Using tap water in lead acid battery

[DrRoughneck]

This article states that using tap water instead of distilled water is ok in most areas to top off lead acid batteries:
http://www.arconequipment.com/article_0599.html

Agree, disagree?

 

[Chris142]

Not here. Our tap water has 250ppm of calcium in it.

 

[JHZR2]

What is "most areas"? Distilled water is less than $1/gallon, and smart to use in a radiator too.

I also cant think of when I needed to add water to a battery last. Years upon years.

 

[CourierDriver]

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
This article states that using tap water instead of distilled water is ok in most areas to top off lead acid batteries:
http://www.arconequipment.com/article_0599.html

Agree, disagree?


Its far cheaper to use distilled or de-ionized water than to get your water tested to see if you can use it.

We are talking $1.00/gallon for distilled. Good for your wife's steam iron also. One gallon should last years unless you have a fleet.

 

[SHOZ]

If you need to add water to a modern battery something is not right.

 

[Kira]

The line from the linked article, " Water at the purity level (and cost) of distilled water is unnecessary." is odd.

There may be regions and water companies which put out such soft water top offs wouldn't disrupt the chemistry or create a precipitate but for
Mentioning the cost parenthetically is like the "and the EXPENSE" line in Streetcar Named Desire.

Also, the millions of us who live with very hard water and those among us who have no inkling of water quality was not addressed or acknowledged.

Using distilled water is simply smart.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
If you need to add water to a modern battery something is not right.


If anything, the water level could just be low. When I bought one of my cars in Jan 2012 I never bothered to check the battery fluid level. It never occurred to me that the previous owner never checked it once. 2 months later the car was having trouble starting at 30 deg F. I check the battery fluid level and is some cells it's below the plates. I ended up adding several cups of water to the battery and charging the heck out of it for a few weeks. It came back enough to give me 3 more years of use....6 years total. I never added water again during those final 3 years.

I keep a gallon of distilled water around at all times as it comes in handy for the battery and mixing into straight weight coolant. It's not like you won't ever use it.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Kira
The line from the linked article, " Water at the purity level (and cost) of distilled water is unnecessary." is odd.

The article is only as good as the author writing it. Thankfully, here at BITOG, we can peer-review the article.

 

[SHOZ]

I use water from the dehumidifier. Probably only cost me $5 a gallon......

Acid on the outside of the cover means the case is leaking. As the acid is carried off with the H2 and O2 the level drops and the acid is deposited on the cover or close by.

When water (and no acid) is added because of electrolyte loss then the specific gravity lessens. This is good unless extreme. The lower strength acid will make it last longer. But it also cuts back on the capacity. If you frequently need to add water then it is either seriously over charging, the acid is too weak and may make that happen, or it is really hot, or there is an internal short in one or more cells.

 

[Trav]

I hate statements like that, sure there may be some areas that have soft low mineral content water but many places do not. In some areas the battery would be finished in a short time a town/county over and you might get away with it.
In general the answer is no you shouldn't and I wouldn't try it, distilled water is cheap enough and you have no worries.

 

[blupupher]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
If you need to add water to a modern battery something is not right.

Then I guess all batteries down here are not right.
I don't add often, but every 2-3 years I top them off. Just one of the things you do when you live where it is ~100°F for 1/3 of the year.
Same reason batteries here don't last more than about 4 years.

 

[Leo99]

I haven't checked the water level in a battery in over 20 years. Didn't know you still needed to do that.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
What is "most areas"? Distilled water is less than $1/gallon, and smart to use in a radiator too...

This.

In NC I've added distilled to the cells occasionally. Not much and not often, but always distilled water. Inexpensive and readily available.

 

[cmhj]

For a buck maybe 1.50 for a gallon of distilled, why take the risk????

 

[Vern_in_IL]

I use Smart Water.

 

[CT8]

It depends on the mineral content of your water, distilled water is cheap.

 

[SHOZ]

Most cheap bottled water is Reverse Osmosis, just don't use spring water. I worked at a bottler the DI water was around 5ppm and the mineral water was over 450ppm for magnesium and calcium.

 

[BalticBob]

I buy tap water from Flint, Michigan, the extra lead in their water supply makes my batteries last forever!
Also, I catch rain water after a lightning storm, the water is charged with millions of
positive electrons, gives a real boost to old batteries.

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: BalticBob
I buy tap water from Flint, Michigan, the extra lead in their water supply makes my batteries last forever!
Also, I catch rain water after a lightning storm, the water is charged with millions of
positive electrons, gives a real boost to old batteries.
I had a boss who though once a battery was charged the acid was too. He told us to save the charged acid instead of draining it out.