Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

[northernmerc]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

here's the deal...

50 50 antifreeze / water freezes at a much lower temperature... so mix it with water and you're good to go...

That would apply to automotive antifreeze, not to the RV type that most put in their boats. Do not mix the RV antifreeze with water!

Several people have already explained the situation above. RV antifreeze will crystallize/solidify at a temperature well above its rated protection point. But it should not burst anything as it does not expand when it solidifies.

If you really want to test this, fill a glass jar (not a plastic container) completely to the top with RV antifreeze, seal the lid well and put it in your freezer. If the glass breaks, let us know. The glass is more fragile than your engine block and will break if the antifreeze expands.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

here's the deal...

50 50 antifreeze / water freezes at a much lower temperature... so mix it with water and you're good to go...

Listen to this guy above..........he knows exactly what he's talking about!!!It's the solution of glycol + water that doesn't doesn't freeze......


Yeah.....This is just physics and chemical engr!


If this stuff DID freeze when mixed at 50/50, think how many cracked blocks there would be in the Midwest and Fairbanks AK............RIGHT NOW!!!


Cheers,


Rick

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

Why does this need to be so confusing? To put it simply, there are two basic types of antifreeze under discussion here.

One is RV/marine antifreeze, which normally is used as is, without adding water. It crystallizes or freezes but does not expand. One should not add water if one wants to maintain maximum protection. Adding water will compromise the protection level. If you doubt any of this, see: http://www.peakantifreeze.com/rvmarine.htm

The second type is automotive antifreeze, such as ethylene glycol antifreeze. Unless that type is bought premixed with water and ready to use, one should add water to it according to the formula provided by the manufacturer. By the way, a 50/50 automotive antifreeze mix is not enough for colder climates. The solution should include 60 to 65% antifreeze if living in some areas of Canada and Alaska. Adding more than that can cause the mixture to gel when it gets really cold.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

To put it simply, there are two basic types of antifreeze under discussion here.

One is RV/marine antifreeze, which normally is used as is, without adding water.

Well,

I don't think it can be explained that simply.



Both types of antifreeze are used diluted.

One is propylene glycol. The other is ethylene glycol.


Ethylene glycol is most commonly used in automotive cooling systems. (but it is toxic to animals) Usually sold approx 80-95% pure form. (the other components are anti-corrosion compounds etc)

Propylene glycol is commonly used in "RV" applications because it is far less (or essentially non) toxic. It's also commonly sold in a pre-diluted (50:50, 60:40 etc) form.

If you want to know the characteristics,

Click the following links....One of my favorite sites!

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethylene-glycol-d_146.html

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/propylene-glycol-d_363.html

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/ethylene-propylene-glycol-d_904.html


Cheers,


Rick

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

Well,

I don't think it can be explained that simply.

Why not? The RV/marine antifreeze container has a temp rating on it that indicates the protection level WITHOUT adding any water. In other words, no water needed. Sounds simple to me.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

After reading all of the replies I think Bondo has the best idea.Just flush em, out and leave em,empty.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

So RV antifreeze can freeze solid, but when it freezes it protects against burst protection not freeze protection. In my education don't things expand when they freeze?

Actually very few subtances expand when they freeze. Water is the most commonly known. Others are silicon and anitmony, but I'm sure there are more. Most things expand when heated and contract when chilled. Water and other substances with similar chemical "design" expand when heated, and contract when cooled, except when they change form from liquid to solid. At that point, they expand, however, once a solid they will contract again if chilled further and expand again if heated up (but stay solid). They are very odd this way.

The world would be a vastly different place if solid water did not float on liquid water, in the manner of most substances. Northern "Lakes", if they existed at all, would be frozen solid most of the time, with maybe just a few feet of water on the surface during the warmer months (assuming the climate would be the same in this situation).

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

The world would be a vastly different place if solid water did not float on liquid water, in the manner of most substances. Northern "Lakes", if they existed at all, would be frozen solid most of the time, with maybe just a few feet of water on the surface during the warmer months (assuming the climate would be the same in this situation).

Thanks for the mental images; hadn't thought about that. If ice weighed more than water, in deeper lakes would not the ice just keep on melting as it sank into deeper and warmer water? Anyway, an interesting thought.

 

[Lou C]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

When I left the jug of -60 stuff in the freezer it did harden up but the plastic was not bowed or expanded in any way so it's performing as advertised...I have been doing the drain and backfill with -100 thing for years at the recommendation of my mechanics (they never winterized my boat...so they have no interest in selling me antifreeze) who have serviced raw water cooled sterndrives in saltwater for many years...their experience has been that the engines and manifolds last longer because you are keeping out the oxygen out and adding corrosion inhibitors....after all rust is Fe 02 (iron oxide) there is a heck of a lot less oxygen in -100 AF than there is in the free kind.....but your freshwater guys...no worries just drain....even Merc says in their more recent shop manuals to add AF for extra corrosion protection...we need all the help we can get here in the salt pond...

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

Great thread. I learned alot about antifreeze!

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

Thanks for the mental images; hadn't thought about that. If ice weighed more than water, in deeper lakes would not the ice just keep on melting as it sank into deeper and warmer water? Anyway, an interesting thought.

Nope. The lakes would freeze from the bottom up.....solid. Lots of fish would find that a challenge....

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

This is a great thread. I opened my plugs today on my bloc (4.3l IO) and the antifreeze drained out. I poured some in a b ucket and put into an empty plastic water bottle. The antifreeze color is not pink coming out? It is like a dirty water color now. My hands though were pretty slimey and it definitely had a watery consistency. Any ideas why the RV antifreeze was not pink when coming out? I had a marina mechanic winterize....

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Jug of RV Antifreeze Froze

Not pink due to the rust.