Coolant and Distilled Water

CAtedster · Nov 25, 2003

Honda is discontinuing radiator fluid full strength. Soon all you will be able to buy is premixed with "distilled water" 50/50.

jsharp · Nov 25, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by Patman:
I can just picture some of you guys going into your fridge and taking out your Brita so you can get clean filtered water for your cars!

You mean everyone doesn't do that??

VaderSS · Nov 25, 2003

Don't know about Brita, but my Honeywell filter does not take out minerals.

DavoNF · Nov 25, 2003

I've got a 44 gallon plastic drum outside under the bedroom window to catch the air con drips. ds reading of zero, so that does me.

Dave

Sid · Nov 26, 2003

When I was watching Myth Busters on Discover Channel I think it was, they said that Distilled water does not boil because it has no impurities in it. IF that is the case wouldn't distilled be the first choice to put in your radiator?

labman · Nov 26, 2003

Distilled water boils just fine. The nominal boiling point of 212 degrees is based on distilled water. Water boils slightly LOWER with nothing dissolved in it. dissolving anything in it lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point unless the solute has a lower boiling point than water. .

Kestas · Nov 26, 2003

There is SOME truth to that statement. Lack of impurities will hinder phase change for any pure substance. When running Kjeldahl determinations, I had to add boiling chips in the beaker where I was boiling distilled/deionized water.

Ken2 · Nov 27, 2003

quote:

Originally posted by manualman:
Ken2, you appear to have a hole too. Cavitation is more a mechanical, than chemical phenomenon. Unless those additives you mention significantly increased the viscosity of the fluid, they will NOT prevent cavitation. I may not know my chemistry well, but I know my hydraulics. Cavitation can be a very destructive force in a pumped system.

The SCA (supplemental coolant additive) chemical in a diesel cooling system coats the outer surface of wet liners and prevents cavitation erosion.
http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/2003/5.php

Ken

John K · Nov 30, 2003

Sid - someone is confused.....distilled water won't work in the type of humidifier that use electrodes because it won't conduct electricity. You need dissolved solids in the water for conductivity.

Rick in PA · Nov 30, 2003

Yes, distilled water is an excelent electrical insulator. The most amazing thing I ever saw (well at least it stuck in my mind) was at a plant that extruded Teflon. The extrusion process generated very high static charges on the Teflon. The Teflon then passed through a distilled water bath to cool it. The Teflon was coming out of the bath, water dripping off of it, still charged with static electricity. I sure wasn't expecting that.

labman · Nov 30, 2003

Oh yes. I remember the one lab I worked in. We had a reverse osmosis unit with a plastic housing supplying deionized water connected to a copper water line. It had a 2 wire cord supplying power to a pass/fail conductivity indicator. To meet OSHA regulations we had to add a 3 conductor cord. Never mind there was nothing to connect the third wire to.

Distilled water will quickly pick up enough ionic material to become conductive. Dump some in your humidifier, and it may become conductive.

turbochem · Nov 30, 2003

quote:

Distilled water boils just fine. The nominal boiling point of 212 degrees is based on distilled water. Water boils slightly LOWER with nothing dissolved in it. dissolving anything in it lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point unless the solute has a lower boiling point than water. .

Exactly, anyone remember colligative properties??

If pure water never boils (never?? At no temp, no pressure??), than it would have to have a vapor pressure of 0 at all temps.....

I'm not buying it......now, if you have a JACS citation (or similar peer-reviewed journal) I will listen.......

Coolant and Distilled Water

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