Heating radiators for antifreeze: specific use of antifreeze

Long since ordinary water was used as a heat carrier in heating systems. The specific heat of water reaches 4.168 kJ / kg, which is very good. In addition, the price of this coolant is low. But, water poured into the radiator is peculiar to one major drawback, namely, freezing in the cold season with the boiler off.

This problem is well known to owners of country cottages and cottages, where the residence is irregular. Turning off the autonomous system in the winter for several days and not draining the water, you can be sure that the pipes or batteries will fail. Damage to the heaters will occur due to the expansion of water during freezing, and as a result, the batteries may simply burst.

The real solution in this situation is antifreeze for aluminum radiators. There is a wide range of these liquids on the market, and therefore it is possible to choose the means for both ubiquitous aluminum, and for bimetal, steel and cast iron. If desired, you can purchase universal tools that can be poured into any system without compromising the efficiency of its work.

Important: The main requirements that must be considered when choosing antifreeze are fire safety and the absence of toxic additives that can get into the room with fumes.

General information about non-freezing coolants

Antifreeze for autonomous heating systems is made on the basis of an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol or on the basis of an aqueous solution of propylene glycol.

In addition to the listed ingredients, a number of additives are added to the solutions. This is done in order to eliminate the possibility of foaming of the coolant in the system and in order to prevent corrosive processes inside the heaters.

Moreover, due to the introduction of special additives, antifreezes do not have a destructive effect on rubber and polymer seals, which are used in considerable quantities in the construction of heating systems.

Currently, the domestic market has a wide choice of heat carriers, which are distinguished by the brand of the manufacturer, the ability to work in various systems and of course the price. The products of such brands as Energos Lux, Energos Universal, Thermagent and Dixis have gained widespread popularity.

Immediately, we note that the price of Russian and foreign-made trains is significantly different. The question is why the funds intended to perform the same tasks can cost more or less?

The bulk of Russian products are based on ethylene glycol.

As a rule, these are tools sold in two versions:

• modifications designed for temperatures up to - 30 ° С;
• modifications designed for temperatures up to - 65 ° С.

The use of ethylene glycol allows the manufacturer to reduce the cost of the finished product. But, choosing a cheap coolant made with the use of ethylene glycol, you need to understand that it is toxic.

For example, a lethal dose of ethylene glycol is 100 ml. That is, in case of depressurization of the system, in case of breakthrough of joints, leakage is possible, which is associated with danger to human health. For the timely detection of leakage, it is common to paint ethylene glycol antifreeze red.

Specific use of antifreeze with different types of radiators

Can ethylene glycol based antifreeze be used for aluminum radiators and for analogues from other metals?

Important: The compatibility parameters of the coolant and heaters are indicated by the manufacturer on the canister. Before purchasing, take the trouble to familiarize yourself with the instructions and with the compatibility parameters of the tools and used heating devices.

Different types of heaters react to the use of antifreeze in different ways.

Consider the reaction of various metals to the coolant.

• Aluminum may be electrolytic pair, if the system, filled with antifreeze, used copper pipes or brass stop valves;
• Cast iron does not react in any way to the antifreeze coolant provided that the rubber gaskets between the sections are replaced with polymer seals;
• Steel, in low pressure systems, it does not react to antifreeze, but it is necessary to install large-sized batteries;
• When using antifreeze in bimetal increases the likelihood of the formation of an electrolytic pair between steel, aluminum and brass fittings.

What conclusion can be drawn from the above?

In order for the heating system to work for a long time without the need for regular repairs, it is advisable to replace the metal pipeline from the boiler to the radiators with polypropylene pipes and polymer valves.

As connecting fittings, you should choose products from metals resistant to chemical compounds. The best choice for these purposes will be fittings made of steel.

What parameters need to be considered when choosing antifreeze

Choosing non-freezing coolants, it is necessary to pay attention to the following characteristics:

• the amount of funds in the canister;
• concentration of antifreeze during use;
• connection status in the system;
• heat emission of heating devices;
• power circulating pump.

Consider these points in more detail.

Why when choosing it is important to pay attention to the amount of funds, and not to the mass?

The density of water is greater than the density of most antifreezes intended for heating systems. As a result, if the volume of the autonomous system is 100 liters, then antifreeze will have to fill in 110 liters.

Why is the concentration of the drug important when used?

As a rule, the antifreeze coolant in its pure form is not poured into the system. Before use, the product is diluted with water in the ratio of 3 to 1. Therefore, before use, you need to know what the preparation instructions for the product are and what concentration is recommended by the manufacturer.

Why is it important to know the status of connections in an autonomous system? If the heating in the house is operated for a long time, it will be necessary to reconsider the condition of the connections, namely the gaskets of seals and fittings.

The fact is that most of the seals based on polymeric materials are destroyed from prolonged contact with a liquid medium (degradation process). At the same time, antifreeze is characterized by greater fluidity in comparison with clean water, and as a result, if the heating system worked with water regularly when using specialized heat transfer fluids, there is a high probability of leakage.

When planning the use of antifreeze, keep in mind that this liquid medium has a lower heat capacity compared to water, therefore, radiators with large dimensions will be required. Also, in order to ensure optimal circulation parameters of antifreeze freeze antifreeze, more powerful circulating pumps will be required.

Reasons not to get non-freezing coolants

It would seem that heating radiators for antifreeze are adapted, the use of such a liquid ensures the simplicity and ease of operation of the heating system.

Why do so many compatriots prefer to still use plain water?

• Firstly, the price of water is cheap, while the cost of special equipment is high when it comes to heating a country house with an area of ​​over 100 m ?;
• Secondly, if for one reason or another a leak has occurred in the system, it is easy to refill the water with your own hands and restart the boiler;
• Thirdly, we should not forget that most of the antifreezes on the domestic market, with a leak, represent a significant danger due to toxicity;
• Fourth, many manufacturers of heating boilers refuse to carry out warranty repairs if antifreeze has circulated in the system;
• Fifthly, the use of non-freezing coolant unnecessarily in homes used for permanent residence.

Conclusion

Now that we know how aluminum radiators get on and antifreeze can decide whether to use non-freezing liquids for autonomous heating operation or not. For more information, we recommend to watch the video in this article.