100% water vs antifreeze mix

[DirtDonk]

I'd never heard that distilled water was any kind of an issue. I think it might be de-ionized water that 73az was thinking about?
If I'm not mistaken, most (if not all?) of the 50/50 premixed anti-freeze products out there are made with distilled water and are rated for aluminum.

I'm not a chemist of course, and broncofromhell was touching on the ionized subject, so maybe you less chemically-challenged members can comment.

Paul

 

[76Broncofromhell]

Distilled and De-ionized water are effectively the same thing, just a different process to get there. Distilled water is boiled and the steam is distilled back into pure water. De-ionized uses plastic resins to remove dissolved ions (salts) by combining with them and falling to the bottom as a solid.

Again, neither has any effect on the process of electrolysis vs tap water. As for other minerals building up in the radiator, Bronconaz and DirtDonk are both correct. All things equal, and assuming I had ZERO coolant leaks, I would use DI water with anti-freeze for a coolant system.

My typical coolant regiment is fixing all the cooling system components and testing on tap water. Then when I'm 100% positive I will have no leaks, I drain it, flush it and fill with DI water and anti-freeze.

 

[Broncobowsher]

At work we have a car wash. Nice little perk. Even had free use of it for years. Get to the final rinse, de-ionized water. Basicly distilled water. The metal in that area is getting consumed. The de-ionized water wants some ions in it. So it eats away the metal.

On the flip side our local tap water almost needs to be chewed. I remember moving to AZ and getting a glass of tap water and watchint it swirl around in the glass. What looked like little bubbles swirled and sank. Chunks of rocks in the water. If you run something on water and boil it out. Just add water everyday and keep going. You will clog the system with mineral deposits.

So what's the best choice? water that attacks the metal? Minerals deposits that clog? For a new good cooling system I just fold and use premix. I find that it isn't much more then getting concentrate and mixing myself. Some places sell it at conentrate prices but you just have to know how to avoid being gouged. I know the new stuff is rated for 105,000 miles and several years. Doesn't mind being cooked to over 212 as long as itis a pressurized system.

If you read some very old car maintance, cooling system should use soft water. Using water caught in rain barrels was recomended. OK, water out of the water softener it is...

 

[00gyrhed]

the use of anti freeze depresses the boiling point and increases the boiling point of the coolant as compared to straight water. However the heat capacity of the fluid is also reduced quite significantly. That means bigger radiators and/or more airflow is needed to exchange the same amount of heat. Anitfreeze generally contains anti scaling and corrosion compounds that can also be added to water but arent really readily availible to the general public. Its all a big balancing act. In my experience the lubrication and anti corrosion properties are overstated. heck I have a ford 460 that has rusted through three sets of core plugs in 300K miles and has had a steady diet of 50/50 mix and regular radiator flushes.

In general the HVAC industry for instance avoids the use of antifreeze compounds in water because of the increase in cost of the fluid and the encrease in size of the heat transfer equipment and pumps. They simply add the anti scaling and corrosion compounds as needed.

DO NOT USE DISTILLED WATER OR EVEN SOFTENED WATER. HOT SOFTENED AND DISTILLED WATER ARE EXTREMELY CORROSIVE. You will also need to change and flush a straight water system regularly.

If you run straight water your water pump will move slightly more water and the fluid will absorb more heat from the engine and loose more heat to the radiator. More heat will be transferred. But adding a steady diet of even slightly HARD water will cause the whole system to scale up in a hurry. You can fill a raidator up in short order. Like said above it is better left to people that actually have other reasons for running straight water, however a 50/50 mix isnt required most places and and in fact a 30% antifreeze and 70% water used to be considered optimum for warmer climates where freezing conditions were not an issue. Giving you bouiling anf freeze point protection, corrosion and scaling protection without lower the heat capacity as much and being a little lighter on the pockect book.

The antifreeze industry pushes 50/50 because they cant push any higher ratio or straght antifreeze because the science doesnt support it. anything over 50/50 anf the freezing point starts to rise and the boiling poing starts to go down.

 

[bknbronco]

WOW....2 pages on mixing coolant! This should have been a one answer question! Nothing has changed with coolant in the last 50 years, so just mix it 50/50 and be done!

Next were gona be arguing about which brand is best%). Ill start that debate by saying i only buy the cheepest stuff i can find and that is the walmart supertec stuff!

 

[blubuckaroo]

HI-JACK!
When you flush your cooling system, how can you capture all the coolant so it doesn't go down the gutter? I'll bet I run fifty gallons of water through before it runs clear.

 

[cldonley]

Ah grasshoppa, if you solve this you will solve all the mysteries of the universe!

 

[bknbronco]

i just pull it in the street and let it flow down the road into the gutter system. Im not sure what youd do with it if you did contain it. Whats wrong with dumping it in the gutter? For most of my childhood i can remember dad dumping his oil in the back corner of the yard, so i really cant see any negative to dumping cooolant in the street.

You could save it and sell it as a wood rot stopper Now were on to something!!!

 

[half cab]

Y'all ever seen what antifreeze can do to a fire;D

 

[cldonley]

I'm pretty sure all the parts houses will recycle it for you. It's legal in most states to put in the landfill if you make it a solid first using some sort of absorbent. They make the used stuff into recycled antifreeze that you can buy in some places. And yes, I'm cheap enough to use recycled antifreeze in a beater!

 

[lilwill12]

WOW....2 pages on mixing coolant! This should have been a one answer question! Nothing has changed with coolant in the last 50 years, so just mix it 50/50 and be done!

Next were gona be arguing about which brand is best%). Ill start that debate by saying i only buy the cheepest stuff i can find and that is the walmart supertec stuff!

And this is why I run Evans waterless coolant. Way too many opinions and variants.......but that's my opinion.