation, then the oil filled radiators can last anywhere from 16-20 years.

Another concern is, if your oil filled panel heater is constantly exposed to mishandling or it is switched on or off repeatedly without being given time to cool down, it will lose its durability faster. So, if you use your oil filled heater in the right way, it will be long-lasting.

Are Oil Filled Radiators cheaper to run?

Yeah, Oil Filled Radiators are cheaper to run. Usually, Oil Filled Radiators are energy efficient and the biggest advantage of an oil-filled panel heater is their portability, it heats those parts or areas of your house, where another conventional heater can’t heat. The Oil-filled heaters are up to 99% energy-efficient, it directly converts all the electric energy into heat energy without any losses. Its thermostat, timer, and adjustable heating modes consume less than one percent of the heater’s energy needs.

Oil-filled Radiators or Panel heaters are the ideal heating solution for those who are concerned about the more energy costs and also provide much more longer-lasting heated surroundings and take hours to cool down.

Are Oil Filled Radiators Good?

Oil Filled Radiators is good to use, it is a valuable and efficient way of heating any area. Oil-filled electric radiators offer a wide range of designs and styles but the one thing which is common in all, they all are the perfect solution for heating your home.

If you are not sure that oil-filled radiators are good or not, here we will discuss the benefits of oil-filled electric radiators.

Benefits of Oil Filled Electric Radiators

There are lots of benefits of using an oil-filled electric radiator, they are the following:

• Good Thermal Retention Capacity

It doesn’t matter which type or what style of oil-filled panel heater or radiator you have, you will get that they all are designed to heat the surroundings by using the same basic principle. These radiators warm up the thermal fluid or oil within the unit and transfer the heat out into the room and warm up the surrounding air. They take longer to heat up in compared to a wire element but it has a good thermal retaining capacity which allows the inside fluid to cool slowly and keep your room or surroundings warm for longer.

• Cheaper Running Costs

Oil-filled electric radiators have good heat retention capacity which makes it more energy-efficient and ultimately cost less to run. And if you use fixed oil-filled radiators with modern and advanced digital programming, you can save more on bills. Fixed oil-filled electric panel heaters also come with precision digital thermostats, which prevents your room or surroundings from being overheated. So, the heat retention properties of oil-filled heaters make it cost-effective.

• Available in Both the Portable & Fixed Options

Oil-filled heaters are available in portable and fixed options. Portable models are convenient to move from one place to another, it means you can easily carry it from one room to another in your home or also where you need it. portable oil-filled radiators are excellent for on-demand warmth and also for heat retention.

If you want to heat a specific area of your home, you can choose the fixed oil-filled radiators, they also have thermal retention properties and saves more electricity cost than a portable one.

• Ensures Safety

Electric Oil Filled Radiators come with safety features like overheat protection or a tilt switch which will turn the radiator off instantly, if any problem is identified. There are no changes to get burnt by its surface because it’s not hot enough to burn your skin, which is a great benefit.

Are Oil-Filled Radiators safe to leave On Overnight?

Yes, you can leave an oil heater “ON” overnight. Oil heaters are designed to be very safe, modern electric oil-filled heater comes with lots of additional advanced security features such as built-in-timers, tip-over protection, thermostat, and more.

Oil-filled heaters are very less likely to cause you any trouble when you leave them on overnight. These radiators have a high boiling point which helps the internal pressure of the oil stays constant. They don’t have any moving parts, so you won’t have to face any type of noise and sleep interruption. So, these are the facts that make the oil-filled radiator safe to leave ‘on’ overnight.

What to make sure of before leaving an oil-filled heater on overnight?

You have already known that leaving an oil-filled heater “ON” overnight is safe. Still, you will have to make sure about certain things before leaving an oil-filled radiator overnight.

The things to make sure of before leaving an oil-filled heater on overnight are the following:

• Never leave any flammable objects nearby the radiator, it may be risky for you. Sometimes radiators draw too much power from the outlet and the cord overheats and catch fire. So, always avoid dry clothes, fuels, and other flammable objects near the radiator
• Choose low power settings, if you are going to leave your oil-filled radiator on overnight, adjust it on the low power settings, so that oil heaters not get hot enough. The less power they use, the safer your cord will be
• Setting the timer, when you are going to sleep, try to set the timer that automatically switches off your oil heater in the middle of the night. Don’t leave it on overnight.

So, these are some important things which make sure ensures proper safety after leaving your oil-filled heater overnight.