TIG cooler anti freeze

[munga]

I see a lot of confusion on different sites about whether or not you can use automotive anti freeze in a TIG cooler. My old Bernard cooler has a tag on the top claiming you should use 50-50 automotive anti freeze if it could be subject to freezing as long as there is no leak sealer in the anti freeze. (I have never seen anti freeze that has sealer in it?) I can say as matter of fact that you can use any automotive ethylene glycol in a TIG cooler. The materials used in any chiller or TIG cooler are the same found in an automobile. The older cars had cast iron, brass/copper, aluminum and plastic. Newer cars don't usually have any brass except some heater cores are still brass.Small chillers have no cast iron but maybe stainless, aluminum, brass/copper, plastic. Many industrial chillers use both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol which is probably the main ingredient in TIG fluid. Ethylene glycol also raises the boiling point over distilled water even if you don't need anti freeze. I have seen new coolers that state not to use automotive anti freeze but I suspect this is to sell their own over priced fluid. I use automotive anti freeze in my old Bernard and in a newer cool mate. I hope this helps with any confusion, but might add to it?

[MinnesotaDave]

I'm running dexcool in mine. But I claim no expert knowledge on it being good or bad

[Louie1961]

I don't leave my TIG cooler outside, so I just run distilled water. Works fine.

[munga]

I don't leave mine out side either, but we loose power around here quite frequently.

[sand_man_red]

I understand the 'sealer' is actually just essentially fine sand. If they actually told you what is in it it would be identified as silicates. The worry about the silicates is they may plug up the small passes in the torch and stop flow. I run Dexcool as well. Supposedly no silicates in Dexcool. Been in my cooler in an un-heated garage in MN for two years with no problems.

[Louie1961]

I don't leave mine out side either, but we loose power around here quite frequently.

Me too, but it still hasn't been an issue for me.

[EF5_Tornado]

The thing I would be concerned about (if running coolant) is if you had to disconnect the torch from the cooler often, you would be losing coolant from the lines, and this stuff is highly toxic (and tasty) to pets. This is why I only use distilled water. If the pump needs some sort of lubrication through the seals and pump vanes, you could use Red Line Oils WaterWetter. This stuff is also cosidered non toxic.

[Slob]

Mine is an older procon pump sitting on a Rubbermaid tub and has always had automotive 50/50 ethylene glycol/distilled water mix. Mice like it too so it must be good as it cuts down on my cheese bill having no shop cat any longer.

[rlitman]

The thing I would be concerned about (if running coolant) is if you had to disconnect the torch from the cooler often, you would be losing coolant from the lines, and this stuff is highly toxic (and tasty) to pets. This is why I only use distilled water. If the pump needs some sort of lubrication through the seals and pump vanes, you could use Red Line Oils WaterWetter. This stuff is also cosidered non toxic.

Ethylene glycol is highly toxic, and tasty to pets.
Propylene glycol is neither all that toxic nor tasty, but is about as good as ethylene glycol in all other respects.

[ironmangq]

I understand the 'sealer' is actually just essentially fine sand. If they actually told you what is in it it would be identified as silicates. The worry about the silicates is they may plug up the small passes in the torch and stop flow. I run Dexcool as well. Supposedly no silicates in Dexcool. Been in my cooler in an un-heated garage in MN for two years with no problems.

It's not a fine "sand" it's often a chemical called sodium silicate or "water glass" which is used as a sealant. It forms a gel that hardens into a glass like layer, often used to seal concrete. In it's uncured state it's water clear and flows just like water, dries to a glass hard material though when exposed to air.

[rick9345]

So use a gallon of your favourite Bourbon and some distilled water and every ones happy.

[precivilization]

Called Miller's reps twice about that and have been told to use distilled water and change it about every 6 months. They said better not use deionized water because it has the tendency to get ionized.


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[Dutch Welder]

Running demineralised water and automotive coolant on my DIY cooler, after a few years of use I have recently done a remodel (as the new Tig machine is different in size) and there was no gunk or anything mouldy/lumpy in the reservoir or in the lines, still the same pale blue colour I mixed up. I ran 2 or 3 different torches in those years, so it's not stricktly a closed sytem, but exposed to air from time to time, and it has no detectable adverse effects running this mix instead of specific torch coolant.