[brow318]

Should I used distilled water with my coolant? Will cost more but thought it would help cut down on corrosion.

Kevin

[underthetire]

What coolant? Usually distilled water causes a lot more foaming of the coolant.

[brow318]

Ashburn Apex 7000

[cncadmin]

I use the radiator fluid for home radiant heat.

[SCzEngrgGroup]

If you're using a decent coolant, and maintaining it properly there shouldn't be any corrosion.... I've never had any. What make you think distilled water would cause less corrosion?

Regards,
Ray L.

[slowtwitch]

I use a synthetic coolant (Syn-Cool) and have used distilled water for over a year. I ran out and began using regular water. It's been close to 8 months and I haven't seen any difference in lubricating and corrosion performance.

[brow318]

Thanks for the response guys. The Asburn coolant should be good with regular water.

[GLCarlson]

Should I used distilled water with my coolant? Will cost more but thought it would help cut down on corrosion.

Kevin

Tap water has some chloride content (both elemental chlorine and the ionic species), sulfate, nitrate, and typically some calcium and magnesium. Depending on where you are in the country, iron and other sulfur compounds may be present (and a long list of other stuff: check with your local water utility for your specifics). That understood, most of the US has an excellent manufactured water system for tap water. It is consistent, well-controlled, safe, and usable for almost any purpose as is. Good coolant formulations will be tolerant of all but the most extreme public water chemistries (probably, even those), will handle the low levels of contaminants and will prevent them from causing corrosion. Distilled or deionized water isn't necessary.

[BAMCNC.COM]

I use distilled because of locally very hard water with a high chlorine content.

[underthetire]

Never use DI water for coolant, and never drink it

[GJeff]

It's probably the decision that has the least amount of impact on the $ you spend. Pay the $5-$10 and mix your $30+ worth of coolant with distilled. Don't be swayed by people who used tap out of laziness and now endorse it because their machine didn't explode into a cloud of rust.

[underthetire]

DI and distilled are 2 totally different animals. Yes you can use distilled for some coolants. Some coolants are blended for tap water and need the extra minerals to work correctly. I don't know the coolant your using, but I will say in general, with years of experience with the big name brands, distilled water causes the coolant to foam when aerated. You may not ever see a problem with low volume, low pressure pumps. Some coolants will eventually turn to bubble gum when dry from the wrong water. The larger companies will ask you to send them a water sample so they can recommend the correct coolant for your application. As with all coolants, mix the concentrate to the water, not water to concentrate, and never add plain water to your tank, even if it's only a 1% mix to top off.

[takewhatyoulike]

In addition to Chloridation there's Flouridation in our tap water.

General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.

[BAMCNC.COM]

Fluoride is very poisonous, glad I don't drink it.

[nitewatchman]

General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?

Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.

General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

[LRF]

and never add plain water to your tank, even if it's only a 1% mix to top off.

Why?

[Geof]

The choice of distilled versus deionized versus reverse osmosis versus regular tap water will have no influence on whether or not you get corrosion problems. A low coolant concentration in any water can increase the probability of corrosion but if the concentration is kept at 10% or more corrosion should not (probably will not) be a problem. As mentioned distilled water, or any water with a very low mineral content ('soft' water), may lead to foaming. Water with a high mineral content ('hard' water) may not create the correct emulsion so the coolant actually separates out from the water. If you don't have any problems having a nice foamy bath or shower with regular soap probably your tap water is not hard, i.e., it does not have a high mineral content so it is probably fine to use with coolant.

[Geof]

General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?

Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.

General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. 1946, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.

You have been watching Peter Seller movies.

[underthetire]

Why?

Because coolant contains a biocide. Water sets it off, so when you dump water on top of coolant, the biocide sets off and cooks the coolant. Once that happens you can get coolant separation, and all sorts of "weird" problems. Same thing with adding straight water to coolant, only opposite, you have no biocide since its already been used on the initial mix. I finally got our shop to follow these simple rules, and our coolant is over 2 years old, when they used to change it every 6-8 months.

[takewhatyoulike]

A low coolant concentration in any water can increase the probability of corrosion but if the concentration is kept at 10% or more corrosion should not (probably will not) be a problem.

I use a refractometer to check and keep my coolant concentration @ ~10% http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/b...ter-w-atc.html

Don Clement


Chance the Gardener: This is just like television, only you can see much further.