Posted by talmage w. shill on January 24, 2000 at 11:16:16:
In Reply to: Re: antifreeze in hydronic systems posted by Loretta Donnelly on January 17, 2000 at 15:17:17:
: My husband and I have researched this as well. It's great to have antifreeze in the pipes in case there is a prolonged power outage.
: Here's what contractors have told us:
: -Make sure you have a backflow prevention valve installed so that your drinking water will not be contaminated by the antifreeze.
: -Cryotech makes a good antifreeze for hydronic systems. (You cannot use the automobile stuff!)
: -It is recommended to have the antifreeze pumped in.
: -Only do this if you really know what you are doing. All air must be bled out of system, and proper antifreeze must be used to prevent pipe corrosion.
: -It is recommended to drain out and replace the antifreeze after 3-5 years, because its antifreezing properties degrade over time.
: We are going to hire avprofessional for this and really watch and ask questions so we can do it ourselves next time. We do a LOT of work on the house ourselves, but every heating system is different and one little mistake can really be costly!
: Just a few thoughts. In a large system (8-9)zones that is 4yrs old that I struggle with I pumped the antifreeze in from the bottom (facet under the water pump) with a motor home pump for the potable water. It is 12 volt and turns off automatically at 30 psi. the facet therefore turned off the pump between gallons. A washer hose was used to connect the pump. I have added antifreeze multiple times.