If you own an engine dyno

[ClassAct]

And have an outside water tank how do you keep it from freezing? I’ve got 1200 gallons and it’s going to be in the mid teens at night starting tomorrow night. I’m worried about the tank freezing.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

TIA
CA

[skinny z]

Heat trace tape.
That first and then an insulating blanket.
It's a field standard up here in the Great White North.

[FC-Pilot]

Move to Arizona. We have to keep our tank indoors as the water can get over 130* just in the sun in the summer. Freezing, what’s that?

Paul

Sorry, I could not resist.

[ClassAct]

Move to Arizona. We have to keep our tank indoors as the water can get over 130* just in the sun in the summer. Freezing, what’s that?

Paul

Sorry, I could not resist.

Yeah, it gets pretty hot here in the summer so I’m sure I’ll be dealing with that soon enough lol

[David Redszus]

And have an outside water tank how do you keep it from freezing? I’ve got 1200 gallons and it’s going to be in the mid teens at night starting tomorrow night. I’m worried about the tank freezing.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

TIA
CA

Use anti-freeze.

Calculate how much you may need based on expected temperature.
Not gonna be cheap.

[hoffman900]

Heat tracer tape, insulation, and constant circulation.

This is why pipelines, construction, and just about anything involving liquid in the north costs more. Remember them silly Texans when they tried to save a buck and their natural gas system went down, which only cost the rest of us in the surrounding states when utility companies jacked up their rates to fix that mess...

[ClassAct]

And have an outside water tank how do you keep it from freezing? I’ve got 1200 gallons and it’s going to be in the mid teens at night starting tomorrow night. I’m worried about the tank freezing.

Any ideas or suggestions appreciated.

TIA
CA

Use anti-freeze.

Calculate how much you may need based on expected temperature.
Not gonna be cheap.

I know Superflow suggested some kind of Cat antifreeze or something. I’ll have to look it up. Are you saying regular old antifreeze is good to use?

[JoePorting]

My first thought would be to try and put it inside. Another idea would be to build a plywood framed insulated structure around it and leave a $20 electric heater on inside when it's cold. Another idea might be to put a insulated blanket around it and hook up a water heater to it. Another idea is to just drain the tank during the winter and not use the dyno until early March.

600 gallons of antifreeze sounds really expensive and could make a huge expensive mess if the tank ruptured or leaked.

[rebelrouser]

My tank is inside, but the bay is not really heated. I simply drain the tank down when it gets cold. I am in the country and have my own well so cost of the water is not a big deal, plus the water will smell after a while, so draining keeps it fresh. I don't have that big of a tank, 250 gallons, all the research said I needed bigger, but I have not had any problems.

[PRH]

We just use antifreeze here.
Never an issue.

[ClassAct]

My first thought would be to try and put it inside. Another idea would be to build a plywood framed insulated structure around it and leave a $20 electric heater on inside when it's cold. Another idea might be to put a insulated blanket around it and hook up a water heater to it. Another idea is to just drain the tank during the winter and not use the dyno until early March.

600 gallons of antifreeze sounds really expensive and could make a huge expensive mess if the tank ruptured or leaked.

It’s too big to move inside. I just don’t have the room. Or the height.

I’m really not wanting to do any antifreeze if I don’t have to unless it’s non toxic (if there even is such a thing) because if I do have to drain the tank I don’t want all that antifreeze soaking into my aquifer.

[ClassAct]

We just use antifreeze here.
Never an issue.

At a 50/50 mix or can you mix it lighter? even if I did 75/25 (water/antifreeze) I’d still need 300 gallons!! YIKES!!.

[mt-engines]

Just get an immersion water heater.

[skinny z]

What are the physical dimensions of the tank and what is the length of water line that's also unprotected?

[Racer97]

You can use .motor home antifreeze. It's non toxic