Adding Distilled water to battery. what qualifies as distilled?

[crazy charlie]

Cleared my pool cover of rain water after a week of rain.Took a quart of the apron 50 gallons and filtered it thru a towel and put it on my garage shelf to use as distilled water
to top off my batteries.Anyone know if this wouldn't qualify as distilled water?? There was so much of this crystal clear water to drain,i also asked my wife if she wanted some to wash her hair with,I heard that was once a thing. She gestured that I was #1 but didn't use the water...lol. Charlie

 

[matt167]

Distilled means distilled. Boiled and steam collected, and condensed. Its not expensive at the grocery store… that said I’m sure tap water has been used in a battery or 2 through the years

 

[jimmbo]

No. that is not How Water is Distilled. Condensed Steam in a uncontaminated Vessel would be Distilled Water.

Here is a Tidbit, Distilled Water is an Insulator, no Danger of Electrocution with it. but 1 grain of Salt in several Hundred Gallons of Water changes that.

 

[matt167]

No. that is not How Water is Distilled. Condensed Steam in a uncontaminated Vessel would be Distilled Water

Yes. In a still. I described exactly how one works

 

[jimmbo]

I was typing when you posted and didn't see it till after

 

[harringtondav]

I'm less picky. Rain water is condensed clouds. H2O. The only contaminates are what washes out of the air. My Pa in law collected it into a basement cistern for clothes washing before softeners were invented.
Dehumidifier water is also condensed water vapor. Quite clean. My Mom used it in her steam irons.

 

[jimmbo]

No, Rainwater is a Chemical Stew, and Water from a Dehumidifier, is Mold City.
Rainwater would certainly be softer, as it would have less Calcium in it compared to Tap Water, but I don't like using Water contaminated with Avian Fecal Matter, to wash my clothes

 

[tpenfield]

Many pharmacies sell distilled water . . . usually stocked right next to the 'purified' water.

 

[jimmbo]

I've seen Distilled Water at Costco

 

[tpenfield]

Just to add to the prior comments . . . rain water would not necessarily be considered 'distilled' if it has come in contact with any surface (roof, ground, boat canvas, bucket, etc) as it would have picked up some mineral/foreign content in the process.

Folks who use steam irons or upholstery steamers (like me) need distilled water to prevent from mineral deposits collecting in the iron/steamer.

 

[909]

Why ruin a $100-$200 battery by trying to save on a $2-$3 purchase

 

[jlh3rd]

Cleared my pool cover of rain water after a week of rain.Took a quart of the apron 50 gallons and filtered it thru a towel and put it on my garage shelf to use as distilled water
to top off my batteries.Anyone know if this wouldn't qualify as distilled water?? There was so much of this crystal clear water to drain,i also asked my wife if she wanted some to wash her hair with,I heard that was once a thing. She gestured that I was #1 but didn't use the water...lol. Charlie

rain is evaporated water that condenses in the air, forms up as drops and when heavy enough falls as rain...(sleet, snow, etc.)
So initially, it's almost as pure as distilled.
But the problem is the air is not pure. So as the droplets form into clouds and then fall as rain, they collect these impurities. Further contamination occurs once on the ground.
I wouldn't use rain water in my batteries, I use distilled.
But it's not like if you did the battery is gonna die the next day.

 

[Tassie 1]

I remember hearing and reading back in the olden days that when you defrosted the old type domestic kitchen freezer/ fridge you could use that water in car etc etc batteries,
Some people called it distilled water back then,

I remember my dad had some bottles in his shed a looong, looong time ago.
I haven't heard of anyone...including us...defrosting a domestic freezer these modern days though

 

[dingbat]

My “tap water” comes from an aquifer 275’ below the ground. Never had a problem using it to top off batteries

Has a pH of 6.8 and a TDS less than 60 ppm coming out of the tap.
Max allowed in drinking water….500ppm
Distilled water is 0.0-0.5 ppm

Having had automotive finishes damaged by “acid” rain in the past, no way I would use or consider rainwater as a substitute for distilled water or anything else for that matter

 

[harringtondav]

My observations about rain water weren't to justify drinking the stuff, only to use it top off a battery.
Many of my many batteries are "maintenance free". I'm guessing they're sealed against gas leaks and evaporation.
I've ignored this and found a way to pop the cell covers. Most are full.
I use soft tap water if I think a top off is needed. I've pitched the maintenance records on my past batteries. Thinking if I could get seven yrs from a battery I was ahead of the game. 5-6 yrs seems a good average.

 

[crazy charlie]

Wow!!! This is almost as good as an oil thread.Almost....Forgot to mention that rainwater is what my grandfather used .Charlie

 

[jlh3rd]

well, you asked....

 

[PCUK]

Just to complicate matters further in the UK we use de-ionised water to top up batteries.

 

[michaeljhones72]

Using filtered rainwater from your pool cover can indeed serve as a substitute for distilled water in certain applications like topping off batteries. However, it may not meet the strict standards required for certain uses. It's always best to consult with a professional or check specific guidelines to ensure suitability for your intended purpose. Thanks for sharing your resourceful approach, Charlie.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Using filtered rainwater from your pool cover can indeed serve as a substitute for distilled water in certain applications like topping off batteries

Bad advice