Radiator/battery water..

DENNIS MIN · Dec 24, 2013

All,

Do anyone of you save the dehumidifier water for re-filling batteries or radiators?

I have about seven gallons in buckets and was thinking that I'd be best off to save it instead of dumping it.

I know, I'm cheap and extremely "thrifty".

D.

notjustair · Dec 24, 2013

Sounds like a good idea. Much better than me - I use a watering can from the hose for my radiators.

I have a dehumidifier running into the sump pump. Maybe I need to be keeping that.

Bus Driver · Dec 24, 2013

I use distilled water. While the dehumidifier condensate may not have dissolved minerals. it is teeming with fungus and bacteria from the air. I would not drink it. Good for watering plants.
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Dean · Dec 24, 2013

I"ve used distilled water from the grocery store for decades.

Nothing wrong with water from your dehumidifier if it was collected in proper containers and not contaminated.

Dean

waltdavies · Dec 24, 2013

When I went though school for my Service Station they said it was a waste of money to use distiller water good clean tap water will work and maybe shorten the life of the batteries by a week or two.
That's about all I have ever used in both batteries and radiators never had any trouble with either of them.
Walt

Chris Jones · Dec 24, 2013

back when I lived where I use a dehumidifier, you bet I did! I also used a couple gallons of it as a final rinse after washing my car--my well water left bad spots and the dehumidifier water worked great.

JD Seller · Dec 24, 2013

DO NOT use tap water from a well if it has hard water.

Dehumidifier water is great for batteries and also mixing your antifreeze with too.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 24, 2013

I've got 8 or so gallons stored in old washed out milk jugs that has been in the shed for a couple of years and I haven't seen any problems with algae or other growth. But it was from a new dehumidifier. If you are going to store water from an older system probably need to treat it with a touch of bleach. However rather than do this I would likely buy what is needed from the store because it is so inexpensive. This spring this water will be used in a 50/50 mix with new JD antifreeze in the 4620. Wouldn't drink it either unless no other choice, but certainly good enough for a radiator or battery and I'm not generally cheap.

buickanddeere · Dec 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 21:25:38 12/24/13) When I went though school for my Service Station they said it was a waste of money to use distiller water good clean tap water will work and maybe shorten the life of the batteries by a week or two.
That's about all I have ever used in both batteries and radiators never had any trouble with either of them.
Walt

What kind of well? Drilled wells around here turn sinks and tubs brown in days from iron.

IH2444 · Dec 24, 2013

Depends on how much minerals your particular water has in it.
I use distilled water only.

DENNIS MIN · Dec 24, 2013

JAMES,

I was intending to do exactly that, storing it in old cleaned out milk jugs.

D.

Brian Schmidt · Dec 24, 2013

I had some from our dehumidifier in jugs in the basement for this purpose. When I went to grab one to use, I found a slime in the bottom of the container and what appeared to be stuff growing in it. Algae.

I pitched it and went and bought distilled water.

The chlorine in bleach is a contaminant to coolant. This would produce hard water deposits. It would appear like dried salt.

Either buy the pre-mix 50/50 coolant or buy distilled water from the store for mixing with concentrate.

Jon Hagen · Dec 24, 2013

Should be good if you filter it.

We have a little "under sink" reverse osmosis system for drinking / cooking water. The stuff is mineral free, so we also use it for battery / radiator water. Generates about 3 gallon per day. I save up about 10 gallons in plastic jugs to premix with coolant, fill batteries, or wash paint or windows with no mineral spots.

DENNIS MIN · Dec 24, 2013

Jon,

I did not even think of the windows. Seeing as I've been elected the duties of official pane scrubber...well that's a right fine idea.

D.

Jon Hagen · Dec 24, 2013

I found that 1 day while washing the car windows.
Our well water is heavy with minerals, washed the windows and they dried with white mineral spots. I had a drinking water bottle in the car with my RO water in it. Dampened a towel with RO water and wiped t windows again, great, no spots.

RandyB(MI) · Dec 24, 2013

I use "natures " distillery and collect and filter the rain water from my metal roof.

Blackhole49 · Dec 25, 2013

That's all I use. Wife uses it for ironing also. I guess I'm extremely thrifty also.

Tx Jim · Dec 25, 2013

(quoted from post at 20:25:38 12/24/13) When I went though school for my Service Station they said it was a waste of money to use distiller water good clean tap water will work and maybe shorten the life of the batteries by a week or two.
That's about all I have ever used in both batteries and radiators never had any trouble with either of them.
Walt

Walt
I think with all the contaminants we have in our world today there's no such thing as good clean tap water. I know one thing for sure a lot more engines require liner kits due to electrolysis than when I worked for a JD dealer back in the 60's-80's.

Texasmark1 · Dec 25, 2013

Ours is alkali heavy. Ought to see the scale on the pan of water I put on top of the wood stove.

I use distilled. At a buck a gallon or less at WW it's cheap insurance.

Mark

NoNewParts · Dec 25, 2013

good thread
lots of good ideas
while distilled water is cheap, I would still have to go to the store to get it! ugh

as far as tap water, I agree with the others.
depends on what comes out of your faucet.
When I had a well only for dunno 30 years or so,
so much lime and minerals it would trash a coffee maker in a month and a hot water tank wouldn't last a year.
(filters plugged up so fast, it wasn't worth it...besides, as-is, it tasted better than the city peoples water)

in a battery...no way

4020deereboy · Dec 25, 2013

I always just use tap water to but then my opinion counts for nothing .

Radiator/battery water..

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