Antifreeze for the heating system of a country house
The term "antifreeze" means a class of liquids that do not freeze under any conditions. The scope of their application is wide, most often in installations that operate at low temperatures. Antifreeze for the heating system of a country house is a modern solution, but before pouring this liquid into the system, you need to learn more about its properties and application features, and also what its use can lead to.
The content of the article
Video review on the choice of antifreeze for the heating system
Species diversity
There are many antifreezes, but not all of them are suitable for use in the heating system, let's talk about the "right" ones, namely:
- Ethylene glycol antifreeze - made on the basis of the alcohol of the same name. Refers to polyatomic. After cleaning, it is a clear liquid with a light oily consistency. There is no smell in it, but there is a sweetish aftertaste. Do not try, as this substance is toxic. It is dangerous to use, especially in double-circuit systems, when there is a possibility of it entering the water supply. It is also not recommended to use it in systems with an open expansion tank, since it can be poisoned by its vapors. In addition, such antifreezes do not tolerate overheating. Each specific product has its own overheating temperature, if the liquid is higher than this indicator, "non-freezing" will fall into a solid precipitate and be deposited throughout the system, which will lead to a deterioration in heat transfer or even failure.
Ethylene glycol as antifreeze
- Propylene glycol antifreeze - have the appearance of a liquid without color and with a high viscosity. Typical low odor and sweet taste. This alcohol is non-toxic. This type does not suffer from an increase in the temperature of the liquid and does not precipitate, however, it is much more expensive.
Propylene glycol based antifreeze
The main indicator for antifreeze in any heating system is its freezing point, and given that it is not used in its pure form, but is diluted with water, it will depend on the percentage of water and “non-freezing”.Generally speaking, the more antifreeze is poured in, the less likely it is to burst pipes and freeze the heating system. So, for example, if you make 10% antifreeze in the total amount of liquid in the system, then it will freeze at -5, and if more than 50%, then the probability of freezing is negligible, since it is virtually impossible to reach a temperature of -40 indoors in our country.
You cannot use any other antifreeze in the heating system of a country house. There is an opinion that antifreeze, engine oil and ethyl alcohol are suitable, but everything is completely wrong. Besides damaging the system, it is also dangerous. After all, they have a high flammability, include harmful substances in their composition.
Beneficial features
Antifreeze for the heating system of a country house undoubtedly has disadvantages, but first I would like to talk about the advantages of using it. The most important thing, of course, is the safety of the heating system, regardless of the temperature outside the window, and besides this:
- Protection of metal elements of the system from corrosion.
- Dissolution and removal of various kinds of precipitation.
- Prevents damage to non-metallic system components, including silicone gaskets, rubber seals, and sealants.
Application rules
Having chosen any of the types of antifreeze, it is important to know the rules for its use in the heating system. Having made a decision to apply "anti-freeze" in the system, it is important to take into account the following factors:
- It is necessary to include more radiators in the project, if the system is just beginning to be laid, or to increase their number in the existing one. This is necessary, since the heat capacity of antifreeze is 15-20% lower than that of water.
The use of antifreeze requires a margin of the number of radiators
- Needed expansion tank larger, because the mixture expands 40-60%.
Expansion tank for heating system
- Installing a pump with a higher power, because antifreeze makes the mixture viscous. Take into account the flow rate of the circulation pump, it is needed 10% higher, and the head - 60%
Selecting a larger pump
It is important to use exceptionally soft water for dilution, otherwise the likelihood of salt precipitation increases, which leads to, we said earlier. It is also worth taking care of adding additional additives to the fluid. Of course, antifreeze has anti-corrosion properties, but given that it will need to be diluted at least twice, its ability will decrease by the same factor. In order to smooth this out, you need to add specialized additives: reducing foaming, corrosion, etc.
Cons of "non-freezing"
Antifreeze for the heating system of a country house - disadvantages, except for those already mentioned:
- In some systems, the use of antifreeze is strictly prohibited, as they will destroy its constituent components. In particular, the zinc heating system will not "make friends" with the "anti-freeze", or rather, it will defeat it, since the composition of the antifreeze will react with zinc and lose its original properties.
Corrosion of the zinc heating system when using antifreeze
- It is very fluid. Oddly enough, antifreeze is more fluid than water. For this reason, close attention must be paid to plug connections. It is important that all such components can be easily inspected at any time.
No matter what…
Taking a look at the characteristics and useful properties of antifreezes, many owners of country and country houses they are in no hurry to pour it into the heating system, and the reason for this is the following circumstance. Manufacturers of heating boilers always indicate such a note on their products: it is prohibited to use antifreezes in heating systems. Otherwise, the manufacturer disclaims all responsibility for the quality of work. heating boiler... Also, if antifreeze is used, the product warranty is canceled. Information of this kind completely convinces consumers, and only those who truly understand are decided to use antifreeze heating system device and are capable of solving the problem on their own in the event of a breakdown without involving specialists from the service center.
conclusions
It is possible to use antifreeze in the heating system of a country or country house, and this is quite justified, but simply taking and adding it to the water we are used to is unacceptable. It is necessary to study all the subtleties of the application, measure the costs of re-equipping the system and only then engage in such an improvement.
Video: filling the heating system with coolant
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