I often receive messages on my blog about battery maintenance, in particular, is it necessary (and can) to add distilled water inside? How much do you need? Why is this being done, and will there be no harm from it. I have already written several articles on this subject, but I didn’t discuss these issues in detail. Today I want to close this gap, as will usually be the video version at the end. Separately, I will focus on the maintenance-free battery. So we read and watch, definitely useful information ...
The water in the battery is our everything! Without it, it will not work normally, all because it is part of an electrochemical liquid, simply an electrolyte. However, under the influence of temperature, it can evaporate from there.
Electrolyte
As we all know, the electrolyte (inside the battery) consists of two main components:
- This is sulfuric acid. Its approximately 35% of the total volume
- Distilled water. Its about 65%
When these two substances are mixed, the electrolyte necessary for work is learned, with a density of 1.27 g / cm3. It is not recommended to add more than 35% acid, if the density is raised to 1.3 - 1.4 g / cm3, then at such a concentration the lead plates will suffer and may collapse ahead of time.
That is, such a density has been verified by many experiments and is a reference, it is worth noting that in the north up to 1.29 g / cm3 is allowed.
Water inside the battery
How we figured out the water AJ - 65%! But it is, but distilled without any impurities (this is necessary for many reasons, if only because - the resistance inside decreases, there is no precipitation on the plates, etc.).
But its level is not constant. As you know, from high temperatures in the engine compartment, from charging the generator (sometimes), water can evaporate from the cans, the electrolyte level drops.
Sulfuric acid does not volatilize, and therefore its concentration begins to grow, for a battery this is bad for several:
- High density negatively affects the plates, destroying them
- The level drops, which means that the plates are exposed, thereby the battery capacity drops and it is not able to start your car.
- At high acid concentrations, it is possible
To avoid this, it is imperative to replenish - add water inside the battery to the required minimum.
How to add water to the battery?
To begin with, let's analyze the serviced option - when there are plugs on top of the battery. Everything is elementary here:
First - you need to buy distilled water in the store or else.
Second - just unscrew the plugs from above and look at the plates. If they are bare, the electrolyte level is lower, you need to add so that the water covers them. How much I will tell you below
Third - after adding we put on charging, you can use automatic chargers
As you can see, everything is elementary - there are no problems.
Maintenance-free battery
But if you take an unattended battery (for example, BOSCH, VARTA, MUTLU and many others), then it will not be so easy to add here. The design does not provide for the addition of water inside, that is, you have to "chemise".
For the sake of fairness, it is worth noting that they are often made according to and their water loss is very small. However, after 4 - 5 years, the level still falls and it is desirable to bring it to normal.
BY THE WAY - many of these batteries are handed over to specialized stores when they no longer start the car and buy new ones. BUT NOT MANY people know that you just need to add water there and then the performance will be restored.
HOW TO POSITION, STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:
- First, check your electrolyte level. Shake the battery slightly to the right and left, if there is a minimum level, then it is worth adding water. If there is a feeling that there is enough of it, then perhaps the water will not help you (maybe you have shedding or sulfation)
- Determine where your plates are (at what height). If the battery is transparent (it has a white casing, as, say, in BOSCH), it can be illuminated with a flashlight. But if the case is black, then it will not work out so easily, it is worth considering "by eye"
- We retreat from the plates about 1.5 - 2 cm up. We take a 2-3 mm drill bit and drill small holes.
- We take distilled water and a syringe with a needle. We fill the syringe and fill it through the holes into the battery
- It is worth adding before liquid begins to ooze through the holes.
- Then we put the battery on its side and seal the holes with an ordinary soldering iron.
- Then just charge
We have to "farm", otherwise there is no way. Some people drill holes from above, but this way it is impossible to control the level (and it is also impossible to overflow).
How much water to add to the jars?
Another important condition. On some batteries there is a special level (usually on the side of the case) it is worth adding water to it (you cannot pour it).
However, a large number of batteries of this level do not have, so how much to pour?
ONE very simple rule. The plates should be covered with electrolyte by 1 - 1.5 cm (measured with special measuring tubes). At this level, just the density of 1.27 g / cm3 is obtained.
The boiling of the battery, which often occurs due to malfunctions in the generator, leads to the evaporation of water and an increase in the density of the electrolyte (aqueous solution of sulfuric or hydrochloric acid). If distilled water is not added in time, the battery will eventually lose its capacity and will not provide the required power for the normal functioning of the vehicle's on-board network.
How to properly add distilled water to the battery?
The main thing in the process of adding distillate is to know and follow a number of rules that will avoid common mistakes and keep the battery working:
- Place the battery on a flat surface. Clean the top to prevent dirt from getting inside the battery, then unscrew the plugs.
- Determine the electrolyte level using the special marks located inside the filler holes. If they are absent, you should focus on the plates: the liquid should cover them by 1-1.5 cm.
- Add distillate to those jars where the sulfuric acid is below the prescribed level using a syringe or a pear.
- Tighten the plugs and leave the battery for 2-3 hours.
After that, several times check the density of the electrolyte in the battery using a hydrometer. If the indicator fits into the standard recommended by specialists (1.62-1.28 g / cm 3), the battery is ready for further use.
How much distilled water to add to the battery?
Before pouring distilled water into the battery, it is necessary to check the density of the electrolyte. If the value is higher than 1.28 g / cm 3, it means that there is a lot of sulfuric acid and it must be diluted with distillate. You do not need to calculate the exact volume of water required, just add the liquid to the special mark or just above the top of the lead plates. In the latter case, it is worth checking the electrolyte level using a glass tube up to 5 mm in diameter. It is placed inside the battery until the bottom rests against the safety guard. Having closed the hole with a finger, the tube is taken out and the height of the electrolyte column inside it is measured. If the indicator does not exceed 10-15 mm, the level of distilled water is optimal and it is no longer necessary to add distillate to the accumulator.
Where to buy distilled water for your battery?
Our company manufactures and sells distilled water at an affordable cost, packaged in 5.6 and 19 liter bottles. Purified by reverse osmosis, it contains a minimum amount of impurities and meets all the requirements of the state standard GOST 6709-72. Our distillate is used for any technical need:
Order the required amount of distilled water on the website, we will organize fast delivery to any point in the city and region.
Very often, many motorists, out of ignorance, make the mistake of adding electrolyte to the battery when the liquid level in it drops. Why this can be done only as a last resort - we will analyze in this article.
Batteries lose part of the water from the electrolyte during operation and charging, while its level above the plates decreases and the concentration (density) of the acid increases. Accordingly, a low electrolyte level during battery operation negatively affects the battery life.
To restore the electrolyte level, it is necessary to top up the battery with distilled water. If done in a timely manner, then the negative impact of increased electrolyte density on battery life is reduced.
The electrolyte can be topped up only when there is complete confidence that some of the electrolyte has been lost.
During the boiling process, almost all sulfuric acid remains inside the battery, only oxygen and hydrogen come out, therefore, instead of evaporated water, we add distilled water.
If in all banks of a fully charged battery the density does not rise to the required level, it is highly probable that this is a partial sulfation of the battery. The electrolyte concentration decreases due to the crystallization of sulfur on the plates and the battery will need urgent recovery. Topping up electrolyte will not help here.
There are various reasons why the electrolyte level in the battery drops, and each of them must be considered separately. It is not always enough to add water to the jars and calm down on this, but the main thing is that you only need to add distilled water to the battery.
Add electrolyte as a last resort if spillage is causing the low level. It is important to note that the electrolyte is added at the same temperature and the same density as the one remaining in the jars.
Correct operation of the battery and the timely addition of distilled water to it will allow you to avoid the need to restore capacity, and will also increase the service life of this device.
The 4AKB-YUG company offers a large selection of high-quality equipment of its own design for servicing storage batteries of various types and purposes. In the catalog of our site are presented, as well as devices that you can buy at a bargain price from the manufacturer.
The electrolyte is a liquid consisting of sulfuric acid and distilled water. In some situations, the electrolyte level in the battery drops and needs to be normalized. Depending on the reasons for the decrease in the level, either electrolyte or distilled water is added to the battery. How do you know what exactly to fill in the battery?
The electrolyte is topped up in the battery if the drop in its level is caused by damage to the case, or by leakage when tilted. Distilled water is added to the battery when it boils off (evaporation), because it is water that boils away, not sulfuric acid.
How to top up distilled water
Distilled water is required to add water. Raw water from the tap, or boiled water is not suitable, because contains impurities that negatively affect the course of chemical processes and can even worsen the condition of the battery, because impurities are deposited on the battery cells. Boiling does not remove hard impurities, salts and metals from the water; boiling can only kill bacteria and microbes in the water.
The brand of distilled water that you will fill does not matter. The plugs are unscrewed from the battery and water is carefully added to the level that is applied to the monoblock. If the monoblock is not transparent, then add enough water to hide the electrodes completely, and the water supply on top was at least 1 cm.
After the procedure for adding water, it is recommended to charge the battery on a charger. A fully charged battery will have a density of 1.26-1.28. If the density is significantly different, then something went wrong and you better contact a specialist.
How to add water to a maintenance-free battery without access to banks 
In practice, without access to banks, they make maintenance-free batteries using calcium technology, i.e. which do not require liquid topping up throughout the entire service life. But it happens that when overcharged, boil-off still occurs. If there is no access to the battery, but you need to add liquid, then you will have to suffer. It is recommended to drill small holes 2-4 mm in the battery cover. and in them carefully add distilled water with a syringe.
What happens if you add electrolyte instead of water
If you need to add distilled water to the battery, and you add electrolyte, then after charging the battery, its density will exceed 1.30 and the sulfuric acid content will become prohibitive. This will lead to accelerated sulfation of the battery plates and its failure. Batteries with a high density exist and are used in the far north so that ice does not form in the batteries, but at the same time the battery itself in this state can work no more than 1 year.
A car is not a living organism, but a capricious one. Everyone knows that you can't put bad gasoline or diesel fuel, antifreeze and oil into it. But he also needs the right water - distilled! We figure out how to use it to the maximum benefit for your iron horse.
Many are perplexed, looking at bottles with a transparent liquid, marked "GOST 6709-72": they say, it's just water, how can it cost so much? You can't even drink it!
Only distilled water is not just water, but purified by distillation through a distiller. It contains a minimum of impurities and has a low specific electrical conductivity. That is why it is indispensable when servicing a car, and there is no need to save on it.
We offer four ways to use distilled water:
1. Add distilled water to the batteries
Adding water to the battery when the electrolyte boils off is an ordinary, but very responsible procedure. Only distilled water should be used as a diluent, otherwise the battery life will be reduced by more than 2-3 times.
The liquid with which the battery is filled is a solution of sulfuric acid with additives, expensive and complex components such as self-discharge inhibitors, barium and strontium salts. These electrolyte additives keep parts pristine and ensure stable battery performance.
Ordinary water contains salts of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and other impurities - almost half of the periodic table! If you add it to the battery, the delicate chemical equilibrium will be disturbed. The plates of the electrodes will be covered with a coating, the battery will start to "play pranks" - it will not charge well and will not hold the current. This will cause startup problems.
2. Dilute antifreeze with distilled water when the coolant level drops.
You've probably noticed that over time the coolant level in the cooling system drops, although there are no leaks in it. This happens because water evaporates from the antifreeze. Up to 1 liter of coolant can disappear from the cooling system in a year. The difference between the minimum and maximum mark of the level of antifreeze is usually only 0.5 liters!
The lower the coolant level, the greater the risk of air entering the top of the radiator, stove and cooling ducts. At a critical moment, the engine will start to overheat, and as a result, the risk of breakdown will increase by an order of magnitude. Therefore, if there are no leaks in the cooling system, and the liquid level has dropped, add distilled water to restore the concentration of antifreeze. Distilled water is much easier to find than a suitable coolant. In addition, in this case, you do not need to think about the compatibility of antifreezes, and it will come out cheaper in the end.
By the way, auto repairmen use distilled water to rinse the cooling system when replacing antifreeze. This simple procedure prevents the formation of limescale and other harmful deposits. And the cleanliness in the cooling system is a guarantee that there will be no problems in the operation of the engine.
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3. Use distilled water instead of glass washer
In the manuals of leading car manufacturers it is written in black and white that only distilled water can be poured into the washer reservoir. Otherwise, limescale, sediment and even mud will appear in the washing system. Over time, this contamination will clog the spray nozzles and disrupt their operation.
Distilled water as a washing liquid can be used both in the solo version and it can be diluted with washer concentrates (both summer and winter), which are much better at dealing with dirt or insect marks.
4. Use distilled water at home
White limescale deposits on black fabric after ironing a completely clean item is a common problem for people who fill their iron with regular tap water. Filtration and boiling with impurities in tap water cannot cope. Pour distilled water into the irons, and then you will not be afraid of any unpleasant surprises. It can also be poured into an individual heating system in a private house - it is also sensitive to harmful deposits.
And distilled water is also recommended by manufacturers of electric fireplaces, in which the flame effect is formed with the help of light and water vapor. Like car systems, such devices are very demanding on the quality of the liquid and will work much longer if distilled water is poured into them.
