Using The Right Battery Water So As To Extend The Life Span Your Vehicle Battery
If you want your car to go running efficiently then there are a number of things you need to regularly check aside from your engine and fuel. Many owners are a bit forgetful about the car battery water, which must be inspected every once in a while. Even if you are using the newest battery in your vehicle, you still need to check its water level as it is one of the most important way of monitoring the condition of your car battery.
The frequency of recharging and usage affects the water substance of your battery. The more times you recharge, the more frequently you have to examine the water level because during the energizing process, when electric current passes through the lead plates, water experiences a decomposition reaction during which it splits into its two gaseous elements namely hydrogen and oxygen. Hence, water is depleted during this process. Notice that this is likewise one reason you have to avoid smoking when inspecting your batteries because hydrogen is highly flammable and oxygen would cause further ignition; naturally, both gases are dangerous.
You would also notice that evaporation may bring about loss of water in several old batteries. Hence, you should inspect them more often during hot days and particularly if you live in areas with warm climate.
The risk when the vehicle water goes too low is that excessive heat may be generated by the battery and likewise the lead plates could be damaged. This wear and tear of the lead plates brings about inefficiency during the energizing process during which lack of water may also cause irreversible destruction to the plates. In other words, the life span of the battery is significantly lessened. This could just be additional expenditure for you when all you would have needed is nothing more than a bonus of water.
Whilst you may have to check that the quantity of water does not go very low, you should also ensure that you add only the specified quantity of distilled water. For example, as a preventative measure, do not go beyond the marked water level. If this is not indicated, make sure that water level does not touch the base of the battery cap. Extra water could spread out into the electrolyte cell and bring about weakening of the acid.
Nevertheless, not every type of water can be used. While you might think it is okay to obtain water from a pond, a strict rule requires that you use distilled water. Car battery or any kind of wet battery for that matter depends on the accurate electrolyte or ionic equilibrium in the cell. Hence, you are not to change the chemical or electrolytic nature of the liquid inside. Pure water does not contain ions and so it is recommended for the use of filling up car batteries. When we speak of pure water we talking about, distilled, deionized or demineralized water. Tap water is never recommended as it would shorten the life of your wet cell.