Distilled or Deionized?

JWRoberts wrote:

the bear II wrote:
I was using distilled for many years and then I read an article about 20 years ago indicating no need for distilled. Since then I use city water out of the tap. My batteries last the expected length of time (5 to 6 years)

Me too.

If you live in Flint Michigan you could use tap water and add lead back to your Lead / Acid battery in the process.

This would not work in case anybody is thinking of it.

But, that is also why I would not use tap water. You don't really know what is in it.

IDoMyOwnStunts wrote:
Water guy here. Worked in plants that made and used both distilled and DI.

Short answer: Both are fine for your average batteries. Choose whichever one is more convenient to you.

Don't drink DI water.

Well...since I have a jug of DI that I use for dilution in the rad of my old Benz.........:)

Water guy here. Worked in plants that made and used both distilled and DI.

Short answer: Both are fine for your average batteries. Choose whichever one is more convenient to you.

Don't drink DI water.

:) Hi, distilled water for batteries and deionized water for washing your car without getting hard water spots.

+1 for distilled

At 1.29 a gallon I use distilled.

Having processed water for superheated boiler use we made pure water using three different methods.

Distilled......huge evaporator that boiled the supply water under vacuum then condensed the vapor resulting in pure water.....no salts/minerals

Deionized......huge cation beds and anion beds that supply water was forced thru leaving behind the different salts/minerals based on their 'ion' charge

RO System......huge multi-pass membranes and electrically charged filters leaving behind salts/minerals

All of them resulted in clean water.
Each needed additional 'treatment' for use in our boilers (hydrazine, ammonia, phosphates)

Any of them are good enough for batteries.

Distilled is recommended

Tap water can be used but can reduce life, cause corrosion, result in self-discharging etc depending on which solids are in the tap water

I buy whichever I happen to see first.

Trojan Battery White Paper on the subject of distilled vs deionized water for use in lead acid batteries ....

"In conclusion, for the best overall performance from the battery, distilled
water is the most beneficial type of water to use."

Good enough for me. :)

the bear II wrote:
I was using distilled for many years and then I read an article about 20 years ago indicating no need for distilled. Since then I use city water out of the tap. My batteries last the expected length of time (5 to 6 years)

Me too.