glycol

jim lockard

I have a customer with 15 year old glycol in her system. What are the in's and out's of glycol. How do I test to see if its still good? do I need to replace it ?
How do I get rid of the old stuff? This customer has well and septic can I just flush it good bye ? Do I need to call safty kleen ? Whats the proper way to do all of this? Thanks J.Lockard

Jed_2

Jim

You should invest in a refractometer. It will tell you exactly where you are with the system. Or, you can use the test strips( best if you know the mfg of the antifreeze). If the system has not been maintained over the years (inhibitor boost for Ph level), you probably will have to drain and charge fresh. Glycoled systems must be serviced annually for proper protection levels.

Jim

jim lockard

Drain it

So if I drain it what do I do with it. I have about 100 gallons of glycoled boiler water now standing in tubs that I need to know how to dispose of. J.Lockard

Jed_2

EPA?

I have no idea.

steve_29

Hopefully it's something like Cryotek which is non toxic and can be easily disposed of.

What is it?

If not, you'll have to dispose of it as you would any other hazardous waste

[Deleted User]

\"Serviced\"

Please understand that serviced in this context does not mean drained and refilled. Test it and then decide.

hr

I wouldn't flush

that much down a septic system. Jiffy Lube and most others will take old glycol. Any way to pour, or pump, it into 5 gallon containers for ease of handling?

Many states have recycling centers that can also dispose of it properly. Usually you can go to your state's website and get recycle locations.

A lot of auto parts stores, NAPA, Mr Parts, Auto Zone, etc take both drain oil and old glycol, call around.

Look in local Yellow Pages for glycol recyclers, or ask your local auto repair shop who picks up their old glycol.

I would imagine all major cities have glycol recycling options. Unless they don't have motor vehicles

Glycol will break down in the enviromwent in 20 days or so. Many airports hold the old de-icing glycols in bio ponds for a period of time and then into the sewer system it goes.

It consumes a lot of O2 to breakdown, which is why you don't want to let it get into steams until it has broken down. It depletes the stream of O2 and the aquatic life can suffer or die.

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jim lockard

Yes I can

HR-I could pump and fill 5 gallon buckets with this product. The bad part is no one knows a brand name just glycol, this job is on a farm with animals, including a good size calving operation so I would need to know it was safe before just dumping it. If I could test the existing product and it proved ok and then pump it back in the heating system that would be the best. The drive anywhere to get rid of this stuff would be +/- 20 miles one way. Thanks J,Lockard

hr

It is fairly easy

to test the fluid to see if it is good for ph, and freeze protection. These are the two important numbers to know for heat transfer systems.

Unless it has been overheated considerably it can be boosted back with inhibitors. The ph will generally tell you when to dump and start fresh. I think Dow recommends any below 7 ph be changed out.

Dow and most other manufactures will analyze a sample if you mail it in and give you a lot more detail.

I',m not sure you could determine what type, or if PG and EG have been mixed, at the job site. I think a lab has to do that.

Unless you have a critical potable water cross connection issue, or spill potential around livestock, EG is actually the more common glycol used in LARGE applications. Better heat transfer capabilities.

Keep in mind EG is not posion, but it is rated at a little higher acute toxicity levels.

It's you call. Haul it 20 miles or so for disposal and complete piece of mind, or boost and reuse. If there is a liability issue, with unknow fluids around a food industry, or livestock operation, that 20 mile drive will get a lot shorter in my mind

As I mentioned Safety Kleen will pick up at the jobsite, documant and dispose, but it will cost

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Rudy

test glycol

take a sample and blend it with distilled water to get a +15 freeze point when tested with a pg tester or a refractometer on the pg scale. put it in your freezer with a temp probe in the solution and monitor the temp of the solution. you shouls begin to form ice crystals at about 25deg and a good slushy freeze at +15 if it is pg, if it is eg it will stay in full solution below the 15deg freeze point of the pg scale used. I have the luxury of a company that will send a truck to p/u my used glycol when i dump a system my local sewer district allows pg to be directly dumped into the sewers. eg is another story and must always be recycled as it is verry toxic

David Thomas

Gycol disposal - your options

I'm going to get a little lengthy here, but I something about this.

Propylene gycol (the non-toxic one) has been in use for at least 20 years, I was putting it in systems (that HX'd to potable) that long ago. But ethylene gycol (the toxic one) has almost always been cheaper and more often used. They both have a sweet taste (don't swallow!!!) you could test it on the neighbor's cat - a few tablespoons of ethylene gycol will leave it dead in a few days.

EG was traditional the only one for cars (Prestone, etc). Then Sierra starting offering a PG for cars and now others do as well. "Non-toxic" will be featured on the label.

Either will eventually degrade in the enviornment. Either could upset a septic system, EG more so.

Most POTWs (publicly owned (sewer) treatment works) don't want it. But than, anything you ask about, they don't want. Some allow a garage to put their radiator rinse water down the drain, but not the first drained volume - that gets hauled off-site.

Toxic disposal days at the landfill and the recycle tanks at Pep Boys are oriented for consumer-level amounts. Often limited to 2 or 5 gallons of motor oil or antifreeze. And you leave your name on a list to check for repeat disposers.

If you find the local gycol recycyler, it probably is only $1-2 / gallon unless they need to "profile it" and run a bunch of lab test.

I don't sweat letting dilute EG or PG go to a sewer treatment plant. A gallon or two to a septic also wouldn't worry me. But I wouldn't dump a whole system to septic and definitely not to surface waters (streams, ponds, storm drain, gutters, etc).

Oh, and if you see a dog or cat drinking ethylene gycol, get them ripping drunk. (If 8 drinks leaves you wasted and they're 1/4 your weight, give them two shots). Same for kids if you are a great distance from help. It is exactly what the Vet or ER does except they can give alcohol IV. Being drunk is much better than losing your liver - that's how ethylene gycol kills.

David Thomas

Ethylene gycol is poisonous!

Some said, "Keep in mind EG is not posion".

It is. A few tablesppon can kill a cat or small dog. as little as a 1/4 cup can kill a child. And, because it tastes sweet, sometimes they suck it up. It is partially metabolized in your liver to oxcalic acid and that precipitates in your kidneys.

The reason that giving ethanol to the victim can save them, is that it displaces the EG from the liver (they have similar metabolic pathways). If the EG isn't metabolized, it passed through the body.

hr

Pick your poison

I've yet to see EG shipped with a skull and crossbone label!
PG is listed as low acute oral toxicity on the Department of Labor MSD sheets and OSHA-20.

While EG is listed as moderate oral toxicity.

Not what I would, or they, consider posion but..

And I'm sure the glycol manufactures and HVAC dealers would not like to see glycol refered to as a poison, per say.

I would not suggest leaving either uncovered in a place where an animal or child could get to them. Use the lower acute oral toxicity products, as suggested,in applications where needed, and as required by the AHJ.

If a small child were to drink a 1/4 cup of Scotch Whiskey??? A posion?

Let's not let either lie around uncovered Proper disposal is prudent in either case.

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