Can You Put Tap Water In A Car Battery
If you have a battery with filler plugs quite rare nowadays then you must check the acid level regularly and top up to the correct level using only distilled water.
Can you put tap water in a car battery. Battery makers recommend distilled water but many people use tap water to refill the battery. The answer is no according to an auto electrician. A car battery delivers electric power that starts the car. When the water level drops too far more water needs to be added.
It s best to used distilled water as this removes the disolved minerals usually found in tap water. Most auto batteries work by chemical action to make power. Look i ve used tap water for over 50 years and never once saw a side effect. Do not use tap water in your battery as tap water contains minerals and other chemical compounds which can damage your battery after the chemical reaction.
I promise you your battery won t know the difference. Tap water contains impurities such as minerals which collect on the plates in the battery s cells reducing its capacity and usable life. The best way to fill a battery is with deionised demineralised or distilled water. There should not be any tap water in your battery.
When filling your battery regular tap water isn t going to cut it. Battery manufacturers recommend distilled water for better performance and longer battery life. Because tap water contains minerals and natural content that could corrode the battery it s best to used bottled water. Always use distilled or deionized water to fill your battery as it doesn t contain the mineral content.
Check the label of bottled water to make sure it s distilled and does not have natural mineral content. Nothing much at least initially. Use distilled or deionized water to fill your battery as it doesn t contain the mineral content of tap water. Tap water has containments which build up in the battery like minerals which will build up over the battery plates clogging the pores.
Filling with water from the tap could damage it. This can cause water to evaporate from the battery. The electrolyte in a lead acid battery is made up a sulphuric acid diluted with the exact correct amount of distilled water. To be safe distilled water is your best bet and is a much smaller investment than a new battery.
Tap water will lead to mineralization of the plates and this. You re messing with sulfuric acid. Tap water contains minerals that are harmful to batteries even if added in small amounts. Never use tap water when topping a car battery.
The only problem with tap water is that it still contains some chemicals that are added to the water and some chemicals that are natural to the water hard water don t do anything. This is particularly true for water softened by water softeners which contain chlorides.