The Antifreeze Question

[RickHaleParker]

"I'm guilty of this when I read people using distilled water in engines but that's a 90 cent deal so I'm finally trying to keep my mouth shut about it. Oops."

Scale is caused by Calcium and Magnesium in drinking water. Distilled water is used to avoid scale buildup. This is why your Grandmother used distilled water in her clothes iron.

Are you still feeling superior?

[Penhallow]

O.K. Suppose one is on a motorway and have a hose leak, get to the next services and all they have is "normal" antifreeze, what does one do ? Also Spain does go cold, we live in S.E. Spain and we have a -3c now can get to -10c and on the odd occasion up to a metre of snow ! (1200M) We have never had to top up yet but if and when it will be either A/Freeze or Distilled water! (Good Debate)

[abscate]

I think you are better off putting in straight water, measuring what you put in, then when you get home either remake up your 50-50 mix, or flush out and renew coolant in this case.

Still feeling superior...scale is caused by Ca Mg reacting with phosphates in the coolant - and even the budget types of coolant are phosphate free now..Dex Cool orange and Pentosin certainly are.

Average Ca in tap water is about 50 ppm - so in a 8 liter coolant capacity system thats about 0.5 gram of Ca - if your engine is scaling up, it isn't the Ca in the water.

If you are on wells or have unknown water quality, use distilled.

[RickHaleParker]

scale is caused by Ca Mg reacting with phosphates in the coolant

Scale can form without phosphates. The introduction of phosphates just changes the chemistry of the scale.

Distilled water, no Ca, no Mg, no other minerals = no scale, problem solved at the root cause for 99¢.

[abscate]

Its not just a buck.

You have to dispose of the excess dihydrogen oxide when you are done - you can't just flush it down the drain with copious amounts of water....its the environment man!!!!

[RickHaleParker]

"You have to dispose of the excess dihydrogen oxide when you are done - you can't just flush it down the drain with copious amounts of water....its the environment man!!!!"

Ha Ha ... clever sophism of the second kind.

[cuhfs]

How bout this? http://www.bernardfoods.com/foodservice ... dwater.htm