ACtion Magazine - November/December 2014 - (Page 37)

Properly mixing coolant Kevin Coshin By Steve Schaeber A refractometer gives you a precise measurement of the coolant's freezing point. Here's an issue that comes up every once in a while when I am mixing antifreeze for a customer's vehicle: How to properly mix the coolant and water to ensure a correct 50/50 ratio? I suppose purchasing pre-diluted coolant would take the guessing game and extra work out of the equation, but I like to mix my own. I'm sure there are many opinions regarding this topic, so I'm going to explain the way I do it, and then ask for your comments. There will likely be many, since everyone seems to have their own way of doing it. I start out with two, one-gallon antifreeze jugs, one new and one empty. The ﬁrst thing I do is mark the full level on the new bottle, so I know how much I started out with. Then, I pour half of the new coolant into the empty bottle, and check to make sure they're both at the same level. That way I know I have the same amount of new coolant in each bottle. Next, I top off both coolant bottles with distilled water, up to the same level that it was when full. Doing this gets me pretty darn close to a perfect 50/50 mixture of coolant in each bottle, so I end up having two full gallons of pre-mixed coolant to ﬁll the vehicle's cooling system with. Here's where I take things just one step further. Before I use the coolant, I get out my refractometer and test the new mix to make sure it reads -34°F on the scale. Maybe you'd say I'm going a bit overboard by taking this step (I've sure heard that one before), but I like to ensure that the mixture I'm going to put in the vehicle is actually going to provide the freezing protection required. Not only that, but if any corrections need to be made, it's much easier to do before it's been poured into the system. There have been plenty of times that I ﬁlled a cooling system with an incorrect mixture, then had to drain it back out to make the correction. Unfortunately, dirt has a way of getting into that drained coolant no matter how clean the system or vehicle seems to be. Then that dirt would have to be strained or settled out if the antifreeze is to be reused, taking more time and causing further delays. How does your shop do it? Gallon jugs? Pure bulk? Pre-diluted? Drop a line to Steve@macsw.org and let us know! ❆ IN AN EMERGENCY, YOUR VEHICLE MUST BE READY FOR ACTION - PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY COUNT. T/CCI's high-performance compressors ensure that vehicles are emergency ready and that ﬁrst responders are able to count on their vehicle to be cool when they need it. With a full line of compressors ready to meet the needs of your particular vehicle, T/CCI can help you ﬁnd the solution that ﬁts best for your needs. Reader Reply Tccimfg.com | sales@TCCIMFG.com | 217-422-0055 November/December 2014 * ACtion 37 http://www.tccimfg.com/ http://www.tccimfg.com/ http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS/Publications/ACtion_Reader_Reply/MACS/Publications/ACTION/ACtion_Reader_Reply.aspx?hkey=ac24bddb-c045-442a-813c-cbf05f88ac4d

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - November/December 2014

MACS 2015
2015 Buyer's Guide
Outlook
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Service Port
Last Watch
Member Profile
By the Numbers
Cooling Corner
Industry News
Association News
Letter to the editor

ACtion Magazine - November/December 2014