Antifreeze fluids — propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, brines or potassium formate solutions — play a key role in maintaining the efficiency of heating, cooling, HVAC, geothermal and solar systems. Over time, however, the medium loses its protective properties, leading to corrosion, deposits, reduced efficiency and the risk of failure.

If you want to better understand why fluid quality has such a big impact on the service life of your system, we also recommend the article:

👉 Impact of antifreeze quality on HVAC systems

Below are 5 key signs that clearly indicate that the fluid in your system needs to be replaced immediately.

1. Contamination, deposits and traces of corrosion

Worrying symptoms:

• cloudiness, darkening, precipitated sediments,
• brown or black colour of the fluid,
• floating corrosion products.

Sediments act as abrasives, damaging pumps, valves and exchangers. If rust appears in the system, it means that the inhibitors (e.g. AQUACORR) contained in fluids such as FACTORY, GEOTHERMAL or SUPERCOOL have lost their effectiveness.

4. Leakage or unsealing of the installation

A leak may indicate:

• chemical reactions between fluids,
• the formation of deposits blocking system components,
• inhibitor degradation.

It is particularly important whether the installation operates with a toxic fluid (MEG) or a safe fluid (MPG). In systems exposed to user contact, only propylene glycol is recommended.

Modern fluids, such as FACTORY GLY, FACTORY EKO D and SUPERCOOL, contain a fluorescent leak detector visible under a UV lamp.

5. Suspicion that the fluid is regenerated

Why are they dangerous?

• unknown composition and unstable properties,
• lack of a complete inhibitor package,
• rapid sediment formation,
• very short medium life.

The low price of regenerated material is an apparent saving — in practice, it leads to downtime and the need to clean the installation.

Case Study – a real situation from an industrial facility

Facility: 6,500 m² warehouse
Problem: decrease in heater efficiency, increase in energy consumption

During servicing, the following was found:

• contaminated, brown liquid,
• low pH and loss of inhibitor effectiveness,
• sediment on heat exchangers,
• excessively low glycol concentration (dilution due to top-ups).

Tests showed that a regenerative agent had been added to the system, which deactivated the properties of the original fluid. The resulting deposits increased flow resistance, and the pump operated at increased power consumption.

Consequences: the need to thoroughly flush the system, service the pump and replace the entire medium — the total cost exceeded the “savings” on cheap fluid many times over.

What should you do if the fluid needs replacing?

1. Clean the system with a suitable flushing agent.

• New installations: FACTORY FLUSH, SUPERCOOL FLUSH
• Contaminated installations: AQUACORR CLEANER (requires thorough flushing)

2. Dispose of used fluid for recycling.

3. Fill the system with certified fluid.

The selection depends on the system:

• propylene glycol — HVAC, central heating, food industry, installations exposed to user contact
• ethylene glycol — large refrigeration installations
• SUPERCOOL (potassium formate) — high-performance industrial systems
• brines — geothermal energy and refrigeration

Concentrates should only be diluted with demineralised water.

Summary

If the system shows signs of deposits, corrosion, reduced performance, parameter changes, leaks, or there is a risk of using regenerated fluid, the antifreeze must be replaced immediately.

This is the simplest and most cost-effective way to prevent breakdowns, maintain efficiency and minimise operating costs, especially in industrial and HVAC installations.

Would you like to select the right fluid for your industrial or serviced installation?
Write to us — we will advise you!