Bob Spidell writes:
> >
> > Water only promotes rust when it is electrolyic, i.e. it supports the
>transfer
> > of electrons from iron to oxygen (or sulfur). To be electolytic water must
>have
> > some salt(s) dissolved in it.
**** Amen. I run a mix of distilled water and antifreeze in all my
cars. Not only does distilled water not encourage corrosion by conducting
electricity, it also does not contain dissolved minerals.
The minerals in tap water gradually deposit themselves onto the cooling
system walls, creating a coat of white thermal insulation. I'm told that
a sixteenth of an inch of that white crud has the same thermal resistance
as FOUR INCHES OF CAST IRON. So how hot _is_ your head, anyway? Maybe
a bit hotter than the water, eh?
That calcium crud is not removed by flushing, nor by acid radiator
treatments. In fact, even the hot tank at the machine shop won't clean it
off!
But if you eschew tap water in favor of distilled, the crud will
gradually sublimate out into the coolant.
- Jerry
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* Jerry Kaidor jerry@tr2.com, jkaidor@synoptics.com *
* KF6VB *
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