Battery Water

[eyupdougdown]

I have been advised by the Yard Gods that my batteries need "topping up" whatever that means. They say I need some water to do this but not from the tap. Apparently rainwater will do, so I have been to the Spar and looked on ebay but neither seems to sell it. Does anyone know where to get some from? Any help appreciated as this didn't surface in my Risk Assessment Brainstorm Session and hence isn't a factor in the Project Plan. It doesn't appear on the Critical Path Analysis but unless tackled now, I will have to shift '0' date to the right. I did five years at university and still things are going wrong, I just can't understand it - they gave me a certificate and everything.

 

[philip_stevens]

You can get a bottle of water for topping up batteries from Halfords or any auto shop. It is known as de-mineralised water. It used to be distilled until HMC&E put blockers on it.

 

[jkim1]

You can also use the water that you get when you defrost the fridge. Break the bits off and let them melt in a clean plastic container. If you are going to buy some do it only from a reputable dealer, some garages would not think twice about filling a demin water bottle with tap water.

 

[geoffatstanpit]

And the gallons of water you dump out of your dehumidifier over the winter is "distilled" and is fine - 'cept you tipped it all away! Keep a bit next time for batteries, irons and cleaning windows. It doesn't leave streaks!

Geoff

 

[tome]

Eyup

Yes, they don't tell you when you buy batteries that you'd spend less time bringing up a family do they? Maintenence free my Harris!

Best long term solution is a wooden boat with a touch of gribble. Few people realise how pure gribble piss is, and if you can find a modest supply in your garboards then bob's your uncle. Keep your batteries in the bilges with the screw tops loose and they'll do all the work for you.

Hope this helps

 

[VicMallows]

And you're the execption to the 59 others who looked at his bio but didn't bother replying. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Vic

 

[tome]

No, I looked at his bio/website and wondered if he had as much trouble as myself spiling his first strake.

 

[eyupdougdown]

Thanks everyone for your help - Halfords / Fridge / Dehumidifier / Gribble Piss. Strange how no-one has said 'rain' yet.
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Vic, next time you're wandering around the Harbour trying to invent a bio, say hello to Nick Skeets for me please. Much Obligddged /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[tome]

Now look. You've frightened him away. Bless

 

[eyupdougdown]

He'll be back, people who have lived through a war don't scare that easy.

 

[tome]

Was going to say rain, but trouble is you're downwind in Millbrook.

 

[eyupdougdown]

Thanks Tome for having a sense of humour and willing to contribute regardless of the crap folk (me) may write in their bios. As for rain - the stuff is dropping out of the sky as we speak - (sorry type). Where are you then as I can't feel where the wind's coming from?

 

[tome]

I'm still here Eyup and I try to stay upwind, as you should also. Good luck to you with your projects and try to keep your baggywrinkles mellow. You know it makes sense.

 

[eyupdougdown]

Err, thanks - I'll give the baggy thing a go if I ever find out what it is?

Cheers for now and forever

 

[Piddy]

I read somewhere that de-humidifier water is contaminated with the (normally) aluminium metal tubes that create the condensation and is consequently no good for batteries. I run a de-humidifier all winter and let the water run away - should I be saving it, or is it a ploy by Halfords to make me buy their water?

 

[stevesales]

As an expert battery regubber myself for Gawd's sake buy gallon cans of deionised water (unless you can get gribble piss which is much better) Why risk writing off squids worth of battys for a few bob.
Rainwater ain't pure water, neither is the stuff that runs out of fridges, dehumidifiers or the bottom of coffins. Try measuring the conductivity if you don't believe me.

 

[brianrunyard]

Halfords sell it as De-ionised water for batteries, steam irons etc.

 

[Sixpence]

An old post I found that had no answers , as far as I'm aware , batteries like demineralised water as it stops plate build up that makes them fail . Maybe I'm wrong , wouldn't be new

 

[BrendanS]

drowning is correct. Buy gallons of Halfords stuff. All that tubing around dehumidifiers will only react badly with the condensate and create yucky water that will destroy you batteries

 

[Ships_Cat]

Hi you two - am starting to worry about the both of you hiding out in old threads and other infrequently inhabited parts of the forum.

But a coincidence about the battery water - we replaced all our service batteries a month or so ago (had lasted around 10 years cos were good Trojans) and I have always just used tap water to top them up (our water is not very hard). Thought I would reform and use distilled or demineralised water in the new ones.

Can get 20 litre containers of battery water here from the battery suppliers for around the equivalent of GBP6-7 but a bit much to carry around. But today while wandering around the supermarket I found 10 litre containers of drinking water which claimed to be distilled and demineralised, and with no additives as well. I suspect they are telling it as it is because pretty risky claiming wrong things for food, plus a few years ago I was doing an assignment which exposed me briefly to a bottled water maker and theirs definitely was distilled with no additives (bottle was purged with ozone after filling to stop it going green).

So maybe similar distilled drinking water is available in UK. Best part was 10 litres cost me the equivalent of around GBP2.50 /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

John