OT Antifreeze in outdoor boilers

[molinebob]

Just looking at some of the post on here about putting antifreeze in outdoor boilers, I've had one two years now, and the whole time I was growing up at home, my dad, grandpa, and my uncle never put a drop of antifreeze in them, just dont understand why people think that they need it, as long as your pump is circulating the water it will never freeze, and I have a central boiler, built out of stainless steel, dad has a old dahl stove, the other two are heatmore, all in all they are all good stoves, the only one not in production any more is the dahl stove, they are a custom order only...just my opinion on antifreeze in them, not needed and i live way up in the nrthern part of minnesota...so if it was needed it would be up here id think..Bob

 

[mnoliverguy]

Bob

I must agree I have never used antifreeze in my boiler. If you were to be gone alot and nobody to feed the stove I could see it being used. How far North are you? I am about 80 miles from Canada

 

[molinebob]

6 miles from the border, from the roseau warroad area..

 

[mnoliverguy]

Bob

Have you had the nice weather the last few days ?
There sure was a change overnight huh? Keep those stoves fired,spring is just around the corner rite?

 

[molinebob]

Yep the weather was awsome, till last nite, freezing rain, now its cold again, not as bad as it was, gat a fishing derby to go to tomorrow, hopin it warms up a bit..Bob

 

[mnoliverguy]

Bob

Have you had the nice weather the last few days ?
There sure was a change overnight huh? Keep those stoves fired,spring is just around the corner rite?

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have a wood master heats house and shop. I have antifreeze in the system don't know why just seemed the thing to do I.m about 100 miles south of I'falls.

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Bob;
We grew up in an era where we cut and stockpiled enough wood to get us through the worst of winters. Todays newbys think a couple of cords of wood will cary them through, and their oil/gas burner will pick up the slack. well guess what, that outside wood boiler which has been neglected will freeze up, if not stoked on a regular baises, especially this year with the wide spread cold temps. Also on a technical note, antifreeze will transfer more BTUs per gal. per min. than straight water, making a OSWB system more efficient with antifreeze.

 

[JDseller]

I have an anti freeze mix in mine. I also run conditioner in it as well. I used just water in my first wood boiler. I had rust troubles in the system. The rust would wear out the pump impeller. I cleaned the system out and put an anti freeze mix in it. I just put in regular coolant conditioner each year. This seems to have stopped the rusting of the system. I was worried about the boiler rusting through from the water side.

I often wondered about installing a water filter kit off of a tractor on it. I know that the biggest thing the filter does is slow release the conditioner. Have any of you tried/though about this??/

 

[mnoliverguy]

jdseller

I know alot of guys who use a simple water filter inline, they say it works I have been thinking about adding one to mine.

 

[PJH]

I replace the antifreeze in mine every day.

One chunk at a time.

Seriously - the dealer that I bought my boiler from recommended using only untreated water. If you don't keep a fire going it obviously will freeze. We installed it in 1998.

I did replace the circ pump cartridge after about 2 or 3 years of use. The impeller shaft broke - not sure why. No apparent corrosion - no trouble since replacing it. Boiler is stainless steel.

Paul

 

[MarkB_MI]

What happens if the power goes out?

 

[jokers]

Your statement regarding efficiency piqued my interest. Years ago when I sold Heatmors, the distributor who had been in business selling outdoor boilers of various brands for many years told me that efficiency would be reduced, anywhere up to 60% by using anti-freeze, and thus he did not recommend it unless the boiler wouldn't be operated continuously.

I took his statement at face value as true, now I'm going to have to research this for curiosity's sake.

 

[jokers]

Same method here Paul...it works! LOL!

No additives in mine either....Heatmor, 14 years and going strong!

 

[Mattlt]

I have a Central Boiler as well. I don't use antifreeze, but I did put in a gallon of their "snake oil" water treatment. Don't know if it helps or not.

Also test the water from time to time. Not every month as they recommend, but it's always in range when I test it.

I had the opportunity to test mine during a power failure this fall. Hooked a battery up to a small inverter (400 watt, I think it is) Ran the pump on the stove just fine for several hours. Any longer or if it had been colder I would have had to break out the generator to run the furnace fan.

If the fire goes out, and you still have a backup forced air furnace, that should be enough to keep the boiler from freezing. The backup furnace will heat the boiler coil in the furnace plenum and as long as the pump is running, will circulate the warmed water back out to the boiler.

 

[PJH]

Jokers - my dealer also told me that the efficiency went down with the addition of antifreeze. I'm too old and too lazy to question him. . .

Paul

 

[mnoliverguy]

jokers,

I was told the same thing by a heatmor dealer.
The main reason I don't run it in mine is that if I do have to drain it it can go on the ground and not hurt anything.

 

[oliver power]

Don't waste your time researching. I've read this in many hydronic heating books when doing my own research. Also had HVAC man say the same thing. Water with antifreeze/additives carries less BTU's. HVAC man recommended plain water.

 

[JDseller]

My Nephew has his doctorate in physics and chemistry. Smart fellow with a lot of resources. He called some friends that do water efficiency tests on nuclear power ships. One of the big concerns is getting the heat away from the reactor. They agreed that antifreeze in the water would make it less efficient butttttt a 50/50 mix is ninety-four percent as good as pure water. That is pure water. They said any impurities would reduct the thermal efficiency to below the anti freeze mix.
So I would guess that regular house hold water would be just about the same as a antifreeze mix. You fellows can do what ever you want. I just know that before I put antifreeze and conditioner in my system I had to replace the circulation pump every other year. Since I have run the mix the pumps last four years or more.
Also I don"t have to worry about the fire going out or the electric going off.

Anyone with the time to be around a outside wood stove should get one to save some money but if you are working away from it for long periods during the day then don"t get one. They do need watching to keep them going. If you are going to be away then look into a pellet/corn boiler they will run longer unattended. Even with the high price of corn right now my heating cost are half what they where on propane.