Used anti freeze

[Hoofer B]

I have over 200 gallons of used coolant. Can I use that in
tires in place of calc chloride or windshield easher fluid or
beet juice ? Thanks. Bill

 

[Richard G.]

I use to do that.
My old radiator man said to get any oil out of it, let it sit in a container and lay newspaper on it to soak up the floating oil.

 

[DoubleO7]

If it is the old prestone style and a leak develops, the stuff is deadly to all critters.

And they like it because it is sweet.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

If I needed ballast, and I had it, I certainly would.

 

[JoeM(GA)]

I did it the whole time I was working, they had several hundred trucks,always had old antifreeze, never had a problem with it

 

[johnbobind]

I have used it for years and no problem

 

[paul]

Lots of people use it.

Its not as heavy as the real stuff, so it isnt as good if you really need ballist.

It is toxic, so its more dangerous to critters and the environment.p when it leaks.

Its not what folk expect to be in a tire, so it can contaminate the reserves of a pro tire changer working on your tractor in the future.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 12:14:03 10/08/23)
If it is the old prestone style and a leak develops, the stuff is deadly to all critters.

And they like it because it is sweet.

Except for woodchucks apparently. Left a bowl of it in a small shed where the chucks had burrowed under the wall. No other animals could get to it. It sat there until it evaporated.

Either the "critters will drink it and die" thing is a MYTH, or they've been putting something in it to make the critters not want to drink it for at least the last 20 years...

 

[jm.]

Automobile salvage yards around here save it and market it for this very reason.

 

[Dave G9N]

(quoted from post at 12:14:03 10/08/23)
If it is the old prestone style and a leak develops, the stuff is deadly to all critters.

And they like it because it is sweet.

rue, but it takes more than a few drops. Find a SDS for the toxic dose, it is a fair amount.

Ethylene glycol is twice as toxic as polypropylene glycol. It can kill grass, but once diluted 10:1 with water, the soil bacteria will use it up. Avoid puddles by all means, but a damp surface isn't enough to worry about.

The antidote is alcohol, by the way, and plenty of water. Perhaps the only reason to drink Bud Light.

This post was edited by Dave G9N on 10/08/2023 at 03:38 pm.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Antifreeze can be reconditioned and reused. There are companies around here that do that with their trucks and have been for several years.

 

[sotxbill]

Yes you can use it for ballast. It is no more toxic... than the diesel, gas, hydraulic oil, 90 wt, atf, battery acids, or grease.... that leaks out of your tractor, car or truck buses and dumptrucks. So remember not to play with plutonium. BACK ON TOPIC, it makes a very very quick and easy ballast for tires, that does not freeze and contains rust inhibitors, water pump lubricant, and acid fighters,,,, that water does not. And no worse than the caustic chloride solutions used by others.

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 10:10:02 10/09/23) Yes you can use it for ballast. It is no more toxic... than the diesel, gas, hydraulic oil, 90 wt, atf, battery acids, or grease.... that leaks out of your tractor, car or truck buses and dumptrucks. So remember not to play with plutonium. BACK ON TOPIC, it makes a very very quick and easy ballast for tires, that does not freeze and contains rust inhibitors, water pump lubricant, and acid fighters,,,, that water does not. And no worse than the caustic chloride solutions used by others.

rue enough & I too, use it for ballast.

 

[rustred]

well to those saying critters like it. is that hear say or what? i have purposely left some in my drain pans to see what they would do.... absolutely nothing. look at it and thats about it. and of course i was watching them. i have yet in my life to see any animal drink antifreeze. i dont even like taste .

 

[Sprint 6]

Antifreeze made in the last 20 years in made with a bittering agent that makes it taste bitter to critters, so they stay out of it. I can remember old school green anti-freeze tasting sweet, and I have witnessed a family pet die from drinking antifreeze (not pretty).

 

[David Snipes]

I saw a dog die from drinking it. It was a slow and painful death.

 

[DoubleO7]

(reply to post at 17:35:43 10/08/23)

17 states prior to 2013 required bittering agents to be in it.
Beginning in 2013 all manufacturers agreed to voluntarily add it in all antifreeze sold nationwide.

From a vet website:
(Dogs are attracted to the sweet taste of antifreeze and will readily drink from a puddle that has leaked from a car s undercarriage or has spilled from a container. Kitties are usually more discriminating when it comes to taste, but one who has stepped in antifreeze is likely to ingest some during the course of grooming. As little as a single teaspoon of the substance can be fatal for an average-sized cat.)

Some animals like dogs are just plain stupid and will still drink it.

If you are willing to roll the dice, go for it.

 

[Dave G9N]

(quoted from post at 18:39:06 10/09/23) i dont even like taste .

f I had never tasted it, I would make a snarky remark about that. The idea that if you haven't seen it, it doesn't happen, just doesn't hold water. Not everything always happens every time. Sooner or later, it will happen, so you still need to handle EG responsibly. Nothing over the top, just don't leave open containers unattended.

I agree that an adult, if sober anyway, is unlikely to drink enough to do any harm by accident. Having seen a toddler take a swig of pine sol, a 2 year old is as dumb as a rock with the survival instincts often attributed to a lemming. So watch the kids. With reasonable care, EG is safe to use. Tire ballast is an excellent use for used antifreeze.

A potentially lethal dose of ethylene glycol is approximately 1-2 mL/kg of 95% concentrated solution, or about 1,500 mg/kg. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537009/

So if your weigh 75kg (165 lb) it should take about 4 oz of concentrated or 8 oz of 50% diluted EG to kill you. Small animals obviously weigh less so it takes less and sensitivity varies by species, so it could be a very small amount for a small animal. A thirsty small critter can conceivably drink enough if it is running down the side of a tire.

I did a quick search for prices of ballast. These are mostly easy to find Amazon prices, some ebay. Odd that I can get pure refined sugar for 1/4 of the price of beet juice. I'm not seeing any real wholesale prices apparently.
[code:1:4da5a6cac2] Lb/gal $/lb Freezes at
Ethylene Glycol/ Water 50/50 8.9 $1.35 -50 ($120 for 5gal )
Windshield washer fluid 37% methanol 7.8 $1.10 -30 ($109 for 5 gal of 100%)
CMA Calcium Magnesium Acetate 32% 8?? $0.69 -2 ($75 for 35lb dry salt)
beet juice 10 $1.90 -25 $95 for 5 gal Fusion 2330 Liquid Deicer on Amazon
Domino Pure Cane Sugar 10 $0.50 -30 $78 ( for 50lb bag)
Calcium chloride 11 $0.82 -30 ($30 for 50lb bag)


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