Coolant Disposal

[treefarmerguy]

I need to change the coolant in a Kubota 5030. What's the best and legal way to dispose of the used coolant?

 

[murphy1244]

I need to change the coolant in a Kubota 5030. What's the best and legal way to dispose of the used coolant?

Take it to a auto parts store ie Auto Zone.

 

[smstonypoint]

I guess that depends on where you live.

In both NC and SC, counties have convenience centers that accept residents' garbage, recyclables, etc. They also take used motor oil and antifreeze. If your county does not have have these facilities, you could check with local garages and repair shops. Also, I understand that some auto supply stores accept used motor oil -- they make take antifreeze.

Steve

 

[RalphVa]

Auto parts stores quite taking it here in Ch'ville, Va area. Have to take it on special disposal days at the dump. Not sure what they do with it.

This is ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol can probably just be poured on the ground.

Ralph

 

[luvmexfood]

Yes if your local auto parts won't take it then most counties will have a hazardous material take-up day once a year. A type of ethylene glycol is used at airports for aircraft deicing and sprayed on the runway to prevent ice build-up. At smaller regional airports it simply runs off to the ditch and into the waterway.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Call your local Health Department/Department of Environmental Quality.

 

[sixdogs]

Around here, Auto Zone takes it. They have a bulk tank and no hassle in dumping it.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes if your local auto parts won't take it then most counties will have a hazardous material take-up day once a year. A type of ethylene glycol is used at airports for aircraft deicing and sprayed on the runway to prevent ice build-up. At smaller regional airports it simply runs off to the ditch and into the waterway.

I'm pretty sure ethylene glycol is poisonous and cannot be dumped on the ground. Propylene glycol is more commonly used as aircraft de-icing fluid.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I'm pretty sure ethylene glycol is poisonous and cannot be dumped on the ground. Propylene glycol is more commonly used as aircraft de-icing fluid.

No doubt about it. Ethylene Glycol will kill you graveyard dead.

 

[tcartwri]

If you're on municipal water treatment, you pour it down the toilet. Not the sewer drain nor your septic.

 

[dave1949]

Pets licking the ground for the sweetness of the dumped glycol are poisoned. I guess that would the ethylene variety, but not sure the other would be good either.

 

[k0ua]

Pets licking the ground for the sweetness of the dumped glycol are poisoned. I guess that would the ethylene variety, but not sure the other would be good either.

You can drink Propylene glycol. Several ounces at least without damage.. a few drops would certainly not hurt anyone. Not so with Ethylene Glycol. A few drops will kill a cat or dog. I don't know what the human dosage would need to be, but I ain't trying it.

 

[tcartwri]

If you're on municipal water treatment, you pour it down the toilet. Not the sewer drain nor your septic.

Well, I have to retract that. It was the policy here up until recently, but now they specifically tell you not to do it. It must go for recycling.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, I have to retract that. It was the policy here up until recently, but now they specifically tell you not to do it. It must go for recycling.

Yep. They used to tell you to flush medications down the toilet too. Now the waters are full of antibiotics, hormones and birth control to name a few.

 

[Coyote machine]

Auto parts stores quite taking it here in Ch'ville, Va area. Have to take it on special disposal days at the dump. Not sure what they do with it.

This is ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol can probably just be poured on the ground.

Ralph

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Yes if your local auto parts won't take it then most counties will have a hazardous material take-up day once a year. A type of ethylene glycol is used at airports for aircraft deicing and sprayed on the runway to prevent ice build-up. At smaller regional airports it simply runs off to the ditch and into the waterway.

Propylene Glycol, though not a deadly chemical like Ethylene Glycol, is best disposed of at an auto store or municipal center as is Ethylene Glycol.
Propylene Glycol is used in food production. Ethylene Glycol is poisonous, and can and will kill any animal or human ingesting same.

If you don't know what you're talking about with chemicals like this, better to not render an erroneous opinion, it could get someone hurt or worse.
I can't be certain about what airports use as the specific anti-icing chemical, but I doubt they're using deadly Ethylene Glycol and then letting it drain into public waterways.

 

[luvmexfood]

UCAR™ Aircraft Deicing and Anti-icing Fluids from Dow help protect the safety and on-time performance of winter-weather flight operations. UCAR Fluids include SAE AMS 1424 Type I fluids to remove snow and ice and SAE AMS 1428 Type IV fluids to prevent snow, frost or ice build-up on critical aircraft surfaces. To meet specific user requirements, Dow offers both a line of ethylene glycol (EG)-based and propylene glycol (PG)-based formulations.

Kept all the TIER II reports and MSDS sheets up to date for years all that was ever used at the airport I worked at was ethylene glycol.

 

[Coyote machine]

UCAR™ Aircraft Deicing and Anti-icing Fluids from Dow help protect the safety and on-time performance of winter-weather flight operations. UCAR Fluids include SAE AMS 1424 Type I fluids to remove snow and ice and SAE AMS 1428 Type IV fluids to prevent snow, frost or ice build-up on critical aircraft surfaces. To meet specific user requirements, Dow offers both a line of ethylene glycol (EG)-based and propylene glycol (PG)-based formulations.

Kept all the TIER II reports and MSDS sheets up to date for years all that was ever used at the airport I worked at was ethylene glycol.

So how are smaller airports allowed to let the toxic ethylene glycol to pass into the local waterways? That seems crazy?

 

[luvmexfood]

Dang if I know but have seen the state come out before. No, I don't agree with it but trust me. I have seen thousands of gallons sprayed. I guess it is under the thoughts is it better to use it and make air travel safer or use it. Remember, those who usually fly in the winter are on company business or the elite flying to ski resorts. Those who have the gold make the rules.

Reminds me of another thing. A company or government entity in the same state can sign an agreement to get a discount on their workers comp if they follow a strick set of standards before dismissing an employee over a workers comp issue which includes sending the employee to a neutral Doctor before making the decision. Yet, if they go ahead and dismiss the employee nothing can be done if said state is a "right to work state" which makes all employee's an "employee at will". Federal lawsuit will do no good as the "employee at will" statement trumps all. That is unless the agency did commit a discrimination such as: age, gender, race etc. Been there, done that. More silly laws in the state in question about when a local government agency can be sued. Depending on the circumstances you may have to get their permission to sue them. Have a 28+ opinion from a federal judge stating the same.

 

[luvmexfood]

One thing I did forget. You can spray all you need to de-ice plane or runway, it is and no problem. But spill some that is nowhere near what you sprayed and then the paperwork and clean-up begins.

 

[MossRoad]

I recall all we used was propylene glycol. It was a pinkish color as I recall, but that was 28+ years ago.
I found a wiki article about the different types of aircraft deicing fluid. Propylene is the most common, but indeed, ethylene is used too. Did not know that.
The total annual usage of deicing fluids in the U.S. is estimated to be approximately 25 million US gallons (95,000,000 L), broken down as follows (figures from 2008, adjusted to show totals for undiluted fluid):[3]


Fluid type, Annual amount, Fraction

Type I Propylene Glycol 19,305,000 US gal (73,080,000 L) 77.1%
Type IV Propylene Glycol 2,856,000 US gal (10,810,000 L) 11.4%
Type I Ethylene Glycol 2,575,000 US gal (9,750,000 L) 10.3%
Type IV Ethylene Glycol 306,000 US gal (1,160,000 L) 1.2%

Here's a link to the entire article....Deicing fluid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What I do remember is that even back then, 1986, we charge $10.50 per gallon applied. You tell a small corporate jet owner how much it costs and you bet they stand there and watch you put it on and keep sticking the tank for gallons used. Our small unit was 150 gallons. It was such a lucrative operation, the owners bought a huge 1000 gallon unit with a 30' tower and kerosene (jet fuel) heater. I hated being towed around on top of that thing in high winds, 20 below, strapped in with safety harness, tug operator hits a wheel chock buried in the snow. 6" chock on the ground feels like 5' of movement up that high! Yikes!!!! :shocked: