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TKS System Maintenance

How much maintenance does TKS require? How easily does TKS clog up? Any required annual maintenance? How costly is maintenance? Why is TKS fluid handling considered so messy?

United States

I regularly use TKS. If not used in approximately last 30 days I turn it on to high/max for 5 min at least to avoid clogging. I had windshield pump broken once and I remember it was expensive and I have problems once with clogged panel and it was sorted out at maintenance shop by running it for some time with little bit thiner TKS fluid.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Thank you Emir!

United States

TB20 TKS Maintenance Manual
TB20 TKS Installation Manual

The fluid is sticky and needs warm or hot water to wash off.

Also the filling system is badly designed – see around here. I built a pump with auto cutoff, which makes the filling process easy, but building such a thing is obviously not something most can do. The issue around the vent hole is a serious deficiency for which (it appears) Socata developed a mod but they didn’t tell CAV, and I ended up developing much the same thing.

You get problems, all the way to a totally useless system, if you don’t run it regularly.

@Lucius are you considering installing TKS on your TB20? I am not sure CAV have many parts left and whether they want to manufacture any more. My link above shows the various issues.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Hi Peter, no not for my TB20, but for an A36. My question is general for any TKS installations in any plane. There is the general complaint of dealing with TKS fluid and you here about how messy it is. But what is exactly messy about it? What are the maintenance costs? How often do pumps fail? What is the general reliability? Is it a maintenance nightmare? Does it easily clog up, i.e. by bird poop and bug smashes?

Thank you!

Last Edited by Lucius at 31 May 03:34
United States

CAV instructions do say bird poo and bugs do not affect it.

After a flight where I have used it, I get a watering can (I have a secret one hidden behind a hut), fill it with hot water from the fire station, and walk along the leading edges, washing them down. I also wash off the upper training edges where the fluid accumulates. It doesn’t seem to remain on the underside. Obviously you would not do this if the OAT is below zero because the water could freeze.

The system does need a test say once a month, until all panels are oozing fluid. This may take 10 mins, and uses up quite a lot of fluid.

A lot of planes with TKS have a nonworking installation.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

@Peter, I see the fluid capacity for TB20 is 7.8 gals. What is the flow rate? TKS is $30 /3.8 liter, so $234 to fill up the tank. That’s a lot.

United States

It will be in those STC docs somewhere.

More here on fluid cost etc.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
8 Posts
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