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Fernox Alphi 11 Anti-freeze


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It is approximately 18 months since I rebuilt the engine on my car so I decided it was about time I renewed the anti-freeze - as in sometime during the summer while the weather is good.

In preparation I started doing a bit of research on what to use - remembering a thread on the forum a few years ago on the benefits of Fernox.  Having found the thread and the link to the RR discussion on anti-freeze I checked up on the availability of Fernox Alphi 11 and for those who are interested, PlumbNation are currently offering 5 litres for £58 with free shipping.

I like the idea of the 'greater than 2 year' effectiveness and will be giving it a go.

Here is a link to the PlumbNation webpage.

Fernox Alphi 11 from PlumbNation

Rgds Ian

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MarleyReduced.jpg.a4c957b3830ab39f901a314313379379.jpg

                                               Marley says:

“10 out of 10 cats prefer Fernox Alphi-11  because it will not kill them if they accidentally drink it.”

(Other antifreeze probably doesn’t do dogs much good either, but Marley doesn’t have any dog friends that he can ask.)

https://www.cats.org.uk/northherts/news/the-danger-of-antifreeze

Charlie

Edited by Charlie D
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3 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

It is approximately 18 months since I rebuilt the engine on my car so I decided it was about time I renewed the anti-freeze - as in sometime during the summer while the weather is good.

In preparation I started doing a bit of research on what to use - remembering a thread on the forum a few years ago on the benefits of Fernox.  Having found the thread and the link to the RR discussion on anti-freeze I checked up on the availability of Fernox Alphi 11 and for those who are interested, PlumbNation are currently offering 5 litres for £58 with free shipping.

I like the idea of the 'greater than 2 year' effectiveness and will be giving it a go.

Here is a link to the PlumbNation webpage.

Fernox Alphi 11 from PlumbNation

Rgds Ian

Back to £90 

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5 hours ago, Ian Vincent said:

It is approximately 18 months since I rebuilt the engine on my car so I decided it was about time I renewed the anti-freeze - as in sometime during the summer while the weather is good.

In preparation I started doing a bit of research on what to use - remembering a thread on the forum a few years ago on the benefits of Fernox.  Having found the thread and the link to the RR discussion on anti-freeze I checked up on the availability of Fernox Alphi 11 and for those who are interested, PlumbNation are currently offering 5 litres for £58 with free shipping.

I like the idea of the 'greater than 2 year' effectiveness and will be giving it a go.

Here is a link to the PlumbNation webpage.

Fernox Alphi 11 from PlumbNation

Rgds Ian

£51.95 on plumb2u.com with free delivery.

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15 hours ago, Charlie D said:

MarleyReduced.jpg.a4c957b3830ab39f901a314313379379.jpg

                                               Marley says:

“10 out of 10 cats prefer Fernox Alphi-11  because it will not kill them if they accidentally drink it.”

(Other antifreeze probably doesn’t do dogs much good either, but Marley doesn’t have any dog friends that he can ask.)

https://www.cats.org.uk/northherts/news/the-danger-of-antifreeze

Charlie

How does a cat get the lid off the container? 

How many of animal poisonings with it are accidental? Probably not too many.

Chocolate and grapes are potentially toxic to dogs but would this be a reason to ban them.

 

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They did add bitrex to a lot if not all uk sold anti-freeze which helped animal protection a lot.

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Andy asked:

How does a cat get the lid off the container?  
Our Marley could get into Fort Knox if he thought there was food inside.

“A relatively small amount can prove lethal, one teaspoon (1.4ml) is enough to kill a cat and one tablespoon (4.4ml) for an average 25kg dog.”
That means a spillage on the floor or even diluted in a puddle. Cats can walk in it and then lick their paws.


How many of animal poisonings with it are accidental?
“Animal charity, Cat Protection reported 1,197 cases of anti-freeze poisoning between November 2012 and December 2014.”
I would guess a large percentage of that was accidental. I know some strange people do not like cats, but murdering them with antifreeze seems a bit unlikely.


Yes, they did add bitrex to a lot if not all uk sold anti-freeze, but all that does is make it taste bitter, it is still poisonous.

Chocolate and grapes are potentially toxic to dogs but would this be a reason to ban them.
I’m not suggesting that other antifreeze should be banned, all I’m saying is that by using Fernox Alphi-11 you completely eliminate the chance of a kitty being killed by accidental ingestion.


What a person buys is up to them. But if they care about not killing their (or someone else’s) cat, then they will use Fernox Alphi-11.
Twice as expensive, but lasts 3 times as long.

 

Charlie (and Marley and Jessie + all the other strays that come around for a chat.)

 

 

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Andy,

A quote from Fernox:
" It is important to emphasise that the product was not specifically
designed for automotive use. However it does substantially surpass the
requirements of BS6580 the standard for automotive anti-freeze."

Also see this link (Go to page 20), which explains why Rolls Royce enthusiasts (Cat owning or not) like it.

https://kda132.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NZRRB12-4.pdf

Charlie

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1 minute ago, Andy Moltu said:

About to do the annual coolant flush on the Stag. Do I take punt and try it?

The concern is what happens if any residue of the original reacts and gels.

The concern is what happens if any residue of the original reacts and gels.
 

You’re cattle trucked

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Why on earth do you think that would happen ? It's only propylene glycol. 

https://geohydrosupply.com/content/FERNOX ALPHI 11 5 GALLON MSDS.pdf

 If you are really concerned about it, try mixing a few drops of the old stuff with a bit of the new in a small jar. 

 

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45 minutes ago, Andy Moltu said:

The concern is what happens if any residue of the original reacts and gels.

Andy,

I've read quite a few comments in various places over the years and no one has mentioned that problem.

Maybe drain a bit of your existing antifreeze and mix it with the Fernox and see what happens.

Even heat the two up together to see if that makes a difference.

Maybe worth giving Ian Vincent a PM seeing as he started this thread and seems to be happy giving it a try.

Charlie.

(Rob beat me to it !)

Edited by Charlie D
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13 minutes ago, RobH said:

Why on earth do you think that would happen ? It's only propylene glycol. 

https://geohydrosupply.com/content/FERNOX ALPHI 11 5 GALLON MSDS.pdf

 If you are really concerned about it, try mixing a few drops of the old stuff with a bit of the new in a small jar. 

 

The point is it isn’t just propylene glycol it also contains an inhibitor package as does the existing antifreeze.

There  seems to be a risk mixing some OAT and non-OAT antifreezes resulting in gelling. Was watching one of the videos on the “Arry the Stag” where the gut was doing a coolant flush on a Stag that contained red anti-freeze. He seemed unaware the gel in his header tank was the result of mixing of incompatible products rather than sludge.

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46 minutes ago, Andy Moltu said:

The point is it isn’t just propylene glycol it also contains an inhibitor package as does the existing antifreeze.

Yes you are right Andy.  

Both OAT and non-OAT antifreeze is usually mainly ethylene glycol. From what I have read, the gelling is from the corrosion-inhibiting silicates in the non-OAT antifreeze being precipitated out by the additives in some OAT antifreeze if the two are mixed but not all OAT causes this as the inhibitors vary.  

For it to be a problem you would surely need significant quantities of both in the cooling system.  Even if Alphi-11 did contain the particular nasty additive, and there is no indication that it does,  Is it likely that there would be sufficient silicate residue to cause a problem?  A drain down and flush ought to be more than adequate.  

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  • 1 month later...

A quick update:

I changed the coolant to Fernox Alphi II after giving the engine a thorough flush about a month ago.  Since then I have only driven about 300 miles but it does seem that the engine is running a bit hotter.  For example this afternoon (admittedly when the ambient temperature is about 27 deg C), cruising at between 60 and 70 mph the temperature gauge was sitting at about 180 deg F whereas previously it sat a little bit lower.  However this could also be because I have the Fernox slightly more concentrated than the previous anti-freeze was at circa 50%.  Previously it was at about 30%.

Rgds Ian

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What’s wrong with good old Bluecol mixed 50/50 with water & change it every 2 or 3 years?

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If you change from, say 30% to 50% of the same type of antifreeze your cooling system works harder and you may notice the temperature has risen. This is because the antifreeze chemical has a lower heat capacity than water, hence you've just lowered the heat capacity of the mixture.

Propylene glycol (Fernox Alphi II) does have a lower heat capacity than ethylene glycol (e.g. Bluecol), so your cooling system will have to work a little harder for the same percentage mixture. Even so, I'm happy with Alphi II for the reasons stated in previous posts.

Cheers, Richard

Edited by Spit_2.5PI
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