Antifreez

[Scott Danforth]

I might recycle my PG stuff this spring, just clean the bilge first, put in the plug, drain then put a bucket under the garboard drain, I use about 4 gallons every year.

When I pull my HX or a line for service, I just pull the hoses and let it fall into the bilge. I simply capture everything from the bilge drain into a bucket, then I use a coffee filter in a funnel to transfer the AF/H2O mix from the catch bucket to a few empty jugs I have. it filters out the bugs/leaves/chunks

 

[tpenfield]

I dont mean to sound like a jerk but if it says - 50 antifreeze it should not freeze before -50. I have read some reviews on marine / RV antifreeze where people suffered expensive damage because they expected the antifreeze to work down to -50. IMHO it is extremely misleading and should not be allowed.

The -50˚F is a 'pipe burst rating', not a freeze point. A pipe burst rating is when the liquid will freeze to the point of being able to burst a copper pipe. The rating was established by the plumbing industry in the 1930's (+/-). If you read the fine print on the jug and/or documentation on the AF provider's websites, it will state such.

Knowing this fact, companies (like West Marine) have provided guidance on the spec's for the Marine AF that they sell. Here is the info from the -50˚F AF . . .

"Ideal for regions that experience temperature ranges between 14°F to 18°F (-8°C to -10°C); for colder regions we recommend using non-toxic West Marine antifreeze with a -60°F or -100°F rating"

While a pipe burst rating of -50˚F may be fine for the iron parts of an engine, it may not be fine for plastic parts, such as raw water strainers, raw water pump bodies, distribution housings, etc.

 

[muc]

The -50˚F is a 'pipe burst rating', not a freeze point. A pipe burst rating is when the liquid will freeze to the point of being able to burst a copper pipe. The rating was established by the plumbing industry in the 1930's (+/-). If you read the fine print on the jug and/or documentation on the AF provider's websites, it will state such.

Knowing this fact, companies (like West Marine) have provided guidance on the spec's for the Marine AF that they sell. Here is the info from the -50˚F AF . . .

"Ideal for regions that experience temperature ranges between 14°F to 18°F (-8°C to -10°C); for colder regions we recommend using non-toxic West Marine antifreeze with a -60°F or -100°F rating"

While a pipe burst rating of -50˚F may be fine for the iron parts of an engine, it may not be fine for plastic parts, such as raw water strainers, raw water pump bodies, distribution housings, etc.

The -50° pink stuff cracks a lot of water distribution housings here in MN

 

[Lou C]

Not surprising, if we look at what West Marine says about the AF they sell, in a place like Mn I would think -100 is the only thing I'd use. Yep it's $21/gallon but the actual freeze rating (I measured it with an antifreeze refractometer) is about -45*F.
Here in coastal Long Island our winters rarely touch zero, usually our coldest is 5*-10*F, and so I started mixing up my own mix of Sierra PG antifreeze 50/50 with water, that gives me approx -25->-30*F freeze rating. More than good enough and approx $7 a gallon cheaper than -100.
Here's what I used to use....


and what I'm using now.....