Heated Towel Rail

[Superduner]

This is the heated towel rail which lives in my barn. I noticed the other day that it was leaking from the threaded connection which in the photo is just above the plastic container (the barn is not used during the winter so the towel rail was turned off)
The liquid that had leaked had no smell and looked very like water, but on closer examination was a very, very thin oil. Google reckons that oil in oil filled radiators is called diathermic oil, which, it turns out, is very difficult to get hold of, especially in the small quantity that I would need-say 5 litres.
I found a site in the UK which states that it's ok to use a mixture of 85% de-ionised water mixed with 15% glycol to fill radiators. Both of these I can get.
Is anyone here able to advise on this?

 

[ChaiLatte]

An alternative name for it seems to be 'heat transfer oil'. There's lots of UK industrial (25 litre) suppliers, but small quantities are difficult to find.

I see two problems with your replacement idea:

1. you will have to clean and flush out all the old stuff before filling with a water-based mixture
2. the heating element is on one side, vertical upwards. I wonder if the water-based mixture will boil locally whereas an oil would heat more uniformly and circulate.

Could you buy a second hand floor standing oil filled radiator, drain it and reuse the contents?

 

[eribaMotters]

I have 3 non heating system electric towel radiators, all fitted within the last few months. These have an Calmag CalRAd Inhibitor in them, mixed with tap water. Well that is what I supplied for the builder.
They were all making a lot of noise and not getting as hot as previous electric towel rads I had installed myself. I decided to go the glycol route [this may be what you have already] but eventually gave up as it is not straight forward. Like yourself I found only large sizes available and then after considerable internet searching found you can, supposedly, use a food grade glycol and mix it yourself. I did not take this route.
I then found that the builder had not correctly filled my rads and over the next week topped them up so they were all finally up to about 25mm of the top. This allows for some expansion. They now get hot and make very little noise.
If your radiator can be salvaged then you would have to give the contents a thorough clean [I don't know how you will manage that] as the liquid fill you use to replace or top up may not be compatible.
Fernox do a fill liquid that can be used. I believe this is used in the underfloor heating systems, but again only available in large sizes at great expense.
If you cannot save the radiator you have two options. Fill as I have at present, or buy a ready filled unit.

Colin

 

[HappyHacker]

Transformer oil may well be suitable and you can get small quantities on ebay but it is not cheap. It is designed to transfer heat and insulate electrically.

 

[Spectric]

Make life easy and Just buy a new towel rail, then do something more enjoyable.

 

[Superduner]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm very reluctant to scrap a perfectly sound radiator.
I'm also reluctant to have to probably drill different fixing holes to fix a new one on my nice tiles (opinions may vary)
The glycol mix which I can easily get is what my solar heating circuit uses - and that works fine. I'll completely drain the rad and fill it with a strong detergent mix leaving it for a week or so. Then flush a couple of times with water.
Maybe add some Calrad.

 

[HamsterJam]

The radio industry uses oil filled loads to dump power and at least one manufacturer fill theirs with PMX-200 silicon oil.
Not a cheap option - probably cheaper to get a replacement radiator - but might be cheaper alternatives out there.