Infloor heating antifreeze.

[83trekker]

Can someobdy tell me the correct exact name of the anitfreeze used in a in floor heating setup? I know its Glycol but what kind?

Thanks

 

[Possum]

Propylene glycol is the non toxic stuff.

 

[littletoes]

ethylene glycol is the BAD stuff.

 

[walrus]

No Burst is a brand name, google it

 

[jklingel]

You probably know this, but in case.... you will not be transferring heat as efficiently with glycol as with water. I don't recall the numbers, but it is something like a 10% loss w/ 20% glycol, which does not buy you a huge anti-freeze benefit (but maybe enough for your area????).

 

[Cword]

I used Dow Frost
sourced it through Plumbful Warehouse

http://www.dow.com/heattrans/prod/glycol/dowfrost.htm

 

[83trekker]

I used Dow Frost
sourced it through Plumbful Warehouse

http://www.dow.com/heattrans/prod/glycol/dowfrost.htm

Hey Cword i have probably asked you this before but you run just a hot water heater right? And do you have insulation under the pad? Do you know your costs per month to run?

Thanks

 

[Cword]

Yes, just a 40 gallon hot water heater.

Yes also to the insulation.

I have an excel file at home in which I've been tracking heating costs since 1988, the garage came on line in 2001. I'll dig the actual numbers up tonight.

Mike

 

[83trekker]

Thanks


I am scared i didnt use the insulation, cemnet was comming right away and everything got rushed and no insualtion was installed.

 

[Cword]

This list covers 1998 through 2010 to date.
The numbers represent total natural gas charges to heat my home, and starting November 2002, my garage. In 2005 a natural gas barbeque was also plumbed in, when the gas meter was moved outside the house, the crew that did that left a leak that caused the spike in that years consumption.



1998 480
1999 609
2000 760
2001 917
2002 993
2003 1349
2004 1240
2005 1484
2006 1269
2007 1328
2008 1423
2009 1130
2010 1056

 

[83trekker]

Thanks theres also different gas prices per year to the could rais them or lower them a bit hey?

Doesnt look that bad.

 

[Cword]

I think I spend more on gas to make hot water for my sons showers than I do on heat for the garage.

I don't expect you'll find the lack on insulation to be too big an issue. If the fill was dry, and since heat naturally goes up. there should be little conducted heat loss below the pad.

Another bit of info, I leave my system on all the time and control the pump with an electric baseboard thermostat set at about 12 C

 

[nate379]

That is really cheap. I paid about $1500 a year for nat. gas (for heat, hot water and stove) before I got my wood stove. Now it's about $500/yr.

This list covers 1998 through 2010 to date.
The numbers represent total natural gas charges to heat my home, and starting November 2002, my garage. In 2005 a natural gas barbeque was also plumbed in, when the gas meter was moved outside the house, the crew that did that left a leak that caused the spike in that years consumption.



1998 480
1999 609
2000 760
2001 917
2002 993
2003 1349
2004 1240
2005 1484
2006 1269
2007 1328
2008 1423
2009 1130
2010 1056

 

[DzNuts]

Why the big drop in '09?

 

[Fastback]

So is RV anti-freeze (propylene) OK to use? I love the price per gallon on that stuff!

 

[Cword]

Why the big drop in '09?

I don't know,
factors like weather, natural gas prices, delivery system pricing, provincial rebates (we live in a gas producing province) are all hidden in that data.
The one thing I like to think did it was a renovation I undertook in late 2008 which involved replacing the living room window and re-insulating the outside walls of the living room, dining room and kitchen. (My house was built in 1957)

 

[nate379]

I know a few people that use it and haven't heard anything bad come from it. I would probably flush the system every yr or old though just to be sure.

We run antifreeze in the system at work. It was not flushed for about 10 years and last winter when the system was fired they had to tear out some of the lines. Black "slugs" from the antifreeze clogging the pipes. I think it's still messed up since some parts of the building (maybe 3000 sqft) are 90* and others are barely pushing 60*.

So is RV anti-freeze (propylene) OK to use? I love the price per gallon on that stuff!

 

[dirttracker18]

If you have no intention of shuttin ghte heat off (if so in floor is not a good idea) then why not just use water? It will save you money and is more efficient in heat transfer. If the heat goes down you should still have a good couple of days to fix it before you have to worry about freeze up. The slab holds a lot of heat.