Freeze warning concerns

[Buick35]

I live in central Florida and it's supposed to get down to 32 degrees or a little lower on Sunday night.I don't have any antifreeze in my cooling system but my car stays in a not heated garage.I'm wondering if I should add antifreeze. Greg.

[Joe Cocuzza]

It can't hurt.....

[JACK M]

If its only going to be 32 degrees for one night You could use the old light bulb under the hood trick.

Or maybe a small heater under the car.

It takes a pretty hard and long freeze to crack an engine.

You will probably find that it wont get as cold in your garage than it gets outside.

[JamesR]

Just now, JACK M said:

 You could use the old light bulb under the hood trick.

Or maybe a small heater under the car.

It takes a pretty hard and long freeze to crack an engine.

You will probably find that it wont get as cold in your garage than it gets outside.

 

What Jack said represents a prevalent approach here in the upper Midwest, though we all use antifreeze. If your garage is attached, you could also leave the door between the garage and house open. A thermometer in the garage tells you what's going on. When it got to 27 below last winter in my unheated storage unit, I put like four higher wattage light bulbs under the hood and a rubber mat for insulation over them. Just in case. According to my temp gun my engine was kept about 15 to 20 degrees warmer by the light bulbs.

[Buick35]

Thanks,I think I'll be alrigt.I might try the light bulb .

[Bloo]

If it's only 32 you would be fine with the bulb. If it's only 32 you would be fine without the bulb, but I would not even consider trusting it. Yes the bulb trick was common in the old days, but it is also true that people often got surprised when the weather did something unexpected and cracked the block. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, it needs to be an incandescent light bulb. Not everyone has those laying around anymore. Back in the day the old style metal cage trouble lights were used. Make sure its not touching or heating up anything that could burn.

 

If it were me, I would put some antifreeze in and run the engine until warm to mix it. The thing is, if you have ANY antifreeze, there is more of a tendency for it to slush up than just freeze like water would. That allows you to get away with a little more cheating than you can with straight water. I'd get a gallon of Valvoline-Zerex G-05 concentrate as it is less foam prone than some other common options, and that can really matter in old non-pressurized systems. It probably won't cause you trouble by foaming when you start driving again. Even a half gallon of concentrate could really help save you in a sudden unexpected cold snap.

 

But yeah. if its really only 32, and it is not going to go on for a day or more, it shouldn't freeze. The garage will also slow down the freeze process.

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

Cost of a gallon of antifreeze - $20 bucks or less Cost of a block - $/hundreds.  Assurance it won't crack - priceless!

Buy the anti freeze, your car will probably run cooler with it.  We live in SC when it gets in the high twenties our garage is about the high 40's or if it was really warm that day maybe the low 50's -  just don't open the door once it starts to get cold or after sunset. 

dave s 

[8E45E]

Agreed.  A gallon of a/f will cost less than what an equivalent Orange Julius will cost if the cold does any lasting damage.

 

Craig

[Trulyvintage]

Freezing is a concern for me when I pick up a vehicle that has been kept in a warmer climate and I am transporting it to acclimate that experiences extended periods of below freezing weather.

 

during the winter time I routinely travel roads where the temperature average can be in the low teens or single digits.

 

if that is the case then I will remind both the buyer and the seller to winterize the car or vehicle.

 

 

Jim

[Terry Bond]

Antifreeze does protect from freezing, but also contains rust inhibitors and lubricant that helps the water pump.  We keep it in our cars year-round. 

Terry

[alsancle]

Is the garage insulated? If it is I doubt it will go below 40 or even 50 if the outside temp is 32.

 

 

[rocketraider]

Draining the cooling system is also an option.

 

I keep a gallon plastic jug or two of distilled water in the garage, and even in the teens overnight temps we've had the past couple weeks the DI water hasn't frozen.

 

Bottom line is do what you're comfortable with.

[John348]

Anti-freeze or draining the block is a lot cheaper then a block or a cylinder head, why take a chance?

[Fossil]

It's my understanding that antifreeze not only protects from freezing but also to help transfer heat and keep the engine running cooler in hot climates. It also protects your cooling system from corrosion. I wouldn't run a car without it in the cooling system no matter where I live. Do new cars in your area come with anti-freeze installed? I don't know but imagine they do.  

[Graham Man]

If you are using water you should also be running water pump lubricant, it adds water soluble oil to the water... also lowers freezing temperature slightly. 

 

Why risk it? I would use antifreeze. 

 

If you want to be more environmentally kind, use any of the new colored antifreezes they are pet safe and are more environmentally friendly. (Look for propylene glycol on the label).  Don't mix colors or types, makes mud in your coolant system.

[Buick35]

10 hours ago, Graham Man said:

If you are using water you should also be running water pump lubricant, it adds water soluble oil to the water... also lowers freezing temperature slightly. 

 

Why risk it? I would use antifreeze. 

 

If you want to be more environmentally kind, use any of the new colored antifreezes they are pet safe and are more environmentally friendly. (Look for propylene glycol on the label).  Don't mix colors or types, makes mud in your coolant system.

I am using a rust inhibitor/water pump lubriant.someone on on this forum( I wont mention his name) said that straight water cools better and here in Florida we don't need any anti freeze.

[TAKerry]

You should be fine with no additives but I would just because. 

Its 12 deg right now and I would bet its just under 30 in my garage. Its attached to the house, protected on 3 sides 1 is the heated house. I have an unheated finished room above. All walls and ceiling are insulated.  Even when its in the mid to upper 20's outside the temps in the garage do not dip below freezing. We keep water bottles by the case out there, although the water is nice and cold, I havent seen it freeze yet.

[Graham Man]

Yes, water has a better heat rate transfer than all antifreezes, if that is causing overheating issues, you have other cooling issues.  My 1933 Graham had water in it all its life, pulled about 3 pounds of rust out of the engine block, the water distribution plate was gone.  New SS water distribution plate, and antifreeze, it runs about 25% cooler, about 180F.

 

The corrosion protection offered by the new antifreezes is why I would use them, and you don't have to worry about freezing.  Bad part is, the corrosion protection only lasts about 5 years and should be replaced.

 

 

You can see most of the holes are blocked

 

 

Lots of pressure washing and using a coat hanger to get out rust chunks

 

 

New laser cut stainless steel water distribution plate going in, water jacket covers this plate.

 

[Larry Schramm]

15 hours ago, Fossil said:

Do new cars in your area come with anti-freeze installed? I don't know but imagine they do.  

 

All new vehicles come with coolant/antifreeze and have for decades.  Standard factory fill.

[28 Chrysler]

The ground temp. will keep things warm inside. My place says in the mid 40s when it drops down into the 20s.

A hard freeze won't happen until the temperature is below 32°for an extended period of time.  

[avgwarhawk]

Simply open the garage door.  Run the engine to operating temp and let it warm up the surrounding area.  Shut it down.  Close the garage.  Let the hot engine keep it warm through the night.     

[alsancle]

18 hours ago, alsancle said:

Is the garage insulated? If it is I doubt it will go below 40 or even 50 if the outside temp is 32.

 

 

I never saw if this question was answered? If the garage is insulated and you’re talking about Temps going to 30° there’s nothing to worry about.

[edinmass]

Here in southern Florida I run water with cutting oil. Just drain it as it can go in the sewer......no freeze issue. We are going to get to 37............and the AC is on in the shop today. I expect it will only bottom out for 12 hours or less. Myself, I would dump whatever you have in it.....why risk it?

[Buick35]

5 minutes ago, alsancle said:

I never saw if this question was answered? If the garage is insulated and you’re talking about Temps going to 30° there’s nothing to worry about.

It's a detached non insulated garage.Someday I'll get around to insulating it.

[junkyardjeff]

I had jugs of water in a unheated garage that did not freeze up when it got to the upper teens so you should be ok.

[Grimy]

Suggest you get an inexpensive but pretty accurate thermometer and leave it in the garage to establish baseline numbers.  I use a button-battery-powered digital thermometer with a suction cup designed for putting outside a kitchen window to view outside temps.  My alarm system console shows outside temps, so the thermometer got moved to the garage.

 

I'm in the SF Bay Area where we drop below freezing for a couple of nights only once maybe every three or four years.  My big garage insulated with R-11 and 5/8 sheetrock over 30 years ago never drops below 54* overnight even during cold snaps (if I keep the doors closed), and never exceeds 72* (again, with doors closed) even during >90* hot spells (3 or 4 per summer).  My point is that your garage may not get as close to outside temps as you think, so collect data now for the future.

 

As I've mentioned on other threads, my cars with unpressurized cooling system use distilled water and Pencool additive (big rig additive for anti-corrosion).  When we've been on fall tours where temps would drop to 25* or so and the car will be in a hotel parking lot, I'm quick to add a gallon or two of anti-freeze, not a full 50% mix, which I keep in the trailer for that purpose.

[John Kelso]

 

Here is what happened when the previous owner left water in my car. Did I mention

not a cheap repair job. Fortunately the 3rd cylinder wasn't this bad.