Glycol Chilling Systems Simplified

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Glycol and Your Chilling System Explained

Glycol is a class of organic compounds that belong to the alcohol family. When mixed with water and pumped through the pipes of a chilling system, glycol serves to slow the rate of freezing. It helps maintain temperature consistency in the application. Some glycol products also work to inhibit corrosion and bacterial growth within the pipes of the chilling system.

The Two Types of Glycol Compared

Glycol comes in two varieties that should never be mixed together: ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.  Both types offer the same relative level of freeze protection. Both also help to guard against corrosion.  Some grades of both types of glycol also help to prevent the growth of algae and bacteria within the chiller.

Ethylene Glycol

Ethylene glycol is a moderately toxic chemical that has a sweet taste and can be harmful if swallowed. For this reason, it should not be used in potable water or

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol has a lower level of toxicity and is considered to be a food grade antifreeze.  This type of glycol is safer to handle than ethylene and can be more easily disposed of. 

Mixing Water with Glycol in Your Industrial Refrigeration System

Although you should never mix glycol types there is something that should always be added: water. As mentioned, glycol must be mixed with water to function properly. The type and amount of water to use are key factors to consider.

Type of Water to Use

Each glycol chiller comes with its own set of manufacturer recommendations for the best type of water to use for that system. Although city water may be acceptable initially, it is almost never recommended that de-ionized water be maintained for the long term as it could have adverse affects on certain metals in the chiller. Sometimes manufactures require the chiller to use distilled or reverse-osmosis water. The key is to check with the manufacturer for the particular needs of your refrigeration system. Read more about

Ratio of Water to Glycol to Use

Calculating the proper ratio of glycol to water in your chilling system depends on the coldest temperature that the glycol solution will reach during operation. If a chilling system is used indoors where there is no chance of freezing, the amount of glycol needed would be significantly less than required by a glycol chiller used outdoors where temperatures are prone to drop below freezing. Also, if an application requires a very low temperature to operate it should use a glycol mixture similar to that of an outdoor system. In a chilling system, this temperature is normally the saturated suction temperature in the evaporator, and normally this temperature is 10°F below the chiller set point temperature. Using the proper ratio of glycol and water in your chilling system is very important. Adding too much to your chiller system will cause it to become inefficient. However, not enough glycol could cause the system to freeze up, potentially bursting pipes or even rupturing the chiller evaporator.

Learn More About Glycol Chilling Systems

To learn more about how a glycol chiller works or to find out if this system is right for your application,

Berg manufactures glycol chilling systems for a wide variety of industries ranging from food and beverage processing to. Yet, what makes these systems unique and how they operate remains a mystery to many of our current and potential clients. Glycol chillers are industrial refrigeration systems that use a type of antifreeze called glycol, mixed with water, to lower the freezing point in the application of the chilling system. Here are the top three things you should know about glycol chillers.Glycol is a class of organic compounds that belong to the alcohol family. When mixed with water and pumped through the pipes of a chilling system, glycol serves to slow the rate of freezing. It helps maintain temperature consistency in the application. Some glycol products also work to inhibit corrosion and bacterial growth within the pipes of the chilling system.Glycol comes in two varieties that should never be mixed together: ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. Both types offer the same relative level of freeze protection. Both also help to guard against corrosion. Some grades of both types of glycol also help to prevent the growth of algae and bacteria within the chiller.Ethylene glycol is a moderately toxic chemical that has a sweet taste and can be harmful if swallowed. For this reason, it should not be used in potable water ors when leakage is a possibility. Ethylene glycol has more widespread use due to its lower purchase price. Industrial applications likeandrequiring large volumes of the coolant find this to be the most economical choice of glycol.Propylene glycol has a lower level of toxicity and is considered to be a food grade antifreeze. This type of glycol is safer to handle than ethylene and can be more easily disposed of. Propylene glycol is commonly used inor in industrial refrigeration systems where people may come into contact with fluid. Propylene glycol can also become more viscous than ethylene, even slightly affecting the heat exchange rate when used at very low temperatures. It is important to note that you should never mix different types or brand names of glycol, as this leads to the product congealing and the clogging of filters in the refrigeration system &#;potentially causing problems with heat transfer and fluid flow.Although you should never mix glycol types there is something that should always be added: water. As mentioned, glycol must be mixed with water to function properly. The type and amount of water to use are key factors to consider.Each glycol chiller comes with its own set of manufacturer recommendations for the best type of water to use for that system. Although city water may be acceptable initially, it is almost never recommended that de-ionized water be maintained for the long term as it could have adverse affects on certain metals in the chiller. Sometimes manufactures require the chiller to use distilled or reverse-osmosis water. The key is to check with the manufacturer for the particular needs of your refrigeration system. Read more about how process water can affect a chilling system&#;s performance Calculating the proper ratio of glycol to water in your chilling system depends on the coldest temperature that the glycol solution will reach during operation. If a chilling system is used indoors where there is no chance of freezing, the amount of glycol needed would be significantly less than required by a glycol chiller used outdoors where temperatures are prone to drop below freezing. Also, if an application requires a very low temperature to operate it should use a glycol mixture similar to that of an outdoor system. In a chilling system, this temperature is normally the saturated suction temperature in the evaporator, and normally this temperature is 10°F below the chiller set point temperature. Using the proper ratio of glycol and water in your chilling system is very important. Adding too much to your chiller system will cause it to become inefficient. However, not enough glycol could cause the system to freeze up, potentially bursting pipes or even rupturing the chiller evaporator.To learn more about how a glycol chiller works or to find out if this system is right for your application,

How does a glycol cooling system work? If you are trying to achieve better temperature control or cooling, whether because you operate a cooling tower, make wine, or are even worried about your pipes freezing in your building, you may have come across the term glycol. Glycol can help with these goals and many more, but it is important to understand how to use it and how it works so that you can be sure that it is the right fit for you.

What Is Glycol?

Glycol is a type of organic compound that belongs to the alcohol family. It contains two separate types of glycol: ethylene glycol and propylene glycol. Ethylene glycol, commonly used as antifreeze in vehicles and HVAC systems, is known for its sweet taste; however, it is toxic. Propylene glycol is non-toxic and so sees use in a wide variety of consumables, such as cosmetics and oral hygiene products as a preservative and moisture-retaining agent and HVAC systems.

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Glycol Cooling Systems

HVAC Cooling systems can benefit from the addition of glycol because of how it interacts with water. The freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit; however, by mixing glycol with water, its freezing point can be reduced to as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit. This serves a number of uses, the most obvious of which is that it helps to prevent pipes from freezing in cold weather. The low temperatures achievable through the use of glycol are also beneficial in cooling systems, which can remain highly chilled at a lower temperature than would be possible using water alone. This is why glycol cooling systems are becoming more common than ever before.

Glycol Is Pumped Through A Closed Loop System

The first step in setting up a glycol cooling system is to establish a glycol water chiller in a closed loop system. A glycol water chiller is a type of refrigeration system that cools a tub of glycol to reduce its temperature. The glycol is then pushed through a closed circuit of tubing or piping that is connected to the glycol chiller. This circulates cooled glycol and helps to reduce the glycol temperature of whatever is attached to the system.

Heat Exchangers Are Connected to Inlet and Outlet Legs

In order to benefit from the chilling effects of glycol, a cooling system must be connected to the closed loop system established previously. Different systems may use different types of heat exchangers, such as jackets on a tank, stainless steel plate exchangers, stainless steel cooling snakes, or a number of other options. Each vessel that needs to be cooled must connect its heat exchanger(s) to the inlet and outlet legs of the main cooling line.

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Glycol Circulates Through the Heat Exchanger and Cools Vessels

Once the heat exchangers are connected to the main cooling line that is constantly circulating the glycol and water mixture, the glycol will be able to circulate through the heat exchangers and efficiently cool the vessel. Exactly how this system must be set up varies depending upon each individual&#;s needs and the system itself, so working with an experienced cooling system expert can put you on the right track to setting up a safe and effective glycol system in your own building.

Contact The Glycol Cooling System Experts At Tower Water

When considering the addition or improvement of a glycol cooling system, you will benefit from consulting with experts about how to achieve your goals. Everything from the ratio of glycol to water in your system to what temperature you would like to maintain must be achieved through a comprehensive understanding and setup of a glycol system. Most systems use glycol to water in a ratio of one to three, but this may not be right for your situation.
Setting up a glycol system is best done in cooperation with the experts, especially because different brands of glycol should never be mixed and some varieties are toxic.

The experienced technicians at Tower Water set the standard in water treatment and would be happy to assist you in setting up or improving a glycol cooling system. We can do a careful inspection of your current system and make personalized recommendations about how best to integrate glycol cooling into the piping you already have. Reach out to schedule an appointment to speak to an expert and determine what type of glycol is best for you, in what ratio, and how to connect your heat exchangers for the best performance. Call us at (212) 518- or reach out to the experts at Tower Water to schedule a consultation.

For more Glycol Solution for Chillersinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.