Antifreeze Question Tap water vs distilled

[nova3930]

Chlorine can corrode aluminum pretty severely but the concentrations in tap water probably aren't high enough to cause any real issues.

 

[Ken45101]

Why not use straight antifreeze ?

My cousin did that once. It froze on him.

Sad thing is, he is a chemical engineer!

 

[Scrambler82]

Ok, so straight antifreeze freezes sooner, got that but what about heat... what is the best solution for cooling in higher temp areas like SoCal ?

Thks for the info guys.

 

[DrBill]

Ok, so straight antifreeze freezes sooner, got that but what about heat... what is the best solution for cooling in higher temp areas like SoCal ?

Thks for the info guys.

Scrambler,, to answer your question and in spite of my location,, (I went to school in SoCal) you would want a "water wetter" agent.. This product softens and adds more ductal quality to the water. (It can't form droplets as easy) .. The stuff is popular in the race car world and more recently the motorcycle business..

These products cause the water to lay more flat against the hot spots instead of forming bubbles thus providing more surface area of water touching the hot metal thus cooling better.

(It's also used in a completely different form in your dishwasher.. It's that rinse additive that you add for those shinny dishes..)

The last I bought was 10 years ago and was Redline brand,, and I got it at the auto parts store.. If you buy some, read the bottle and see if it also has a lubricant added.. If it doesn't then always add a pint or so of antifreeze for water pump lube at the least..

DrB

 

[3930dave]

Id use the distilled water if I could obtain it easy, around me, grocery stores seldom carry it. I do not know of anywhere else to get it.

Up here, the other place you can usually find distilled water is at a pharmacy.

You don't need much scale deposit (meaning, barely visible) to start affecting heat transfer rates. If you live in northern Canada, maybe not a big deal. If you're towing with an overloaded truck in stopNgo Dallas traffic in July.....

I use distilled in all my stuff. Last go with the diesels I went with Delo ELC 50/50, then punched up the concentration a bit with Delo concentrate.

If you are running a high water ratio down south, you might want to dial back the lifespan rating on the coolant bottle (meaning if it says 5 years, change at 3 1/2).

Next level after that is de-ionized water (back to that NASA thing ), as that helps reduce conductivity/corrosion even further.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Chlorine can corrode aluminum pretty severely but the concentrations in tap water probably aren't high enough to cause any real issues.

Local supplies can vary concentration with the season. When we have high runoff (snow melt in Spring, heavy rains other times of the year) some areas boost the chlorine level pretty high - enough that you can notice the smell running the tap, and I don't have a great sense of smell....

Rgds, D.

 

[DrBill]

Rain water is distilled water.. If you're worried about having some,, put a bucket out back to catch some rain water... After a 24 hour rest period, natures dust will have settled to the bottom.. (Including any other bad organic thing someone might think of) The top half is good to use in your steam iron,, making good whiskey,, also seems to be good for people worried about their radiators..

 

[boggen]

most grocery stores, including walmart, and like. you are required to "ASK" for distilled water. they do not shelve it out in the open, but some place in back. i no longer remember why the stores do this though. i just know ya need to ask. generally takes 1 to 2 stores to find a few gallons though. either there out or have a few jugs.

 

[CurlyDave]

Id use the distilled water if I could obtain it easy, around me, grocery stores seldom carry it. I do not know of anywhere else to get it.

Around here, Walmart almost always has it on the shelf, right next to the gallon jugs of drinking water. If not there, go the the baby section and look at the label of the "nursery" water -- it is usually distilled water. Auto parts stores will frequently have it, both for filling batteries and mixing in antifreeze.

88 cents per gallon at the Wal-Mart in town.

 

[Ken45101]

Rain water is distilled water.. If you're worried about having some,, put a bucket out back to catch some rain water... After a 24 hour rest period, natures dust will have settled to the bottom.. (Including any other bad organic thing someone might think of) The top half is good to use in your steam iron,, making good whiskey,, also seems to be good for people worried about their radiators..

I guess you are not a believer in "acid rain"? Distilled water is pretty cheap, and if you care enough to not use tap water, I would just buy it. It's cheap insurance.

Around here, it's on the shelves at Walmart and grocery stores.