• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
1460 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
  • About
  • Blog
  • News
  • Careers
  • Clients
  • FAQs
  • Resources
  • Team
Tower Water Site Logo

Tower Water

NYC Cooling Tower & HVAC Water Treatment Services

Call Us: 212.518.6475 Toll-Free: 888.539.1559 Schedule Consultation
  • (212) 518-6475
  • Schedule Consultation
  • Cleaning & Water Treatment
    • Assessment
    • Glycol Systems
    • Filtration Solutions
    • HVAC Systems
    • Legionella Compliance
    • Remote HVAC Monitoring
    • Specialty Pipes
    • Sustainable Water Treatment
  • Legionella Compliance
    • Service
      • Prevention
      • Remediation
      • Risk Assessments
      • Sampling
      • Summons & Violations
      • Testing
      • Water Management
    • Industry
      • Educational Facilities
      • Commercial Buildings
      • Healthcare Facilities
      • Residential Buildings
      • Retirement Facilities
      • Heavy Industrial Industry
      • Light Industrial Industry
    • System
      • Cooling Towers
      • Domestic Hot Water
      • Fountains, Water Features & Pools
  • Cooling Tower Services
    • Cleaning
    • Compliance
    • Maintenance
    • Water Treatment
    • Decommissioning
  • Consulting & Estimating
    • Mechanical Estimating
    • Specification Consulting
    • Water Treatment Consulting
  • Resources
    • Forms & Brochures
    • Multimedia
    • SDS & Product Bulletins
    • Training & Education
    • Water Change Calculator
  • About
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • Clients
    • FAQs
    • Team

What Is Glycol?

November 9, 2020, by Tower Water

glycol cooling system top of a large new york city buildingWhat is glycol? If you are in charge of managing a cooling or water system, you may have heard of glycol as one possible component. Glycol is used in some water systems to keep the temperature low and consistent. However, if you are considering taking advantage of the benefits of a glycol cooling system to reduce temperatures or prevent freezing, it is important that you understand what types that exist so that you can make a safe and informed decision.

Definition of Glycol

green liquid wondering what is glycolGlycol is an organic compound belonging to the alcohol family. It is more commonly referred to as antifreeze, and it is known to have a sweet taste. However, it can be toxic and is generally fluorescent dyed or clear and slightly oily in terms of consistency.

The Two Types of Glycol

Glycol is an overarching term that encompasses a number of separate chemical formulae. This is why understanding the type that you may need and how it will be used is important; some options are toxic, and others are much safer.

Ethylene Glycol

Ethylene glycol and its derivatives are more toxic and should be used with care. It is most commonly used as antifreeze in automobiles, brake fluid, HVAC Systems, and some human-made fibers. It is derived from ethylene oxide, which comes from ethylene.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is the non-toxic variant. It is similar to ethylene in its physical properties but is used frequently in foods, oral hygiene products, cosmetics, and HVAC Systems. It helps to preserve materials and retain moisture.

Glycol Uses

In addition to its uses mentioned previously, glycol serves a number of purposes in cooling systems and water systems. One important factor to note is that it is important never to mix different types or brands in your systems, no matter what function you are hoping to achieve; this can cause it to congeal, clog your equipment and leave freeze temperatures virtually unknown.

Glycol Cooling Systems

large silver glycol cooling system in a building basementIn cooling systems, the primary purpose of glycol is to help the system stay as consistently cold as possible without freezing. When glycol is mixed with water, the freezing point of the water drops as low as -60 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that a system that needs to keep large areas cool, such as at an ice rink, can remain frigid and even below the freezing point of water without freezing itself.

In order to calculate how much water to glycol is needed for the solution that is used in the chilling system, you will need to calculate what temperature the system will need to achieve. This temperature is typically just the saturated suction temperature in the evaporator, which tends to be approximately 10°F below the chiller set point temperature. Normal HVAC system temperature call for 35-45% solutions with protection between -10*F to + 10*F.

Used in Closed-Loop Water Systems

In closed-loop water systems, glycol can serve an additional purpose besides simply regulating water temperature. As its more common name “antifreeze” suggests, glycol can prevent the water in a closed-loop water system from freezing. This protects pipes from bursting or cracking as ice crystals form and keeps systems safe from exposure to freezing temperatures. Ethylene glycol is the standard in the industry for freeze protection, but it is not always the right choice. Because it can be toxic, using ethylene glycol in systems where food or drinking water is nearby may be a risk.

Also discharge into surface or sanitary water systems could be an environmental issue. In these instances, such as food service, propylene glycol is more common. However, the freezing point of propylene glycol is not quite as low as that of ethylene glycol, so understanding which option is right for you will require a close examination of your system and your situation by an expert.

Contact the Cooling Tower Water Experts at Tower Water

cooling tower water technician cleaning a glycol cooling system on outside buildingIf you are considering how either ethylene or propylene may be able to improve the function of your water system or cooling system, you may feel confused about how to determine which option is right for you. Determining the proper ratio of glycol to water, which type to use, and how often it should be replaced is not something you can typically figure out on your own. This is why working with a skilled expert in water systems is critical.

The water treatment technicians at Tower Water set the standard in treatment options such as glycol and would be happy to assist you in examining your unique situation and creating a plan. Glycol offers additional benefits such as corrosion protection, and some types can also help you combat algae and bacterial growth. To understand which type of glycol is best for your system and how to set it up for long-term efficiency, call us at (212) 518-6475 or reach out to the experts at Tower Water to schedule a consultation. We can protect and enhance your system for years to come, but you must be sure to set it up correctly when you start.

blog categories iconGlycol Systems

Primary Sidebar

Have A Question? Reach out!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Footer

Tower Water

Headquarters 5 Shirley Avenue Somerset, NJ 08873 New York City 1460 Broadway New York, NY 10036 Direct: (212) 518-6475 Toll-Free: (888) 539-1559
Schedule Consultation

Cleaning & Water Treatment

  • Assessment
  • Glycol Systems
  • Filtration Solutions
  • HVAC Systems
  • Legionella Compliance
  • Remote HVAC Monitoring
  • Specialty Pipes
  • Sustainable Water Treatment

Legionella Compliance

  • Prevention
  • Remediation
  • Risk Assessments
  • Sampling
  • Water Management Plans
  • Summons & Violations
  • Testing

Cooling Tower Services

  • Cleaning
  • Decommissioning
  • Compliance
  • Maintenance
  • Water Treatment

States

  • New York City
  • New Jersey
  • New York State

© 2023 Tower Cleaning Plus, Inc. · Powered by 321 Web Marketing · Website Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Receive important information for your NYC cooling tower.