As a rule, before the start of the heating season, the owners of industrial enterprises or country houses think about how to choose the right heat carriers for the heating system and calculate its quantity. When water is used as a coolant, when cold weather sets in, there is a high risk of damage to pipelines and radiators, as well as system defrosting. Filling an autonomous heating system at industrial enterprises with water is also not recommended due to an emergency stop.
How to choose a coolant?
In order to choose the right antifreeze fluid, you need to answer a number of the following questions.
- In what conditions is the heating system planned to operate?
- How often can you fill your heating system with antifreeze?
- What is the temperature limit of the liquid circulating in the system for its normal functioning?
Today it cannot be said thatthere is only one antifreeze that is ideal for all systems without exception. All known heat transfer fluids for a heating system have their own advantages and disadvantages and are intended for use under strictly defined conditions.
Basic selection rules
These rules will help you choose the highest quality and safest coolant.
- The coolant must transport the maximum possible amount of heat in a short period of time, so a good coolant must quickly pass through the entire working circuit of the system, thereby ensuring a quick start-up of the system and, accordingly, heating the room. One of the main quality criteria is the coolant circulation rate.
- An anti-freeze fluid for the heating system must not be toxic, and also does not belong to flammable substances. This will not only ensure your safety, but also protect residents from troubles associated with volatilization or ignition of toxic fumes.
- In order to increase the efficiency, in other words, the circulation in the coolant system, it is required that the liquid be more viscous.
- In order for heat transfer fluids for the heating system to be as efficient as possible, they must have good thermal conductivity.
- Quality anti-freeze liquid should not cause corrosion, since not all modern heating devices have sufficient protection against this phenomenon.
- When choosing a coolant, it is necessary to be guided by the principles of reasonable economy and soundmeaning - the optimal combination of cost and quality.
Water
Of all the available liquids on Earth in its natural state, water is characterized by the highest heat capacity - on average, somewhere around 1 kcal / (kg × deg). In other words, if one kilogram of water is heated to a temperature of 90ºC, and then cooled to 70ºC in a radiator, then 20 kcal of heat will enter the room heated by this device.
Heating water has a high density (917 kg/m3), which decreases when cooled or heated. It is worth noting that water is the only natural liquid that can expand both when cooled and when heated.
The toxicological and environmental characteristics of water are largely superior to those of any synthetic heat transfer fluids - in case of accidental leakage from the heating system, it will not create problems for the he alth of households, unless it gets directly onto the human body.
With such a leak, it is very easy to restore the original volume of water - just add the required number of liters to the expansion tank of the heating system.
Varieties of antifreeze
By and large, antifreeze in a home heating system is an all-encompassing name for substances that do not freeze at a certain low temperature. It is also worth paying attention that an antifreeze liquid that canused in individual heating systems, appeared not so long ago. However, many owners of apartments and houses with individual heating are already thinking about using a substance with these properties so that the system does not freeze.
Despite the fact that today the market offers a lot of options for antifreeze fluid for heating systems from various manufacturers, most of these solutions are made from three main substances - propylene glycol, glycerin or ethylene glycol.
Propylene Glycol
This is a non-toxic viscous mixture that is colorless. Propylene glycol has a characteristic sweet taste and pungent odor. This antifreeze option is the best option, but mixtures based on it are quite expensive.
Glycerin
Glycerine-based heating fluids are a viscous liquid that has a slightly sweet taste, but no smell. This substance is not toxic and cases of poisoning are very rare. In addition, glycerin is highly soluble, and if distilled water is used in the heating system, there will be no sediment.
Ethylene glycol
This substance is a polyhydric alcohol, odorless and colorless, but has a sweetish taste. Ethylene glycol is highly toxic and, even in small amounts, can cause serious poisoning, leading to paralysis or death in most cases.
Despite toxicity, the heating system fora private house with this coolant is the cheapest, so it is most in demand. When using this mixture, special care is required, and all requirements must be met when designing the system to prevent the liquid from entering the drinking water and possible leaks.
Antifreeze for heating: price
To determine the cost of a heating system using non-freezing liquid, you should know the overall volume of the system, you need to calculate with a margin of 10-15%.
Must be considered:
- meterage and number of pipelines, as well as their diameter;
- volume of coolant in the main structures (expansion tank, radiators, boiler).
The cost of household non-freezing liquid for heating systems depends on the country of origin, the composition of the solution. Concentrated formulations require additional dilution steps, but will generally be cheaper to purchase.
For example, ethylene glycol antifreeze can be purchased in two types.
- "Warm House -30" is a ready-to-use aqueous solution that can be purchased for 70 rubles per 1 liter.
- "Warm House -65" is a concentrate, 1 liter of which costs 85 rubles. When diluting this solution with a freezing temperature of up to -30 ° C, the cost of 1 liter will be approximately 50 rubles.
Consumer preferences depend on the material and type of elements that make up the circulating heating system. Some point out that the useof non-freezing liquids eliminates excessive energy consumption due to the impossibility of s alt deposits on the walls of the boiler and pipelines, and this significantly reduces the cost of repairs and maintenance. According to reviews, this coolant is economically justified to use for electric space heating, when a long-term power outage is possible, as well as for country houses and cottages with periodic residence.
