[RE-wrenches] Followup to Surrette Battery Question

[Darryl Thayer]

jus to add my two cents worth, in Minnesota, all well water is at saturation with Calicum Carbonate, and some at saturation with FeO? some wells have red rust such that the water comes from the tap red.  I thought all wells were like that.  When softened Calcium Carbonate ion exchanges to Na carbonate, such that you still have the ions, just different ones. 

So I would never use anything but distilled water.  Some times water passed through a osmotic filter removes the ions, (not carbon dioxide or methane) thus perhaps deionized water has be osmotic filtered.  

Darryl, 


--- On Sat, 9/6/08, Matt Tritt <solarone at charter.net> wrote:

> From: Matt Tritt <solarone at charter.net>
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Followup to Surrette Battery Question
> To: "James Surrette" <james at surrette.com>
> Cc: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008, 4:39 PM
> Jamie,
> 
> And since the vast majority of groundwater and artificial
> lake water is 
> very high in calcium chloride out here in the far West,
> using 
> untreateted tap water is like murdering your batteries.
> 
> Matt
> 
> James Surrette wrote:
> 
> > Hi Matt et al,
> >
> >
> > Sorry for missing my que to respond.
> >
> >
> > As mentioned, the big concerns is mineral content in
> the water which 
> > will adhere to the plate and "take the
> place" of a possible reaction 
> > site - thus reducing capacity.
> >
> >
> > As you can imagine, water quality is a concern from
> both the input and 
> > output standpoint and we have an outside Environmental
> Consultant 
> > group review water (and air) quality 1/4ly.  We are
> very fortunate 
> > that even untreated/ filtered, has negligible mineral
> content.  I have 
> > never been in a battery plant that uses distilled
> water but (almost) 
> > all, I have seen, use a form of filtration / dionizing
> before use.
> >
> >
> > Hard water is a definite no no!
> >
> >
> > Jamie
> >
> >
> >    
> >
> > >>> "R. Walters"
> <walters at taosnet.com> 09/04/08 10:44 PM >>>
> > Matt;
> >
> >
> > I've used the watering systems for years as well,
> but never the tap 
> > connect.
> >
> > We have hard water here too, good to know that our
> distilled water 
> > mania is not in vain.
> >
> >
> > Ray
> >
> >
> >
> > On Sep 4, 2008, at 6:30 PM, Matt wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Ray,
> >>
> >>
> >> We sell plenty of watering systems, but none are
> fed from an actual 
> >> pressurized tap. The "best" one uses a
> manual water release on top of 
> >> each cap; this prevents over-filling when (not if)
> something sticks.
> >>
> >>
> >> I have never used non-distilled water in a
> battery, but I have 
> >> replaced a couple of banks that were wrecked by
> using well water with 
> >> a high mineral content.
> >>
> >>
> >> Matt
> >>
> >> ---- "R. Walters"
> <walters at taosnet.com
> <mailto:walters at taosnet.com>> 
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>  
> >>
> >>> I never used it, but Battery Watering Systems
> has used them for
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> years. The rep I talked to thought we in the
> solar biz were quite
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> cautious on this.
> >>>
> >>> I still use distilled H2O, myself BTW.
> >>>
> >>> Have you actually experienced ruined batteries
> from ionized or
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> filtered H2O?
> >>>
> >>> Also, if you reread Jamie's previous
> response, it sounds like they
> >>>
> >>>  
> >>>
> >>> aren't even using distilled H2O to build
> them either.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Ray
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Sep 3, 2008, at 7:15 PM, Matt wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> This is a majorly bad idea! Tap water
> usually contains dissolved
> >>>>
> >>>>  
> >>>>
> >>>> minerals that will screw up battery
> plates, reduce or increase
> >>>>
> >>>>  
> >>>>
> >>>> conductivity and generally void battery
> warrantees.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Am I correct about this Jamie?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Matt
> >>>>
> >>>> ---- "R. Walters"
> <walters at taosnet.com 
> >>>> <mailto:walters at taosnet.com>>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Some of the single point battery
> watering systems have a pressure
> >>>>>
> >>>>> regulator that plumbs right to the
> water tap with a small filter.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Apparently we in the solar business
> are more anal about using
> >>>>>
> >>>>> distilled water than many other
> battery users.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Ray
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Sep 2, 2008, at 6:46 PM, James
> Surrette wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Hi Bruce,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> FYI, Deionized water is commonly
> used in battery manufacturing and
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> large motive power applications;
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> http://www.philadelphiascientific.com/deionizer.html
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Regards,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Jamie
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>
> >
> > R. Walters
> >
> > Solarray.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > NABCEP # 04170442
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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