Bill, I am not familiar with the chemical properties of the rubber and/or plastic components used in aeration systems, so I am forced to make generalizations.....a sticky undertaking most times.
And just to be clear, I'm not saying that alcohol WILL damage the system, only that I believe the possibility exists, based solely on my experiences with alcohol in other mechanical applications. I do think the amount of alcohol added may affect the chances of damage.
So with that in mind, here's what I'm thinking. The hoses themselves...are they rubber? Alcohol can cause rubber to swell, soften, and eventually deteriorate to the point of flaking off or smearing. It turns rubber "gooey". the same goes for the diaphragm if using a diffuser...again, I don't know if the membrane is made of a material that is susceptible to alcohol...lots of unknowns for me.
My biggest concern however, is the chance of alcohol getting back into the compressor itself. Alcohol is a solvent, and will scrub lubricating oils from metal surfaces. Also, if the compressor is a diaphragm type, we're back to the rubber issue, and possible distortion or failure of the diaphragms themselves....just a theory on my part, as once again I do not know the material used by the various manufacturers. And, the check valves you mentioned would greatly help prevent the introduction of alcohol back into the compressor itself....provided they didn't contain rubber components themselves.
I'm not trying to suggest that there's a definite problem with using alcohol in aeration systems, only that it might benefit from closer scrutiny.
Last edited by sprkplug; 03/30/14 08:54 AM. Reason: added check valve clarification.
