I think a lot of people fly with empty TKS tanks.
I guess the best procedure is to make a note to do a test every month, and run it for say 5 mins in flight, and do this really every month.
I do it every month and never have had blockage.
every month indeed…including the windshield pump
I have made a note to run the system for 5 mins on the first flight each month.
So I did that yesterday, and all panels were working fine.
Looks like that is what is needed.
One is going to use up more fluid this way than by using the system for real 
I can’t say I ever found a good solution for quickly recovering the blocked up areas (and frankly pressurising the panels is a hugely risky proposition, because much of the pipework is inaccessible post-installation) but I can report that a 5 min run every month seems to prevent a re-occurrence. I now do this on the first flight each month.
I think the safest way to unblock blocked areas is to fit the previously discussed gutters, running into buckets, to catch the fluid and then just run the system in a hangar for as long as necessary. Might be an hour or two… Then filter the recovered fluid with a 1 micron filter (I do that anyway).
I am wondering whether washing the plane with water and then, within next few days or weeks, flying in < 0C temperatures causes the holes to fill up with ice, which the TKS fluid can’t push out.
It may be that the panels should be cleaned only with TKS fluid.
This is a problem because, over a year, one will use up more fluid just testing the system once a month than during flying in actual icing conditions.
Peter wrote:
This is a problem because, over a year, one will use up more fluid just testing the system once a month than during flying in actual icing conditions.
That’s the price. The alternative is gutters and testing on ground.
If an aircraft equipped with TKS was never used(de-activated after installation), what would the damage be?
I have no knowledge of the system, but considering activating it to verify system/panel condition.
Just wondering if the system was de-activated on purpose after installation
Was the system ever filled with fluid and tested? If not, it will probably work ok – after running it for some time and wasting 3-4 figures’ worth of fluid (which can be captured, by taping gutters to the wings etc).
If it had fluid in it but was not run for years, it may be harder.
I believe it was never tested.
Installed, and made INOP by stickers and pulled CB.
Question is if it makes sense to fill and test for verification of function (For future sale)
