Probably a dumb question, but it's better to ask then to screw something up

When refilling my radiator, I know I'm supposed to use distilled water, is that just basically bottled water? What do I need to look for?

Thanks!

 

no you realy need to use distilled because normal bottled water has dissolved solids in it just like tap water that will gunk up the rad.

 

well if its all you have it will do but distilled is ideal

 

Grocery store should have gallon of distilled for like 50 cents.

 

No. Bottled water is usually a) filtered tap water (marginally better than regular tap water) or b) spring water (much worse than tap water - has more minerals in it)... you specifically want to use distilled water if at all possible, since that guarantees you pure H2O and no mineral deposits. You want to see "steam distilled" or "distilled water" on the bottle. Like $1 a gallon at Publix, maybe less. Get it.

 

Cool, thanks guys, that's what I needed to know. I'll go pick up some distilled water then

 

Twenty cents at WAL~Mart!

Buy Distilled! Or make your own

 

Make your own? Wouldn't that be more expensive then buying it?

 

lol yeah it would ...distillers are like 500 bones...if you wanta go all out, get de-ionized water...it's as pure as it gets

 

You can make your own distiller out of an old pot. I have no clue what you're talking about thats $500. You can pick up $20 distillers for small amounts of drinking water at stores.

My dad has some weird thing hooked up to the water lines under the sink for around $300 that slowly purifies tap water in a resivoir for use in radiators, irons, or just drinking it.

 

Well, I just went and bought some distilled water, so that'll have to do for now

 

boil it... then it's distilled.

 

if you have a dehumidifier (sp.?) the water that collects is distilled...

 

umm no...boiling it will kill anything living in it.
if you keep boiling, you will be left with all of the minerals and additives in the bottom of the pan...but now water. unless you collect the boiled off water, that theory is crap.

 

Not if you collect the steam, and let it cool. The mineral deposits will be left in the pan, and the water could be collected. That may be what your last sentence means, though

 

OK, so we are all on the same page, distilled water is made from boiling water, collecting the steam, and condensing the steam by cooling it until it returns to the liguid state. Distilled water is labeled as DISTILLED will not contain any minerals or foreign substances and it would be the best for radiators.

 

OK, so that we are all on the same page, distilled water is made from boiling water, collecting the steam, and condensing the steam by cooling it until it returns to the liguid state. Distilled water is labeled as DISTILLED will not contain any minerals or foreign substances and it would be the best for radiators.

 

OK, so that we are all on the same page, distilled water is made from boiling water, collecting the steam, and condensing the steam by cooling it until it returns to the liguid state. Distilled water is labeled as DISTILLED will not contain any minerals or foreign substances and it would be the best for radiators.

 

You need a way to cool the air coming out of the pot and cool it fast. Cool a pipe with some ice or something maybe?

 

Learned this on mythbusters.

If you try to boil distilled water you can't. The water will be superheated. If you drop say a sugar cube in the superheated water it will instantly boil. Spraying very hot water around. Don't stick your face in it.

The reason it doesn't boil is because it does not have impurities in it.

James

 

Saw that too. 'Twas pretty cool

 

Did u see the chicken gun they made? That was hilarious.

 

this is not entirely true it will still boil and still do so at 220F the this is because there has to be a distrbance for the water to flash to a boil. shaking the pot would achive the same effect. this is the same reason why distilled water can be cooled to below 0c then suddenly freeze when it is disturbed. a lack of impurities will not prevent a phase change, they just make them easier. gota love that cooky h2o

 

If that theory is crap, someone better tell Webster (and every other physical scientist in the world).

quote -- "Distill : the process of purifying a liquid by successive evaporation and condensation"

What's one way to evaporate water? Boiling...
Yes, you are correct that anything left in the pan is junk, and as others (and yourself) have stated, the steam is what you want to collect. I didn't say it would be easy.

also quoted -- "What is distillation and distilled water? Steam distilled water is the standard by which all other waters are measured. Not only is distillation one of the most effective forms of treatment, but it is also one of the easiest to understand: untreated water is converted into water vapor, which is then condensed back into liquid form. Almost all of the contaminants are left behind in the boiling chamber, with the condensed water being virtually contaminant-free. Anyone who has accidentally let a pot of water boil completely out on the stove is familiar with this process, and familiar with the crust of contaminants typically left behind after the water is gone. "

now, when it's all said and done? I'd buy a gallon at the local grocery store. It's going to be significantly cheaper than you can make it yourself.