If you live in an area where temperatures can drop below 32°F you may have experienced the joy of freezing or bursting pipes. I personally have never had to deal with pipe failure, but I have heard my dad complain about it enough times to know it causes a BIG mess. When water freezes, it expands as it changes into ice. Ice is known to consume 9-10% more volume than water. When this expansion occurs inside a pipe it can cause the pipe to burst. The damage caused by pipes bursting can be very extensive and more importantly very expensive.
Commercial and industrial water systems are exposed to these same problems that we face in our homes. Particularly when dealing with closed systems, it is a common necessity to be operated in colder climates which puts the system at risk of freezing or bursting pipes. Sometimes dramatic changes in weather are not the only reason that pipes burst. There are many applications where it is necessary for the water to operate at cold temperature ALL the time regardless of weather conditions. For example, situations where the systems are used for ice banks or thermal storage.
One way to achieve a lower operating temperature is by adding a heat transfer solution to the water. So what is a heat transfer solution? There are many chemistries available. Glycols, both propylene and ethylene based are very effective heat transfer solutions. There are two main differences between the glycols: toxicity and viscosity. Ethylene glycol-based products have a lower viscosity than propylene glycol-based. This allows the ethylene glycol to offer a little more heat transfer efficiency over the propylene glycol. With situations where toxicity may be an issue, propylene glycol is the go-to because it has a lower toxicity level.
Another perk of using glycol is corrosion inhibition. Due to water’s corrosive nature, you can experience rusting and corroding in your pipes if you are not using a proper inhibited glycol. Glycol provides optimum protection by shielding the system’s metal surfaces from constant contact with water. The inhibitors also buffer the acids that form due to glycol oxidation. If you are not using glycol with the proper inhibitors this glycol oxidation can actually add to the problem of corrosion. Another guideline to be aware of with glycol use is to never mix two different glycols. Mixing two formulations will cause the inhibitors to stop working properly and could clog your system.
So where can you find the perfect glycol product? Nu-Calgon distributes both propylene and ethylene glycol-based products. Freez-Kontr’l and Freez-Therm.
Freez-Kontr’l is an inhibited propylene glycol that acts as a heat transfer fluid and anti-freeze. Freez-Kontr’l is an odorless liquid substance with a blue colorant. The colorant is used to help with leak detection, making the liquid easier to spot coming out of the pipes. Freez-Kontr’l has an operating temperature range from under -60F and up to 230F. It also provides freeze protection below -60F and burst protection below -100F. Freez-Kontr’l is non-toxic as well as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) which makes it a great choice where contact with potable water could occur. When using Freez-Kontr’l you are receiving corrosion protection, freeze protection, and burst protection.
If you are looking for something on the ethylene glycol side Nu-Calgon also offers a product called Freez-Therm. It is also a heat transfer fluid as well as a freeze point suppressant. The ethylene formulation allows for optimum freeze or burst protection. Like Freez-Kontr’l, Freez-Therm also has proven inhibitors designed to prevent corrosion. These inhibitors protect brass, copper, solder, steel and cast iron from corrosion. Freez-Therm also has a green/yellow color that allows for easy leak detection.
Using a glycol product is a quick way to protect your system from bursting pipes and corrosion issues; plus provide a pumpable heat transfer fluid for applicable applications. By maintaining your system you will prolong it’s operating life as well as lower repair costs.
