donz1

Hi, is it okay to use normal tap water when mixing antifreeze or is it best to use distilled water
many thanks

Mrchips

iTrader: (7)

Just normal water.

donz1

many thanks mrchips tap water it is then ,do you have any idea how many litres it should take to refill the system after changing it. many thanks

joz8968

iTrader: (13)

IIRC it takes over 7 litres - so buy 3 or 4 litres of coolant for near-50/50 mix which is more than adequate for our climate.

terzo98

iTrader: (1)

Best to use distilled water. See info below.

If I buy concentrated antifreeze, can I get the proper water/glycol mixture using tap water?

Using “hard” water out of the tap can cause scaling in the engine. Tap water is purified for drinking by chlorination, which kills germs but can cause corrosion in the engine. Even if you carefully measure the amounts of tap water and antifreeze to get the right blend, using tap water is not a good idea. Tap water also contains dissolved oxygen, calcium, magnesium, and other contaminates besides chlorine and chlorides that can significantly degrade corrosion inhibitor performance.

How much water should I mix with my antifreeze?

If you mix antifreeze with distilled water at the ratio of one part antifreeze to one part water, you will have freeze protection down to –34°F and boil-over protection up to 265°F (if using 15 PSI pressure cap). Never use concentrated antifreeze in a cooling system without adding water. At least 40% of the mixture should be water.

his-n-her-scoobs

iTrader: (5)

Terzo,

Can you please indicate the source of your statement?

Live in East Anglia in one of the hardest water areas known (you wanna have a look inside my kettle) and have never had problems with a healthy engine and scale.

Kettles scale (in a hard water area) because you are always boiling off a new dose of water.

Engine cooling systems (like household heating systems) recirculate the same water over and over again. There is only so much scale to come out of 7 litres of water (or 3.5l if you have a 50/50 mix with antifreeze)

Have seen one engine scale, but that had a major coolant leak which the owner kept topping up with neat water over the course of 2 years, so I shudder to think how many litres had been thru it. Made especially worse as his rad fan did not work so he frequently overheated. But this is an example of particularly bad engine treatment, not fair wear and tear.

Just curious.....

his-n-her-scoobs

iTrader: (5)

By the way, have been using hard tap water in my engines since 1982, apart from a brief spell with soft water in North Wales some 15 years ago.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Its a pressurised system, the water shouldnt boil

Tony

terzo98

iTrader: (1)

his-n-hers
Source of original info. But it only makes sense to use the purest water you can. Less chemicals the better.
Antifreeze Recycling FAQ

Lots of people will be able to quote how they have used tap water for years without problem. But as you can see from the increasing number of posts at this time of year lots of people are having problems with cooling systems. No I am not suggesting that all the problems are down to tap water. But the more things we can eliminate during maintenance the less likely the problems will arise.
We all quote one or two smokers who have lived a long and healthy life. Do we advocate we should therefore all start smoking.

his-n-her-scoobs

iTrader: (5)

Actually I quoted the one smoker who died

Don't take offense, I was genuinely interested in where the info came from. Am always willing to learn new things.

terzo98

iTrader: (1)

No offense taken. Last bit was to pre-empt the usual barrage of replies of how they have used tap water without a problem.
Your teeth need fluoride, your stomach needs germ free water so water authorities dose the water with chemicals.
These chemicals can promote corrosion in your cooling system.