Oil filled EKO?

[Dave T]

Not that I am ready to try it but Is there a reason that oil can not be used to fill a boiler instead of water..I would think oil temps would exceed water temps when heated.. Boiler protection would be a thing of the past because oil don't freeze very well. Oil would never oxidize the steel....BUT leaks would be potentally catastrophic..Would the oil sludge under these circumstances. Could a boiler pump move oil? Any and all comments welcome THANKS DAVE

 

[steam man]

I belive there was a post on the forum months ago about using oil as a medium. Oil will have a higher viscosity and require more power to pump. Not only that but when the temperature is low, usually well above freezing, such as a start up, the oil will have to be above a certain temperature just to get pumping. Water has a higher specific heat and can move a lot of btu's efficiently. The cost? water is cheap-oil is not. I wouldn't want to deal with a leak. Even antifreeze in a system has a higher head by factor of 1.3 which requires more power to pump. Water can be treated for corrosion.

I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet. That's all I can think of for the moment.

Mike

 

[Toast]

Water has a specific heat of 4.18j/g C. Oils very from 1.7 - 2.6. That means that for the same volume of oil, water can hold twice as much heat as oil.

 

[Nofossil]

Not only that, but water doesn't break down over time or at temperature. If water were really expensive, we'd look at it as the heat transfer material of choice. It's only because it's cheap that we look down on it.

Now, if you really want some exotic heat transfer fluids, alcohol has a lower viscosity than water and a lower boiling point. You can have a phase change system at much more efficient temperatures.

On the other end of the spectrum, sodium also works really well for high temperature heat transfer. You have to be careful to keep it from freezing, though - it has a nasty habit of being solid at room temperature.

Like oil, they both are explosive under ordinary operating conditions.

Even if cost were no object, It's hard to do better than water,

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Not uncommon to add radiator fluid to forced water systems to reduce freeze hazards.

 

[Eric Johnson]

It's not uncommon, but it's a bad idea. If you're going to use antifreeze, get heating system glycol, which is nontoxic.

 

[Dave T]

Thanks for the input it was something I tossed around it my head but needed some real input on the situation..I have enough of an alcohol input for this house I don't want competition from the boiler LOL.. Water is cheap! What is the name of the PH stabilizer that is not antifreeze? I can see needing this with my water.. THANKS DAVE