5 applications of antifreeze fluids!
Antifreeze fluids are products that are used to lower the freezing point and raise the boiling point.
The base of such a product can be one of these raw materials: MONOpropylene glycol, MONOethylene glycol, propanetriol, potassium formate, and each can be used for a different type of installations.
Most people, when hearing ‘antifreeze’, the first thing they will think of is engine coolant, so let’s start there and explain why antifreeze for heat transfer in refrigeration systems, heat pumps, etc. is not equal to antifreeze that is suitable for use in vehicle radiators.
Vehicle radiator fluids
Before going any further, it is worth mentioning that the words “coolant” and “antifreeze” are generally used interchangeably, which can be confusing to the uninitiated because, they appear to have opposite meanings. The alternate nomenclature is due to the fact that fluids of this type prevent the system from freezing as well as overheating. This ensures that the fluid in the engine will neither freeze in winter conditions nor overheat in hot weather, which would ultimately result in serious damage to the radiator.
Moreover, your vehicle’s antifreeze also protects the engine from corrosion, prevents scale build-up, lubricates all the parts it comes into contact with and helps the engine to reach its optimum operating temperature as quickly as possible.
Important!
Fluids that are manufactured as vehicle radiator fluids ARE NOT suitable for other types of installations. You MUST NOT fill the systems mentioned later in this article with fluids that are designed to work in vehicle radiators.
You can read about the consequences of this in one of our previous articles.
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are everywhere – residential buildings, industrial plants, hospitals, supermarkets… Essential to their proper operation are antifreeze fluids. Most often based on glycols. In addition to transferring
heat in the installation, they also prevent freezing, overheating, cracking and protect the installation from the formation of micro-organisms.
Procold, as a leading manufacturer of antifreeze fluids for such applications, offers products that you can read about here.
If you would like to find out which of our products will work best for your installation, we encourage you to read the other articles on our blog.
Important!
Just as vehicle radiator fluids must not be used for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning systems, etc. neither must fluids suitable for use in such systems be used for vehicle radiator. Although such products may have the same base, by using completely different types of additives they cannot be used for a different type of installation than they are adapted by the manufacturer.
Solar liquid
A high-quality, environmentally friendly heat transfer fluid is essential for the proper operation of solar collectors. As well as allowing heat transfer, it protects against freezing and, importantly in the case of collectors, against boiling. In this case, fluids that can also work in HVAC installations, e.g. FACTORY GLY
Important!
Remember that replacing or topping up the solar fluid yourself is very dangerous due to the very high pressure in the system.
Driveway de-icing fluid (an interesting fact)
Nobody likes an icy driveway. It turns out that antifreeze is also helpful in this case. Glycols will help remove ice from a particular surface and, unlike the use of salt, will not corrode the car’s undercarriage. It is necessary to use products based on MONOPROPYLENE glycol because it is safe for living organisms. Using toxic fluids for this type of activity risks disaster.
Important!
Remove as much snow as possible from the surface before spraying with glycol.
Do not use antifreeze to defrost car windows
The last (referred to in this article) use of antifreeze is more of a warning – but an important one. Unfortunately, however, frosty mornings are a sign that you need to set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier to have time to defrost your car before starting your journey. It may seem that using antifreeze is a good solution in this situation… This is a mistake. Not only can antifreeze damage the vehicle’s paintwork, it can also have a detrimental effect on the environment if you choose to use a monoethylene-based fluid.
Important!
As a manufacturer of antifreeze, we supply a quite wide range of products, none of which can be used as windscreen washer fluid.
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