Alcohol in snowmelt systems (ME)

[Deleted User]

The ground source heat pump people use alcohol water mixture in their source loop to keep the system from freezing. Is there any reason that we can't use alcohol for freeze protection in the snowmelt systems we install? Alcohol MUST be less expensive than antifreeze that we typically use, or THEY would use it right??

Any thoughts on this?

Wandering minds want to know...

ME

Dick

I did a ground

> The ground source heat pump people use alcohol

> water mixture in their source loop to keep the

> system from freezing. Is there any reason that we

> can't use alcohol for freeze protection in the

> snowmelt systems we install? Alcohol MUST be less

> expensive than antifreeze that we typically use,

> or THEY would use it right??

>

> Any thoughts on

> this?

>

> Wandering minds want to know...

>

> ME

Dick

I did a ground

Source heat pump job. When I asked why they used alcohol, I was told that if it leaked, it wasn't considered a HazMat situation, enviromentaly friendly.

hot_rod

Highly flamable

with a 54F flash point, classified as hazardous waste under US Resourse Conservation Recovery Act, classified as high in acute oral and inhalation toxicity, and I'm not sure how O2 and other inhibitors could be blended.

Sure wouldn't want to solder near a leak or spill!

Other than cost, why bother. The cost of a good glycol should be included in the job cost. Heck if they want to heat the great outdoors and consume huge amounts of fossil fuel they should be able to purchase and maintain proper heat transfer fluids

hot rod

john wood

Wondered the same thing!

I have used methanol in GSHP installations. Plusses are easy to pump, About 2/3 the cost. I think biggest holdup is the idea of a flammable in the boiler, and the fact that it will reduce the boiling point of the mixture. Technically speaking glycol is flammable too. I would not hesitate to use methanol in a system with a flat plate between the boiler and the loop. Sure pumps a lot easier at sub zero temps!