antifreeze effecting performance ?

Bill_22

I had a couple of pipes freeze up on me last week. i live up on a mountain and i also have some very cold areas in the basement where the pipes are exposed. well anyway, after thawing the pipes and replacing a few bursted ones, i went and put in cryo-tech antifreeze into the system. While i was in the soldering mode, i also put in a spiro-vent (wonderful little air extractor). i also replaced a non-functioning pressure guage/thermometer and a pressure relief valve. i figured after doing all that i would have an almost new system. Well it seems that it does not get as hot as it did when it was all water and no anti-freeze. I have about a 75percent antifreeze mix. Is that too much?
I am just a home DIY'er and did'nt realise that the AF would effect the performance. What would be the proper mix or at what point does the drop in performance become noticeable?

hr

If the pipes

inside your basement are seeing temperatures below freezing, that's where you need to do some work

First off there will be a considerable amount of heat loss from that piping. Heat that you would perfer to have in the home!

Insulate,and seal up the cold air leaks!

As for the glycol, you want to maintain the fluid at 5° below the lowest expected ambient temperature the pipes will see. Generally a 35-40% mixture is adequate. But a lot depends on the glycol brand, and type, you buy. Some brands are pre diluted and can be used at 100% strength.

Glycols have a freeze point and a burst point. Freeze point should be adjusted to the lowest temperature you need to pump the fluid, as explained above.

A 40% mixture of DOWFROST (propylene)for example will be flowable to about -5°F. It's burst protection at that mix %would be -60°F

Read the label on the container it should give you this info.

The higher the percentage of glycol the thicker the fluid, same for the temperature. Tables will show you this at various mix percentages and operating temperatures. Correction factors will be used to adjust pump size.

In addition to heat exchange ability, pump size and expansion tank capacity will often need to be looked at.

Do your best to keep those extreme cold temperatures on the outside of your building.

hot rod

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hr

If the pipes

inside your basement are seeing temperatures below freezing, that's where you need to do some work

First off there will be a considerable amount of heat loss from that piping. Heat that you would perfer to have in the home!

Insulate,and seal up the cold air leaks!

As for the glycol, you want to maintain the fluid at 5° below the lowest expected ambient temperature the pipes will see. Generally a 35-40% mixture is adequate. But a lot depends on the glycol brand, and type, you buy. Some brands are pre diluted and can be used at 100% strength.

Glycols have a freeze point and a burst point. Freeze point should be adjusted to the lowest temperature you need to pump the fluid, as explained above.

A 40% mixture of DOWFROST (propylene)for example will be flowable to about -5°F. It's burst protection at that mix %would be -60°F

Read the label on the container it should give you this info.

The higher the percentage of glycol the thicker the fluid, same for the temperature. Tables will show you this at various mix percentages and operating temperatures. Correction factors will be used to adjust pump size.

In addition to heat exchange ability, pump size and expansion tank capacity will often need to be looked at.

Do your best to keep those extreme cold temperatures on the outside of your building.

hot rod

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"