Originally Posted by
Banzai
Splash of whiskey in that water won't keep it warm, but it can keep it from freezing.
Nope. A "splash" of whiskey won't do anything to keep water from freezing. Depending on how far you want to depress the freezing point, you'll need quite a bit of "whiskey" to keep your water from freezing. A "shot" of whiskey (about 1 fluid oz or 40 mL) of whiskey in about a quart (or liter) of water will depress the freezing point by 1.3°F (0.68°C) to 30.8°F.
If you were to fill a 1 quart bottle half full with "whiskey", the freezing point of the water is reduced to 16.3° (-8.7°C). That's the equivalent of 5 shots of "whiskey". Probably not a good idea.
Originally Posted by
noglider
What is the minimum amount of whisky or vodka I can use to prevent freezing? I don't want to get a buzz.
None. Nor will adding salt or sugar or just about anything else you could actually consume. A 3.5% solution of water (seawater) depresses the freezing point to about 28°F and probably isn't that good for you. A 10% sugar solution (flat Coke) freezes at 31°F. A higher concentration of sugar probably won't hurt you but I don't many people could tolerate drinking much higher concentrations than 10%.
Bottom line: Insulation works but trying to add something to keep water from freezing doesn't.