I was expecting you to break out a pipe freezing kit! 😃 Great video. Anyone fitting anti-freeze valves would be well advised to fit a good quality brand. If it is your only method to avoid expensive damage, you want to be sure that they will operate reliabily if they need to.
I have a suggestion for a more representative test: - Put a ball valve on each end of the U pipe. - Open them both, fill the pipe with room-temperature water and close the valves underwater to ensure there's no air inside. - Stick the whole lot in the freezer for a day. (With a container under the valve!) - If it's still intact when you return to it, it's worked. I don't have anything against the test you did, I just thought it would be nice to test the actual scenario it's meant to protect against.
I don’t see how that test proves it works more than mine. The valves are there to stop the unit getting damaged by the freezing water so they operate before the pipes freeze. Why don’t you do your experiment and put it on TH-cam 👍🏻
@@tomkatgastraining The difference is that it shows that the valve does its job (Prevents damage) rather than showing how it works - I got the idea after reading some of the other comments where there was still some confusion and thought that would be more representative. The reason I won't do it myself is that the only anti-freeze valves I have are on our heat pump, if they weren't £100 then sure I'd do it but I have no reason to buy another expensive valve.
@@yngndrw. the video is titled do they work not how do they work. Anyway shame you are not doing the video I would have looked forward to seeing that 👍🏻
Water pressure is not required for the valve to open as you can see from the video and what I have been told is, even under pressure the water comes out the same
If it bitterly cold surely the dripping valve will freeze up . Also the loss of pressure will leave the customer with no heating on a bitterly cold day or am i missing something. Nice too see your videos I have a very curious mind. Paul
Hi Paul. These valves in theory should never have to open, the heat pump itself has a built in state, when the air hits 5 degrees outside and if the heat pump is not in use it will turn on the circulation pump and move water around the system stopping it from freezing, they are just a back up for if you have a power cut and the temperature starts to get cold or freeze.
On days cold that are cold enough to freeze the outside pipes of a monobloc Air-source Heat Pump (which will have water in them), if there is a power cut for long enough, there is a risk that the water will freeze and rupture the pipes inside the outdoor unit. This would be a very expensive failure, so the manufacturers recommend anti-freeze valves so that if the outdoor pipes do get too cold, the water is released before it can freeze and cause any damage. The system will need to be topped up when the power returns.The lack of pressure in the system might well result in the heat pump staying off until it is topped up. This means that anti-freeze valves are not a perfect solution for properties that might be unoccupied for long periods over the winter. It might be better to use anti-freeze in such properties and either just accept the lower Coefficient of Performance (COP) or have a small solar PV installation to offset it.
I would have thought the anti freeze valve has been designed to register the air temp and not the water content. Conclusion, the anti freeze valves do their job. Well done Derek. Does adding antifreeze liquid lubricate the system including the circulation pump bearings? Tap water alone won't wont do that.
Interesting test and appreciate you taking the time to upload all these videos top man
I was expecting you to break out a pipe freezing kit! 😃 Great video. Anyone fitting anti-freeze valves would be well advised to fit a good quality brand. If it is your only method to avoid expensive damage, you want to be sure that they will operate reliabily if they need to.
Brilliant Demo ❤
Thank you great video
🤘😎🤘
I have a suggestion for a more representative test:
- Put a ball valve on each end of the U pipe.
- Open them both, fill the pipe with room-temperature water and close the valves underwater to ensure there's no air inside.
- Stick the whole lot in the freezer for a day. (With a container under the valve!)
- If it's still intact when you return to it, it's worked.
I don't have anything against the test you did, I just thought it would be nice to test the actual scenario it's meant to protect against.
I don’t see how that test proves it works more than mine. The valves are there to stop the unit getting damaged by the freezing water so they operate before the pipes freeze. Why don’t you do your experiment and put it on TH-cam 👍🏻
@@tomkatgastraining The difference is that it shows that the valve does its job (Prevents damage) rather than showing how it works - I got the idea after reading some of the other comments where there was still some confusion and thought that would be more representative.
The reason I won't do it myself is that the only anti-freeze valves I have are on our heat pump, if they weren't £100 then sure I'd do it but I have no reason to buy another expensive valve.
@@yngndrw. the video is titled do they work not how do they work. Anyway shame you are not doing the video I would have looked forward to seeing that 👍🏻
I think the only thing missing here is the water pressure, as this experiment is done without any incoming pressure.
Water pressure is not required for the valve to open as you can see from the video and what I have been told is, even under pressure the water comes out the same
They definitely work in process of fitting them on new build housing
Nice experiment though mate
If it bitterly cold surely the dripping valve will freeze up . Also the loss of pressure will leave the customer with no heating on a bitterly cold day or am i missing something. Nice too see your videos I have a very curious mind.
Paul
Hi Paul. These valves in theory should never have to open, the heat pump itself has a built in state, when the air hits 5 degrees outside and if the heat pump is not in use it will turn on the circulation pump and move water around the system stopping it from freezing, they are just a back up for if you have a power cut and the temperature starts to get cold or freeze.
I dont understand the principal
Quite simple to stop an heat pump from freezing if there is a loss of power the valves drain out the water
On days cold that are cold enough to freeze the outside pipes of a monobloc Air-source Heat Pump (which will have water in them), if there is a power cut for long enough, there is a risk that the water will freeze and rupture the pipes inside the outdoor unit. This would be a very expensive failure, so the manufacturers recommend anti-freeze valves so that if the outdoor pipes do get too cold, the water is released before it can freeze and cause any damage. The system will need to be topped up when the power returns.The lack of pressure in the system might well result in the heat pump staying off until it is topped up. This means that anti-freeze valves are not a perfect solution for properties that might be unoccupied for long periods over the winter. It might be better to use anti-freeze in such properties and either just accept the lower Coefficient of Performance (COP) or have a small solar PV installation to offset it.
Ye you need to have it in a real system and chill from inside and outside. And how is this to stop the pipe from freezing up
I think that's why it operates a good few degrees above 0C, so that it's empty before it gets down to zero.
I would have thought the anti freeze valve has been designed to register the air temp and not the water content. Conclusion, the anti freeze valves do their job. Well done Derek.
Does adding antifreeze liquid lubricate the system including the circulation pump bearings? Tap water alone won't wont do that.
You need to put inhibitors into the system like x700 for low temperature systems
🔧 pipe on