Did using Vodka as antifreeze do this to my filter view cap?

ragtag2

We had some below freezing temps in the Adirondacks last month... Special thanks to @WilliamA for the easy 7 steps for winterizing (posted October 2018). Being a diligent new T@G owner I drained the water tank, blew out the lines and then put some vodka (instead of RV antifreeze) into the filter/pump just to be on the safe side. Using vodka was suggested in some winterizing posts I read and makes great sense to me instead of needing to use copious amounts of water to flush non-toxic antifreeze.

The cold weather came and went and we refilled the water tank, purged the air and vodka and proceeded to drive back to Seattle. Somewhere along the way, we noticed that the clear filter cap was no longer clear...  I figured maybe some of the water we put in might have been particularly hard and it was just some scale on the inside of the cap, surely soaking in vinegar would take care of the issue.



Amazon sells the SHURflo unit for about $8, much cheaper than just buying the cap alone. So, I bought one and it made swapping caps much easier...  

Here's what the inside of the cap looks like after soaking 6 hours in white vinegar. 


The interior is super smooth and not scaly like a teakettle would get. It was Tito's vodka...  

Does anyone else have experience/remedy regarding this? Just curious.

DCN082162

I do have experience with Titos vodka just not this usage. HAHAHA. Anway, Alcohol can precipitate calcium deposits from hard water. Calcium carbonate is the main component of limescale, which can form in water systems that use hard water. Limescale can be a problem in heated water systems, and can be removed through water softening or descaling.   See below.

• Calcium carbonate precipitation

  In a mixture of ethanol and water, the type of calcium carbonate that precipitates depends on the ethanol concentration: 
  • Less than 40% ethanol: Calcite is the only calcium carbonate that precipitates. 
  • More than 60% ethanol: Calcite, aragonite, and vaterite can all precipitate. 
• Precipitation pathways

  The presence of alcohol can affect the pathways and morphology of calcium carbonate polymorphs. 
• Stability

  The concentration of alcohol and shaking speed are the most important factors in affecting the stability of vaterite and aragonite.