# How cold is it in my garage? Frozen Smoke Fluid?



## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

I didn't think that it was that cold! My Mega-Steam smoke fluid was frozen. ??? I went to add a little smoke fluid to my 283 to run it a bit and when I tried to put the dropper into the fluid, it resisted. After becoming frustrated, I looked at the bottle and the fluid had hardened to the point of not allowing the dropper to enter and get new fluid. I was and still am puzzled about it. So I broght the bottle upstairs to look at it more and the fluid is now liquid again. Is this the American Flyer Gods playing with my mind? :smilie_auslachen: The temperature was about 40 f in the garage when this happened but it does get down to the high teens at night.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Yikes! I suspect that the tiny train engineer was looking for a way to get the day off, too. Brrr!!!

TJ


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Too cold for me!


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I thought smoke fluid was largely made up of mineral oil. Maybe not since that has a freezing point of -22 degrees F.


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

Lehigh74 said:


> I thought smoke fluid was largely made up of mineral oil. Maybe not since that has a freezing point of -22 degrees F.


I have no idea except that it was partially solidified and then changed back to liquid when I brought it inside. I think that I will place it inside of our refrigerator freezer tonight and see what happens. It may seem like -22f in the garage but I doubt if it gets too much below 32f in the garage. I am perplexed!


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## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

After spending the night in my refrigerator freezer it is solid. Who would have thought?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Must be the other "secret" ingredients in the smoke fluid.


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## Jwh2000 (Dec 4, 2017)

Got this winter weather note with an order of JT mega steam.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

There you go Broke. Its all normal and no damage to the fluid.
It must be colder in your garage than you think. You need a good heater.
Don't fumigate yourself.

I used to have a kerosene heater I liked but it started to rust. I got scared
and threw it away.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> There you go Broke. Its all normal and no damage to the fluid.
> It must be colder in your garage than you think. You need a good heater.
> Don't fumigate yourself.
> 
> ...


As a side note, a good friend of mine had a kerosene heater in his back spare room. He was filling it and somehow it tipped or he spilled kerosene. EVERYTHING caught fire, and he was burned alive to death.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Yes, heater has to be off and cool when filling. I was very careful about that.
You can not fill a hot heater.

Its like filling a hot lawn mower. It can be dangerous. Inside a house more dangerous.

Sorry about your friend.

Have you heard how many garages and houses have burned with deep fried turkeys.
People get careless.

Kerosene heaters are not good in a house because of the ventilation needed for the fumes.

We always have people killed around here in the winter with all kinds of heaters.


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