Which alcohol to mix in with water?

Sti-lysh · 04-04-2005, 08:14 AM

Im curious as to what alcohol you use to mix in with the i/c sprayer in our trunk. Alcohol cools more efficiently. Do you use rubbing alcohol? I just dont want it to smell really bad every time you spray it.

stardust · 04-04-2005, 03:00 PM

i like to use bourbon or that really expensive vodka. they seem to cool the best out of everything else i have tried.

**Turninconcepts.com** · 04-04-2005, 03:02 PM

No alcohol. Manual and cap on top of tank say water only.

SharpJDMSTiShifter · 04-04-2005, 03:25 PM

well the only time u use methonal or alcohol is with a water injector system and as a other member stated "No alcohol. Manual and cap on top of tank say water only"

smurfm3 · 04-05-2005, 06:39 PM

I ran 50/50 Methanol/water in the IC sprayer. You are right that alcohol cools better because it evaporates faster. Just any store bought bottled rubbing alcohol will work. The IC sprayer is useless once you're at speed anyway. It's only good for cooling the IC when it's heat soaked like at a stoplight or at the strip or track and getting ready for a run. But what are a couple drops of water to the amount of cooling the huge hood scoop provides at 60mph?

thrlskr · 04-05-2005, 07:16 PM

How about windshield washer fluid? It's cheap and clean and contains alcohol and water.

luSTI · 04-06-2005, 11:05 AM

i dont understand how u think alcohol would cool better. imean correct me if im wrong but it cooling quickly doesnt mean it cools better. infact it means it cools less. water would cool much better than alcohol in my understanding because it has a higher specific heat than alcohol so when the water evaporates it takes more heat with it (in a nutshell). this is why alcohol evaporates so quickly because it had a low specific heat so it takes less energy to make it evaporate thus cooling off your intercooler less.

**TRM** · 04-06-2005, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luSTI

i dont understand how u think alcohol would cool better. imean correct me if im wrong but it cooling quickly doesnt mean it cools better. infact it means it cools less. water would cool much better than alcohol in my understanding because it has a higher specific heat than alcohol so when the water evaporates it takes more heat with it (in a nutshell). this is why alcohol evaporates so quickly because it had a low specific heat so it takes less energy to make it evaporate thus cooling off your intercooler less.

you're logic is correct. and personally i wouldn't want to be letting anything flamable make it's way to the engine below the IC.

drdome99 · 04-06-2005, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRM

you're logic is correct. and personally i wouldn't want to be letting anything flamable make it's way to the engine below the IC.

lol that is what i was thinking

Max-Q · 04-06-2005, 08:31 PM

The mechanic at the dealership said they were told to run a mix of 35% rubbing alcohol and 65% water to keep the system from freezing. He said not to run windshield washer solution as that will stain or discolor the intercooler.

imaaaron · 04-06-2005, 08:39 PM

I was using Isopropyl alcohol (drygas) in my gas in the winter. For the heck of it I put 1 ounce in the tank to see if it would keep it from freezing. Surprisingly, it did.

Alcohol feels like it cools faster on human skin because it evaporates faster. I can't see alcohol cooling any faster than water

rev_happy_sti · 04-06-2005, 08:48 PM

i just used barely any rubbing alcohol in it, i just didnt want stuff growing in it. probably less than a cup would be ok.

donmei · 04-07-2005, 08:26 PM

a little alcohol is all you need. Any alcohol. Denatured, rubbing, even vodka or grain. Its all the same stuff, just denatured/rubbing has some methyl alcohol in it to make it so you can't drink it.

smurfm3 - your analysis of the effectiveness of the ic spray, couldn't be more wrong. the cooling effect of the spray requires the water to evaporate while its still on the intercooler core. For that to happen requires airflow.

Go stand out in a 60 mph breeze while dripping wet and tell me if its colder than when you're dry.

lusti - I'm a physics geek / almost engineer and have been struggling with the whole issue of specific heat (in water's favor) vs vapor pressure (in alcohol's favor).

Water will take more heat with it when it evaporates. But - how much water just runs out the bottom of the intercooler finning without evaporating?? I don't know the answer to that. But if this is happening, then maybe adding somethig to raise the volatility will help with cooling, even if its specific heat of vaporization is lower?? I don't know. This is really something that needs to be tested.

The botom line is that you should add some alcohol to your resevoir to keep the algae from growing in the bottle. I don't know if it helps or hurts, but I dug a big green blob out of the bottle when I picked up the car when it was new and don't want to do it again.

Re the bottle saying to use water only - think about it, they are trying to prevent people from putting washer fluid in it. Although I can't think of how that would hurt.

Don

**TRM** · 04-08-2005, 02:15 AM

because water has a much higher specific heat and won't evaporate as quickly it actually will pull more heat (energy) from IC as it travels across the veins and drips out the bottom. it does not have to evaporate quickly to be effective.

remember this is conduction - mainly because with the system as it's designed nothing sits around evaporating anyway - air forces the liquid to move on. as the water travels across the veins of the IC, energy is transfered from contact with the metal. the only other substance that is liquid at room temperature which would be more effective with thermal conduction is Mercury. you might think oil would be good in this aspect, but because of it's density and low thermal conductivity it actually detracts from the fact that it has a higher specific heat than water.

it is also incorrect to think that because alcohol evaporates quickly (vapor pressure?) it is more effective at cooling. again, it's physics... water carries more heat with it in the process regardless of vapor pressure. a liquid with a lower specific heat takes less energy to vaporize.

so why does it "feel" like alcohol would be more effective at cooling? after all i can dip my finger into it and it evaporates fast, and rapidly cools my finger? if i did this with water, it would just take far longer to evaporate and i wouldn't notice much of a cooling effect.

answer: now, we all know how the human body regulates temperature right? we sweat. sweat is evaporation. if you just sweat and the water stays on your skin, you don't get any cooler. this is why when it's 95 degrees and 95% relative humidity your clothes get soaked...the water isn't coaxed into evaporating into a high humidity environment.

we also know that we actually can be cooler in a high heat low humidity environment, i.e., Arizona in August. you may not feel much cooler but your body has a much easier time at regulating the temp as you sweat. the sweat evaporates so quickly you might not even realize it. i always thought it fun to take a dip in the hotel pool in Vegas mid-summer and not need a towel when you get out of the pool...you dry-off through evaporation within a few minutes. kinda' like the finger dipped in alcohol effect.

so the IC sprayer is the same thing as the body except the water is from an external source, not the IC. but the IC system has one significant advantage to compensate for the fact that evaporation is not likely in most cases due to the environment. it's got significant air movement and pressure to move the water compared to a system just sitting still.

Ol'SaltyBastard · 04-08-2005, 05:39 AM

I thought algae required sunlight to grow??

Anyways, alcohol, no alcohol, I seriously doubt that you would be able to measure any difference from spraying your intercooler with water vs. water and alcohol mixed.

04-04-2005, 08:14 AM	#1
Sti-lysh Professional STI Racer Car: O5 OBP STi Fav Mod: Volk LE28N Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 831 Join Date: Jul 2004 Trader Rating: (2)	Which alcohol to mix in with water? Im curious as to what alcohol you use to mix in with the i/c sprayer in our trunk. Alcohol cools more efficiently. Do you use rubbing alcohol? I just dont want it to smell really bad every time you spray it. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

04-04-2005, 03:25 PM	#4
SharpJDMSTiShifter Lurker Car: drag,rally ect Fav Mod: student Location: jam/kin/estate Posts: 7 Join Date: Oct 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	well the only time u use methonal or alcohol is with a water injector system and as a other member stated "No alcohol. Manual and cap on top of tank say water only" Last edited by SharpJDMSTiShifter : 04-04-2005 at 03:32 PM.

04-08-2005, 05:39 AM	#15
Ol'SaltyBastard Spec C Club Car: 1983 Mercedes Benz 3 Location: N. Kentucky/Cinci Posts: 1,464 Join Date: Feb 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	I thought algae required sunlight to grow?? Anyways, alcohol, no alcohol, I seriously doubt that you would be able to measure any difference from spraying your intercooler with water vs. water and alcohol mixed. This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

04-04-2005, 03:00 PM	#2
stardust Junior STI Driver Posts: 96 Join Date: Jan 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	i like to use bourbon or that really expensive vodka. they seem to cool the best out of everything else i have tried.

04-04-2005, 03:02 PM	#3
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Posts: 4,814 Join Date: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (50)	No alcohol. Manual and cap on top of tank say water only.

04-05-2005, 06:39 PM	#5
smurfm3 Grassroots STI Racer Car: 05 STi, 04 M3, 90 Sp Fav Mod: Clear bra Location: Pleasanton, CA Posts: 565 Join Date: Mar 2005 Trader Rating: (1)	I ran 50/50 Methanol/water in the IC sprayer. You are right that alcohol cools better because it evaporates faster. Just any store bought bottled rubbing alcohol will work. The IC sprayer is useless once you're at speed anyway. It's only good for cooling the IC when it's heat soaked like at a stoplight or at the strip or track and getting ready for a run. But what are a couple drops of water to the amount of cooling the huge hood scoop provides at 60mph?

04-05-2005, 07:16 PM	#6
thrlskr The Next Petter Solberg Car: 05 WRX STi Fav Mod: Seat Time Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 916 Join Date: Mar 2005 Trader Rating: (4)	How about windshield washer fluid? It's cheap and clean and contains alcohol and water.

04-06-2005, 11:05 AM	#7
luSTI Spec C Club Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: FP Red and Meth Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 1,195 Join Date: Mar 2005 Trader Rating: (2)	i dont understand how u think alcohol would cool better. imean correct me if im wrong but it cooling quickly doesnt mean it cools better. infact it means it cools less. water would cool much better than alcohol in my understanding because it has a higher specific heat than alcohol so when the water evaporates it takes more heat with it (in a nutshell). this is why alcohol evaporates so quickly because it had a low specific heat so it takes less energy to make it evaporate thus cooling off your intercooler less.

04-06-2005, 08:31 PM	#10
Max-Q Senior STI Driver Car: 2007 350Z & 2006 Evo Fav Mod: Protune by Jorge Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 353 Join Date: Apr 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	The mechanic at the dealership said they were told to run a mix of 35% rubbing alcohol and 65% water to keep the system from freezing. He said not to run windshield washer solution as that will stain or discolor the intercooler.

04-06-2005, 08:39 PM	#11
imaaaron STI Driver Posts: 244 Join Date: Nov 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	I was using Isopropyl alcohol (drygas) in my gas in the winter. For the heck of it I put 1 ounce in the tank to see if it would keep it from freezing. Surprisingly, it did. Alcohol feels like it cools faster on human skin because it evaporates faster. I can't see alcohol cooling any faster than water

04-06-2005, 08:48 PM	#12
rev_happy_sti Grassroots STI Racer Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 598 Join Date: May 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	i just used barely any rubbing alcohol in it, i just didnt want stuff growing in it. probably less than a cup would be ok.

04-07-2005, 08:26 PM	#13
donmei S204 Racer Car: 04 WRB STi Fav Mod: Trailer Hitch Location: CT, U.S.A. Posts: 3,139 Join Date: Feb 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	a little alcohol is all you need. Any alcohol. Denatured, rubbing, even vodka or grain. Its all the same stuff, just denatured/rubbing has some methyl alcohol in it to make it so you can't drink it. smurfm3 - your analysis of the effectiveness of the ic spray, couldn't be more wrong. the cooling effect of the spray requires the water to evaporate while its still on the intercooler core. For that to happen requires airflow. Go stand out in a 60 mph breeze while dripping wet and tell me if its colder than when you're dry. lusti - I'm a physics geek / almost engineer and have been struggling with the whole issue of specific heat (in water's favor) vs vapor pressure (in alcohol's favor). Water will take more heat with it when it evaporates. But - how much water just runs out the bottom of the intercooler finning without evaporating?? I don't know the answer to that. But if this is happening, then maybe adding somethig to raise the volatility will help with cooling, even if its specific heat of vaporization is lower?? I don't know. This is really something that needs to be tested. The botom line is that you should add some alcohol to your resevoir to keep the algae from growing in the bottle. I don't know if it helps or hurts, but I dug a big green blob out of the bottle when I picked up the car when it was new and don't want to do it again. Re the bottle saying to use water only - think about it, they are trying to prevent people from putting washer fluid in it. Although I can't think of how that would hurt. Don

04-08-2005, 02:15 AM	#14
TRM uh, whut? Car: 04 STi Fav Mod: wdb Location: Eastern PA Posts: 2,205 Join Date: Oct 2003 Trader Rating: (0)	because water has a much higher specific heat and won't evaporate as quickly it actually will pull more heat (energy) from IC as it travels across the veins and drips out the bottom. it does not have to evaporate quickly to be effective. remember this is conduction - mainly because with the system as it's designed nothing sits around evaporating anyway - air forces the liquid to move on. as the water travels across the veins of the IC, energy is transfered from contact with the metal. the only other substance that is liquid at room temperature which would be more effective with thermal conduction is Mercury. you might think oil would be good in this aspect, but because of it's density and low thermal conductivity it actually detracts from the fact that it has a higher specific heat than water. it is also incorrect to think that because alcohol evaporates quickly (vapor pressure?) it is more effective at cooling. again, it's physics... water carries more heat with it in the process regardless of vapor pressure. a liquid with a lower specific heat takes less energy to vaporize. so why does it "feel" like alcohol would be more effective at cooling? after all i can dip my finger into it and it evaporates fast, and rapidly cools my finger? if i did this with water, it would just take far longer to evaporate and i wouldn't notice much of a cooling effect. answer: now, we all know how the human body regulates temperature right? we sweat. sweat is evaporation. if you just sweat and the water stays on your skin, you don't get any cooler. this is why when it's 95 degrees and 95% relative humidity your clothes get soaked...the water isn't coaxed into evaporating into a high humidity environment. we also know that we actually can be cooler in a high heat low humidity environment, i.e., Arizona in August. you may not feel much cooler but your body has a much easier time at regulating the temp as you sweat. the sweat evaporates so quickly you might not even realize it. i always thought it fun to take a dip in the hotel pool in Vegas mid-summer and not need a towel when you get out of the pool...you dry-off through evaporation within a few minutes. kinda' like the finger dipped in alcohol effect. so the IC sprayer is the same thing as the body except the water is from an external source, not the IC. but the IC system has one significant advantage to compensate for the fact that evaporation is not likely in most cases due to the environment. it's got significant air movement and pressure to move the water compared to a system just sitting still.