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Distilled Water in the Radiator

A

Atl XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Atlanta
How important is it to run distilled water in the radiator? I have tap water/coolant in mine and its all i have ever used. Is it to protect the radiator or something? :confused:
 
I've heard various arguements on this... I use it because it's better than the crappy hard water here in Florida. When hard water is heated many of the disolved minerals begin to form clumps or flakes. My water heater in my house proves that! Distilled should have less impurities in it and prevent some of the scale and other crap that causes blockages in the radiator and cooling system which dramatically reduce the ability of the system to do its job.

Some people claim that electralosis occurs and promotes corrosion when using distilled water... I have no idea why that would be the case because it's my understanding that the minerals in the water are the cause of electalosis, not the actual water.

My humble thoughts....
 
I always get the distilled water types confused. I could swear that you are supposed to use steam distilled water and not RO or Reverse Osmosis water for this.
As far as what it is supposed to fix is a build up of deposits. One of the radiator manufacturers had a neat article on the problems a bad ground can cause. It will induce electrolysis in the engine cooling system, effectively plating the insides of the engine and radiator with various mineral deposits, works just like chrome plating does.
A couple of jeep mechanics have told me that the factory coolant is made up of Coolant, distilled water and has a dye added to spot leaks faster and that when they service a jeep cooling system they use the same thing including the dye. Sounds like a good idea to me I just have never seen the dye in auto parts stores, only for AC systems.
I have a 500+ ft deep well and the water in that is pretty clear from when I have had it tested. One filter company that did the test trying to sell us a filter said we didn't need it right now but we should test our water yearly.
 
I dunno about the water deal, but I've bought coolant dye at NAPA. I don't know if NAPA's on the East Coast or not.
Another thing I found is when something cooling wise is leaking I can find it by using a UV light. I popped my hood once and shined my handheld UV light around and discovered a heater hose was leaking. Dunno if it was the coolant or what, but something from that hose was leaking something that glowed.

Chris
 
So your coolant glows eh.... and you live in Washington state huh, had your water checked ??? Don't live near any military disposal sites do you :D
It is possible that you had OEM coolant in there or that prestone or others might include it in their products. Think I'll go see how much one of those UV lights costs, could be handy to have around.
 
RichP said:
Don't live near any military disposal sites do you :D
Click to expand...
Hanford!

From: http://www.environmentaleducationohio.org/Case Studies/hanford.html

"During World War II, the United States established in southeastern Washington the 560-square-mile (1,452-square-kilometer) Hanford Reservation, a facility for producing plutonium, as part of the Manhattan Project. Hanford plutonium initiated the world's first atomic explosion—the Trinity test in Alamogordo, New Mexico—and the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Activities at Hanford eventually expanded beyond plutonium production into areas such as electrical power generation, research, and development. Decreased demand for plutonium, a growing concern about plant safety, and decades of inadequate waste disposal practices brought plutonium processing at Hanford to a halt. Hanford’s sole mission is now waste management and cleanup."

and

"During Hanford's early years, radioactive wastes were disposed of with little accurate knowledge as to how they would affect the environment. Even as knowledge improved, environmental threats persisted due to the sheer volume of waste produced. Over 200 billion gallons (758 billion liters) of waste requiring storage and treatment were discharged to the environment from Hanford reprocessing plants between 1945 and 1985. Experts agree that Hanford is the most heavily contaminated of all facilities operated by the Department of Energy "
 
I use naturally distilled water, I´ve got a rain barrel. Most of the electrolysis problems are dissimiliar metals in the motor (and the DC current flow), not so much the type of water. Dissimiliar metals start trading electrons and strange things happen. Hot water actually slows down, most electrolysis problems, less oxygen in suspension, fewer free electrons.
The mineral deposits are, minerals that fall out of suspension and adhere to the insides of the cooling system. The fewer the minerals in the water, the slower the buildup. Anti freeze is acidic, helps dissolve the deposits and keep them in suspension. Main reason to change antifreeze, is it becomes saturated with suspended minerals and oxides (using hard water, nutrilizes some of the acidity). Most of the differences, I´ve noticed in anti-freezes, are the additives, lubricants for the water pump etc.
Try a neat trick and throw a few rusted nuts or bolts in a glass of anti-freeze, check them out a week later. I use a jug of old anti-freeze, as a rust remover for nuts and bolts to be reused someday.
 
Is that rain water thing still true in this day and age. I remember back when I was a kid many many years ago people did this, alot of women for washing their hair and doing laundry, stuff like that. Now though with the atmospheric contaminants that appear daily in the news and educational programs is that still a good idea. I know that it is no longer a good ideal to eat snow even if it isn't yellow :D
 
RichP said:
Is that rain water thing still true in this day and age. I remember back when I was a kid many many years ago people did this, alot of women for washing their hair and doing laundry, stuff like that. Now though with the atmospheric contaminants that appear daily in the news and educational programs is that still a good idea. I know that it is no longer a good ideal to eat snow even if it isn't yellow :D
Click to expand...

I suppose that if antifreeze is acidic anyway, then acid rain probably isn't much of an issue. Just don't use it in the fishtank. I wonder if the acidity of antifreeze also makes it less of a problem to use hard water. I've always just used clean well water, and although I keep cars for a long time and do little routine cooling system maintenance, I haven't had problems. My radiators always fail from the outside in owing to the harsh climate and road salt.
 
Last edited:
Thats how the first one on my S-10 failed, the fins themselves rotted/got soft, I was doing a lot of NY State calls back then and I think whatever that stuff they spray on icy roads helped it along. Local rad shop showed me a trick with your finger nail, lighty run the back of a fingernail across the fins, just enough to deflect them without bending them, if they spring back they are ok, if they stay bent then they are rotten and it needs either a new rad or a recore. I did the recore once and when I found out a recore cost as much as a new one and I had to pay labor I was a bit miffed. Now I just buy a new Modine, do it myself and save $100 bucks.
Well, gotta pack, heading for Orlando for a deposition in two hours, gonna be a long day....
 
Matthew Currie said:
I've always just used clean well water, and although I keep cars for a long time and do little routine cooling system maintenance, I haven't had problems.
Click to expand...

That's what I always did, too -- until the radiator on the '88 XJ blew out. It depends on the well. My water is VERY hard -- I get mineral rings in tubs and toilet bowls that are about impossible to remove, and faucets only last a few years in this house because of the mineral deposits in the guts. I won't use a water softener because of the salt, but I now buy distilled water at 69 cents/gallon from Wal-Mart for radiators and batteries.
 
So is it worth draining my cooling system and removing my brand new coolant? I also mave a brand new modine 2 row radiator in it too. I was having overheating problems and I don't want to have to deal with running hot anymore. I already plan on replacing my brand new mopar 195 degree thermostat with another one since I was told that after your engine gets run hot it can cause damage to the thermostat and it will not open at the correct temperature. It never overheated, but it would get up to 230 in traffic. It never runs hot anymore, it will occasionally hit 220 in traffic, but just for a minute and then it cools off rapidly. I should probably start a new thread about this.
 
Top reasons why cooling systems fail.
Lack of regular flush.
Use of hard tap/well water. If in doubt about distilled water, at minimum one should use bottled drinking water.
My 0.02 ... Maz
 
I'd be carefull using bottled water... Probably better than regular water but they add minerals to it for taste. Spend the 69 cents... better safe than clogged and sorry...
 
I don't think that's right. Pure water boils at 212, like everyone knows. But if I remember my chemistry class (it has been awhile) solids suspended in the water will make it boiler at a HOTTER temperature. Also, it takes ALOT of impurities to significantly change. I remeber doing the math in class once - I don't remember the specifics, but I remember being very surprised by the amount of salt required to rise the boiling temp by even 1 degree. I had always been told to use a little salt in the water when cooking to make things boil faster.
 
I'd go with the distilled. I hit someone with a water balloon filled at the tap here in Utah, and they were in a coma for a week...damn hard water.. As for bottled
Wal-Mart's Reverse osmosis drinking water, is 'enhanced with minerals for a pure taste.' (Magnesium sulfate, Potassium bicarbonate, Potassium chloride). May not be the worst of minerals..but kinda defeats the purpose, I'd think.
 
poomba said:
As for bottled
Wal-Mart's Reverse osmosis drinking water, is 'enhanced with minerals for a pure taste.' (Magnesium sulfate, Potassium bicarbonate, Potassium chloride). May not be the worst of minerals..but kinda defeats the purpose, I'd think.
Click to expand...

Wal-Mart also sells distilled water. I'll have to check the label, but I don't think it can be sold as distilled if it is "enhanced" with anything.
 
not to confuse the issue, but what about the premixed antifreeze. what kind of water is in it. i know it costs more because you are getting half the amount of antifreeze, but it takes away the guess work on what water to use. just a thought.
 
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