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View Full Version : Chemicals in water - Bad?


spindrift
14-12-2004, 08:33 PM
Does anyone want to take a guess at what, if any, detrimental effect there might be on the combustion chamber/cylinders from the long term use of water? There are dissolved chemicals and minerals in water that has not been distilled/de-mineralized. I'm most concerned about WMI in a towing situation where you're using a lot of water. I certainly am (30 oz./min.) because my truck doesn't have an IC.

Richard L
14-12-2004, 10:21 PM
Not sure of the long term effect if you are injecting water other than de-mineral (distilled) water.

What is the mineral contents of your water?

spindrift
15-12-2004, 02:04 AM
It has beeb reported that the calcium content of water can be in the 100 - 200 mg/l range. That's just one mineral. Then you have the possible corrosive effects of chlorine as well.

I really doubt that this is an issue because I've heard of one engine being torn down after significant miles towing with WMI and it was as clean as a whistle. I'm just trying to address the naysayers that I continually run into. Would like to be armed with some good info, that's all.

bobfusco
23-12-2004, 10:43 PM
:smile: In my "youth" I used to fill the injection tanks on Super Connies" with water , It was distilled only and mixed with methanol. In more recent times I was involved with aircraft engine washing for reduction of sea salt on gas turbines. We used demineralized water with a solids content below 56-60 Parts Per Million (PPM) . The major concern seemed to be a build up of mineral deposit on the compressor blades. Hope this is some help.
I will use the cleanest water I can get in my (future) installation , posibly a Reverse Osmosis system for about $150 is a good way to go. I understand that you can buy deionized water from outfits such as Culligan fairly cheaply if you go to their plant and haul it yourself (this is what auto detailers frequently do in Arizona where the water is really packed with minerals).

hotrod
25-12-2004, 06:39 AM
I wouldn't expect you to have much problem with mineral build up. I've never heard of anyone running WI that had noticable mineral buildup.

The only area I believe it would an issue is on the nozzle and possibly on the compressor wheel as mentioned above because the water would be evaporating off a surface. In the combustion chamber the microscopic droplets would flash to steam and leave a very small solid particle. In the case of calcium carbonate in the the water, under the heat of combustion it would probably break down to CO2 and calcium oxide, which would then revert back to calcium carbonate when it got the the cooler areas of the exhaust system.

Chlorine would not be a problem. First under high temperatures it would form a very weak hydrocloric acid solution. This interestingly enough is one of the acids commonly used to dissolve mineral build up in the construction trades. It is called Muratic acid in the trades and is a mix of 32% hydrochloric acid., so it would attempt to scavange any mineral build up post combustion chamber.

Second, tape water treated with chlorine will rapidly out gas its chlorine if allowed to "breath" especially if warm. The water will be essentially chlorine free after an hour or two of being added to your reservoir.

Larry