On Saturday, 1 December 2018 16:05:43 UTC, Roger Hayter wrote:
Ukjb m wrote:

replying to Tabby, Ukjb wrote:
Oil by nature is flammable, explosive even, as the radiator looses oil the
heating element will be able to heat the available oil to a hotter
temperature, should the thermostat fail and the element be left on to long the
oil could reach boiling point at which the vapours will be volatile, as the
oil is lost natural air will be drawn in to replace the void, the internal
atmosphere will become oxygen rich, this said their would be others signs like
bubbling boiling noises, smell of the hot oil being burned off into the air
long before the risk of fire, if the radiator is leaking get rid of it and buy
a new one they are not expensive.

My faith in the EU, while great[1], is not absolute. But I do not
believe that they would encourage the sale of electric radiators full of
inflammable oil.
... A quick Google suggests that in well-regulated markets they tend to
use siloxane oils which are not easily combustible. Very old ones might
use highly carcinogenic oils I've forgotten the name of (but not
inflammable, also used for potting transfomers many years ago), and
apparently in the USA sometimes vegetable oils have been used.

But from a uk perspective, burning oil is probably not a risk with a
reputable make.


[1] many refs, ibid.

--

Roger Hayter

Another ancient OP you're replying to.