Glycol fluid care

The decomposition rate of glycol varies according to the degree of aeration, high temperature exposure and the service life of the solution. Most water/glycol solutions require periodic monitoring of the pH level and the corrosion inhibitors. The pH should be maintained between 6.5 and 8.0. Replacement of the water/glycol solution may be as often as every 12–24 months or even sooner in high temperature systems. If these solutions are used in the collector loop, the installer should specify the expected life of the solution and the amount of monitoring required. The cost of periodic fluid replacement and monitoring should be considered in the economic analysis. For best performance, the glycol should be replaced every few years. Since glycol-water mixtures do require a lot of maintenance (and since users can be quite negligent) it is recommended that glycols not be used in family housing solar heating and DHW systems, and that glycol-water solutions be reserved for use in large-scale installations, which have regular maintenance schedules.

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