One of the most commonly looked over elements in generators is the radiator coolant or “antifreeze”, yet it is one of the most important components to keeping your engine in top notch condition and reducing pre-mature engine wear. Engine coolant is the fluid that “absorbs” heat from the engine and then dissipates it through the radiator, therefore using the correct coolant and mixture directly affects the operating temperature of your engine and its longevity. FG Wilson recommends using a 50/50 mix of ethylene glycol coolant with distilled water, the reason for using distilled water is it’s lack of minerals found in common tap water which can denature the coolant properties and reduce it’s efficiency in the cooling system, some of the advantages of using proper coolant are:
- Increased boiling point over plain water. This characteristic gives the engine an added margin of safety before the engine begins to overheat which can lead to pre-mature engine wear or catastrophic engine failure.
- Lower freezing point over plain water. In regions where extreme low temperatures are present, the coolant adds a level of protection against freezing which can lead to the block cracking due to fluid expansion in the engine passages.
- Rust Inhibitor. Coolant has rust inhibitors that protect against the build up of rust and hard water scaling which is common when using plain water, it can lead to water pump and radiator failures as well as clogging of water passages throughout the engine.
- Flow Increase. Using properly mixed engine coolant can increase the flow of fluid throughout the engine an average of 14% over plain water.
Routine inspections of the coolant is essential for maintaining proper engine protection and periodic replacement of the coolant is important since it is operating in a hot, hostile environment that will cause the coolant to break down over time. Most importantly, the coolants rust inhibitors get used up, leaving the cooling passages throughout your engine and radiator vulnerable to corrosion and contaminating the coolant with debris.
Rafael Heredia
Service Advisor
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