Can antifreeze be used in a YH compressor for winter use?

[Hummer57]

I’ve seen snippets about using antifreeze in water cooled compressors but can’t find any details or guidelines. I live in central Idaho and it gets very cold in the winter. My shop is not heated. Although I am looking into getting a new propane shop heater. Will antifreeze work and allow me to use the compressor without bringing it inside the house? What do you do for cold weather filling? I have the option of just filling my three guns directly or filling my cf 45 minute tank and keeping it inside. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Redick]

Short answer is yes. 

 

[Hubertus]

im running my yh for almost a year with antifreeze / water mix because i dont trust the chinese metal.

antifreeze is very good for anti corrosion!

using the compressor in the cold results in a better water seperation.

 

[Enkey]

im running my yh for almost a year with antifreeze / water mix because i dont trust the chinese metal.

antifreeze is very good for anti corrosion!

using the compressor in the cold results in a better water seperation.

+1

I think that an antifreeze is better all year round, not only in winter because they have anti-corrosion additives and the friction of water with aluminum produces galvanic currents that corrode the aluminum and I have my doubts that the Chinese use quality aluminum

Regards 

Enkey 

 

[Hummer57]

Are you using a 50/50 mix? Will I be safe leaving the compressor in my shop all winter?

 

[Skip-in-WV]

Just make sure the antifreeze is aluminum compatible 

 

[harrymoreland]

I ask this a while back, my thinking was as a summer coolant and anti-corrosion , I was shot down, I cant recall the reasoning however it seem convincing, read up more before committing.

good luck

 

[Gerry52]

Yes! Helps aid cooling in summer too. Heat is the YH's enemy when it comes to longevity. 

 

[Dingfelder]

Anyone can recommend some reliable links to study this with? I've never heard of this and don't have the understanding or background to evaluate random web page claims. I can google but google throws up a lot of baloney too, and this seems a serious matter.

And, if television has taught me anything, winter is coming.

 

[Eaglebeak]

IMO Antifreeze is completely inappropriate for use with these things. It is only of value in sealed systems to prevent corrosion and the damage caused by expansion when the coolant freezes inside the water jacket and radiator of combustion engines. When you turn the water pump off on these compressors, the coolant drains back into the reservoir. I drain mine after every use and store it dry. Clean water is cheap, there is no need to let it sit in an open receptacle until it is used again. Antifreeze is smelly and stains everything from concrete to paint and will not improve the cooling efficiency of your coolant. Why try to fix something that isn't broke. 

 

[Elbowgrease]

I use a 50/50 mix of anti-freeze and a bottle of water wetter. No issues. I was also concerned about corrosion after seeing several posts showing how just running tap water caused pitting on the inner water ports. Im sure distilled water would be fine though.

 

[Hummer57]

Why is there no clear cut answer?

 

[Spartan]

I don't own a YH, but I've used the pink RV antifreeze (50/50 mix with distilled water) in a couple other cooling systems which are nearly identical. Can't see a reason why it wouldn't be perfectly fine for a YH. But as with anything, keep an eye on it. If there is some sort of chemical reaction based on the specific metals in the YH, it will likely give you an indication of that long before there is a problem, and then simply stop using it. Also, don't use the yellowish/green automotive antifreeze that have detergents added. Only the pink RV antifreeze.

 

[Hummer57]

I have an RV and pink antifreeze! Thanks!

 

[Dingfelder]

I too wish there was some consensus on this. There appears to be strong opinions. Maybe the middle path is the best?

 

[Eaglebeak]

The clear answer is yes you can use it. But the answer to whether you should use it is probably not because it is messy, smelly and doesn't provide any advantages over just letting the water drain out. It's suitable for sealed systems with radiators but useless for simple open systems like these. There you go. Crystal.

 

[Spartan]

The clear answer is yes you can use it. But the answer to whether you should use it is probably not because it is messy, smelly and doesn't provide any advantages over just letting the water drain out. It's suitable for sealed systems with radiators but useless for simple open systems like these. There you go. Crystal.

But that's the thing. It's not an open system...it's technically a closed-loop system that, for some odd reason, is being implemented as if it were an open-loop system. I would treat it like the closed-loop system it is meant to be. That type of water-jacket cooling is really best suited to keeping it as a closed loop.

 

[Eaglebeak]

The clear answer is yes you can use it. But the answer to whether you should use it is probably not because it is messy, smelly and doesn't provide any advantages over just letting the water drain out. It's suitable for sealed systems with radiators but useless for simple open systems like these. There you go. Crystal.

But that's the thing. It's not an open system...it's technically a closed-loop system that, for some odd reason, is being implemented as if it were an open-loop system. I would treat it like the closed-loop system it is meant to be. That type of water-jacket cooling is really best suited to keeping it as a closed loop.

I beg to differ. I consider a closed system to be sealed and pressurised. I see no advantage in leaving fluid in these things when not in use. I have seen some attempts at adding radiators and fans and other unnecessary gadgets to these things and none of them does anything better than the simple bucket of water. All they do is add weight, bulk and complexity. I think that requiring a remote water receptacle is a good idea and actually makes the unit more portable. What would your definition of an open system be?

 

[Spartan]

The clear answer is yes you can use it. But the answer to whether you should use it is probably not because it is messy, smelly and doesn't provide any advantages over just letting the water drain out. It's suitable for sealed systems with radiators but useless for simple open systems like these. There you go. Crystal.

But that's the thing. It's not an open system...it's technically a closed-loop system that, for some odd reason, is being implemented as if it were an open-loop system. I would treat it like the closed-loop system it is meant to be. That type of water-jacket cooling is really best suited to keeping it as a closed loop.

I beg to differ. I consider a closed system to be sealed and pressurised. I see no advantage in leaving fluid in these things when not in use. I have seen some attempts at adding radiators and fans and other unnecessary gadgets to these things and none of them does anything better than the simple bucket of water. All they do is add weight, bulk and complexity. I think that requiring a remote water receptacle is a good idea and actually makes the unit more portable. What would your definition of an open system be?

Every time a YH owner fills a bucket with water (maybe with the addition of ice), and then puts the pump/inlet into that bucket, as well as puts the outlet drain line into that same bucket, they have created a closed-loop system, albeit a temporary one. Nothing new comes in or out of the coolant system for that session, it just exists as it is. That is my definition of a closed-loop system in this context. An example of an open-loop coolant system would be if they hooked the pump/inlet to a direct and continuously running water source such as a faucet, and then let the outlet drain out elsewhere. This open-loop would always provide fresh/new water for cooling, and wouldn't be recycling the same water like the closed-loop system does. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages.

Here's the downside to using an open-loop system such as that: One of the biggest long-term concerns of jacketed cooling systems is the build up of sediment/debris/mineral deposits in the cooling paths. With an open-loop system, you have a never ending supply of sediment/debris/mineral deposits that can and will build up over time. In a closed-loop system those sediments/debris/mineral deposits are finite in number and cannot continue to build up over time.

This is where it gets inefficient with the setup that YH recommends. Because they have users setting up that closed-loop system, but then the users also change the water out each time, they completely negate the positive effects (at least the ones detailed above) of having a closed loop system.

So, in my opinion, users should run the same coolant through the system each time, and treating it with the appropriate type of antifreeze is beneficial.

 

[Dingfelder]

Anyone ever filter their water? I have a Berkey water filter with dual filters, and it's gotta be cleaner than most any tap water.

Then again ... I'm new to this so I'm getting really confused -- since the water is just for cooling via the hoses rather than entry into anything, and the only entry for water is condensation from the air (right???), what difference does it make what the water is like? It's not going in there anyway. What's the difference if the cooling medium is made from frozen poop?

I ask because I just so happen to have ...