Re: antifreeze in hydronic systems


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Posted by Ed Delapp on January 03, 2000 at 11:44:04:

In Reply to: Re: antifreeze in hydronic systems posted by Harold Kestenholz - Hydronic Network on November 17, 2000 at 16:03:17:

I have recently experienced a pipe burst during a freeze in my vacation home in South Jersey. I would like to know what kind of Anti freeze I can use in my system; my boiler is a Weil-Mclean sized for 2000 sq. ft. home. Any input will be appreciated as I will be repairing it in the next few weeks. I use the house all year long but it is empty most of the time during the winter. We keep the temperature at 55 degrees and haven't had any problems with the heating; I figure the circulating pump might have burned out and the water stopped moving ergo the heating pipes froze.: Depending on the size of the boiler, there might be only 5 gallons of water in the whole system. You will never know the exact amount unless you drain all the water that is in the system into a bucket and count the gallons. If the entire system is empty, it is possible to remove the relief valve on the top of the boiler and pour the antifreeze into the boiler. After replacing the relief valve, you can fill the system with water through the fill valve. You will then need to remove the air from the system.

: There are other ways to do it by pumping antifreeze in as water comes out elsewhere, but then you will only know the mixture percentage later.

: Not all antifreezes are good for all boilers. Automotive antifreeze containing silicone can gel to stop circulators and valves from allowing water to move. Ethylene glycol is poisonous and not recommended. Propylene glycol, non-toxic and buffered is better, but some boilers are sealed by EPDM rubber gaskets that are destroyed by some compounds. You will have to know which boiler you have and what the manufacturer recommends.




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