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[yoda]

 Was wondering how many people run antifreeze in their system. Has anyone run a year without antifreeze, then a year with? I've read it doesn't transfer heat as well as water. Has anyone had any practical experience? my gut tells me you wouldn't notice a difference in performance.
 This is my first year and I'm running plain water, a couple a weeks ago it was -25 and the power was flickering at my house. I never lost power but it got me a worrying. I think I may add antifreeze next year for peace of mind.

[willieG]

i run straight water but I tend to agree with you that the difference in heat transfer would not be noticable and  you could in fact make your water a mix  (not straight antifreeze) and it would be fine

however if your power goes out and no water is moving your furnace will stay warm a long long time and the pipes in the ground as well

i have my stove and blower in the house wired to a small 3000 watt generator and never worry about it, but before i bought my little generator i considered just  draining the stove and the underground lines in an emergency situation

[yoda]

I'm kinda on the fence right now, a generator or antifreeze? The thing I like about the antifreeze is if your away from home a few days.  Then again that would give me an reason not to go anywhere in the winter, the older I get the more of a home body I'm becoming.  My wife says I'm antisocial

[Jason]

Last winter we had no power for about a day in a bitter cold snap.  Of course, without power the blower in my Hardy didn't run all day and the fire smoldered down to almost nothing.  All I did was open the door a couple times throughout the day long enough for the fire to get rolling again.  That kept everything from freezing but it's really not a solution for a long term emergency situation.

[yoda]

 I'm not to woried about the furnace freezing, but I also heat my shop and only keep it around 40 in there most of the time, I don't think it would take long for my heat exchanger and my pex lines to freeze in there.

[willieG]

I'm not to woried about the furnace freezing, but I also heat my shop and only keep it around 40 in there most of the time, I don't think it would take long for my heat exchanger and my pex lines to freeze in there.

yoda, i made a small heat exchanger at the back of my stove that holds about ten gallons of my return water from the house,,,inside this i have a 50' coil of 1/2 copper that is in fact a "closed system with an expansion tank that holds about 6 gallons..this 6 gallons is atifreeze mix to about -20 it has its own pump and if i am not going to be using the shop i leave it off...turn it on the night before and it is warm in the morning or on real cold nights i leave it on and let the dogs sleep in there in comfort

[thorny]

 Yoda !!      We must be near the same age.My wife & I are both laughing about the anti-social comment.---Thanks for the New Year Grin !!!----------Thorny   

[yoda]

 I tell her I'm not antisocial, I just don't like people. Have a good New Year.