Well water instead of distilled water?

[Gasbuggy]

I and my dad and brother have always used filtered/treated well water mixed with coolant, without issue, in numerous cars that traveled over 100,000 miles on these type of mixed coolant. Two of our cars did another 200,000 miles beyond the first factory changes. Never had a spec of corrosion, extra wear or cooling issues. One is still on the original water pump at over 300,000 miles with Dex Cool/Well Water Mix since around 100k.

I would not use regular city tap water unless it was filtered or hose well water (unfiltered).

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by dx92beater
My deep well water supply is loaded with filters and gadgets that I don't quite understand. I am assuming that it has at least a reverse osmosis system. I am working on identifying each part.

I already know that distilled water is cheap. I have been using it for years.

I just wanted to know if well water could ever contain as little of "x" as to be just as good as distilled water when mixing with coolant.

Just curious.

Thanks


You can get a simple electronic measuring device for dissolved solids. That should tell you. People use them to determine when to change the Brita filter for example.

 

[qdeezie]

For what it's worth, I own a countertop water distiller and I have distilled well water with it. You do NOT want to put well water in your cooling system. It is full of minerals, limestone, etc. depending on where you live. My distiller is full of it every time I go out to the country and distill well water. When I measure the TDS of the well water before distilling it, it is 300+ easily cold and around 500 something hot. Definitely not something you want in your battery or cooling system.

Now on another note, distilled well water tastes extremely good!!!

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by PiperOne
Or just buy pre-mixed coolant and forget about it.


Naw, that's more money. For some reason, premixed 50/50 coolant is just about $1 or $2 cheaper than full strength. So you're paying almost double for what's basically a half gallon of distilled water.



True but you're paying for convenience.

 

[Schmoe]

I'd wouldn't use well water. Distilled water don't cost that much.

 

[HangFire]

Well water is all over the map (literally, heh) in acidity, alkalinity, dissolved minerals and gasses. What works great in one area may not work in another.

Distilled water and Deionized water are always safe, or the pre-mix stuff if properly spec'ed for your vehicle.

 

[pbm]

What is the consensus on using the water collected in my dehumidifier...it's reputed to be 'distilled' .....

 

[SeaJay]

I must have been living dangerously all those years. Back in the day when my cars got old and the coolant level would drop I mixed tap H2O with antifreeze for the refills. Always kept me going.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Originally Posted by pbm
What is the consensus on using the water collected in my dehumidifier...it's reputed to be 'distilled' .....


I'm sure it has collected some amount of airborne dust. The amount of dust depends on location of the dehumidifier and the rate at which water is collected.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by PiperOne
Or just buy pre-mixed coolant and forget about it.


Naw, that's more money. For some reason, premixed 50/50 coolant is just about $1 or $2 cheaper than full strength. So you're paying almost double for what's basically a half gallon of distilled water.



True but you're paying for convenience.


Takes about a few minutes to mix it in it jug. I suppose if you're low on coolant and need some RIGHT NOW, then the convenience comes in handy. But every time I need it, I know in advance like when I'm changing the thermostat and know I need coolant, grab a full strength one and a gallon of distilled water from the local grocery store. Easy peasy.

 

[dx92beater]

Thanks. A few things here. I'd never get pre-mixed. Works out cheaper (even with distilled water).

Secondly, I am always swapping out coolant. I have quite a few vehicles not just one. Sometimes something goes wrong mechanically with lifetime coolant and even though I'd like to recycle the coolant it's not always practical.

I'd really like to get to the bottom of what I have although you have already articulated what I likely have.

 

[PiperOne]

Must be where I buy it then......the pre mix is half the cost plus $1 maybe $2 at the most. For me it means the coolant is always the right mix...with the right water...and I can trust anyone to top off thier vehicles coolant if needed and not have them need to waste someone's time in the shop...peace of mind cost..maybe. And for the amount of coolant we go through....even if it was the costs you guys are quoting..I wouldn't care because we go through very little..maybe 20 gallons a year. The small stuff has DexCool...and we sell things before it needs changed usually, and the big stuff just gets extender put in.

Based on your signature...if you are "always swapping out coolant" on that number of vehicles...why?

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by PiperOne
Must be where I buy it then......the pre mix is half the cost plus $1 maybe $2 at the most. For me it means the coolant is always the right mix...with the right water...and I can trust anyone to top off thier vehicles coolant if needed and not have them need to waste someone's time in the shop...peace of mind cost..maybe. And for the amount of coolant we go through....even if it was the costs you guys are quoting..I wouldn't care because we go through very little..maybe 20 gallons a year. The small stuff has DexCool...and we sell things before it needs changed usually, and the big stuff just gets extender put in.

Based on your signature...if you are "always swapping out coolant" on that number of vehicles...why?


Where are you buying it? That price I quoted earlier is Autozone.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by SeaJay
I must have been living dangerously all those years. Back in the day when my cars got old and the coolant level would drop I mixed tap H2O with antifreeze for the refills. Always kept me going.

Ideally it should be something with fewer dissolved minerals. I seem to remember the basics with "universal" coolant was that it didn't contain any of the stuff that assorted automakers said not to use. So no phosphates for European coolants since well water is commonly used in Europe where phosphates will precipitate out. No silicates for long-life applications. But Japanese carmakers usually spec'ed high phosphate coolants like Honda Type 1. I remember my owners manual recommended using distilled or "low-mineral drinking water".

I didn't have my own well, but I remember dealing with municipal water from city wells. Nasty stuff. Had it tested once with a cheap kit and stopped when I figured it was "really hard".

Anyone remember Prestone had some sort of special deionized water they said was better than distilled?

Also - I remember hearing people call silicates "abrasive" which apparently is incorrect. The big problem was apparently that unless they're changed fairly often they'll come out of suspension and possibly block stuff up.

 

[FCD]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by SeaJay
I must have been living dangerously all those years. Back in the day when my cars got old and the coolant level would drop I mixed tap H2O with antifreeze for the refills. Always kept me going.

Ideally it should be something with fewer dissolved minerals. I seem to remember the basics with "universal" coolant was that it didn't contain any of the stuff that assorted automakers said not to use. So no phosphates for European coolants since well water is commonly used in Europe where phosphates will precipitate out. No silicates for long-life applications. But Japanese carmakers usually spec'ed high phosphate coolants like Honda Type 1. I remember my owners manual recommended using distilled or "low-mineral drinking water".

I didn't have my own well, but I remember dealing with municipal water from city wells. Nasty stuff. Had it tested once with a cheap kit and stopped when I figured it was "really hard".

Anyone remember Prestone had some sort of special deionized water they said was better than distilled?

Also - I remember hearing people call silicates "abrasive" which apparently is incorrect. The big problem was apparently that unless they're changed fairly often they'll come out of suspension and possibly block stuff up.



That was the case n the olden days of highly silicated conventional IAT coolants.

Nowadays that problem has been has been almost eliminated, Silicates are used in somewhat lower concentrations and sometimes combined with organic acids ( for example, G-05, G-40, G-48 ) and these coolants have special compounds to Stabilize the silicates.

The coolant VW currently uses in all their engines which is G13 is a Silicated OAT, which has the same drain interval of 5 years are any current 100% OAT formulation would.

 

[PiperOne]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by PiperOne
Must be where I buy it then......the pre mix is half the cost plus $1 maybe $2 at the most. For me it means the coolant is always the right mix...with the right water...and I can trust anyone to top off thier vehicles coolant if needed and not have them need to waste someone's time in the shop...peace of mind cost..maybe. And for the amount of coolant we go through....even if it was the costs you guys are quoting..I wouldn't care because we go through very little..maybe 20 gallons a year. The small stuff has DexCool...and we sell things before it needs changed usually, and the big stuff just gets extender put in.

Based on your signature...if you are "always swapping out coolant" on that number of vehicles...why?


Where are you buying it? That price I quoted earlier is Autozone.


I buy it from my Chevron dealer. Autozone (and O'Reillys for that matter) have terrible pricing on stuff unless it's on a good sale....convenient yes....good pricing...no.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by PiperOne
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by PiperOne
Must be where I buy it then......the pre mix is half the cost plus $1 maybe $2 at the most. For me it means the coolant is always the right mix...with the right water...and I can trust anyone to top off thier vehicles coolant if needed and not have them need to waste someone's time in the shop...peace of mind cost..maybe. And for the amount of coolant we go through....even if it was the costs you guys are quoting..I wouldn't care because we go through very little..maybe 20 gallons a year. The small stuff has DexCool...and we sell things before it needs changed usually, and the big stuff just gets extender put in.

Based on your signature...if you are "always swapping out coolant" on that number of vehicles...why?


Where are you buying it? That price I quoted earlier is Autozone.


I buy it from my Chevron dealer. Autozone (and O'Reillys for that matter) have terrible pricing on stuff unless it's on a good sale....convenient yes....good pricing...no.


Well that explains it, most people just buy from the local auto parts store and pretty much all of them have that crazy mark up on 50/50 premixed.

 

[dx92beater]

Originally Posted by PiperOne
Must be where I buy it then......the pre mix is half the cost plus $1 maybe $2 at the most. For me it means the coolant is always the right mix...with the right water...and I can trust anyone to top off thier vehicles coolant if needed and not have them need to waste someone's time in the shop...peace of mind cost..maybe. And for the amount of coolant we go through....even if it was the costs you guys are quoting..I wouldn't care because we go through very little..maybe 20 gallons a year. The small stuff has DexCool...and we sell things before it needs changed usually, and the big stuff just gets extender put in.

Based on your signature...if you are "always swapping out coolant" on that number of vehicles...why?


Lol, because something is always breaking and on some of the vehicles it's near impossible to swap coolant. My sig is old, but every vehicle I get seems to be a bigger abomination. On my Mini Cooper S, you don't even get a radiator drain plug. Something about reusing coolant that has washed over the side of my engine block that has been subject to a dirt road does not appeal to me.