As an aquarium hobbyist (and water testing freak) for many years, I must
add my .02 here -
pH (a measurement of acidity or alkalinity) is often confused with
hardness (a measurement of mineral content). They are often related,
but not always. Distilled water has a hardness of 0 (no mineral
content), but has a pH of 7 (or neutral, meaning neither acidic nor
alkaline). This is why it should be used in your battery - It is pure
water; you would not be adding minerals; you would not be adding more
acid; and you would not be neutralizing the acid in the battery.
If the water from a dehumidifier has a pH of 6.4 (acidic - similar to
rainwater), if you add it to the battery, you would be increasing the
acidity of the electrolyte in the battery. I'm not sure what this would
do to the battery, but I would bet it's not good for it. Tap water
would probably be better -at least it's closer to a neutral pH.
Needless to say, you also don't know the mineral content of the
dehumidifier water (or the tap water, for that matter). I don't think
the hardness would affect the battery as much as the pH, but it probably
has some effect. You need so little water to occasionally top off the
battery, why not just spend a little for distilled water? You'll
probably save money in the long run by getting the most life out of your
battery.
FOR BOB, (others can stop reading now) one aquarium tip - Don't use
dehumidifier water in your aquarium, regardless of its pH. That water
was removed from the air in your home - Not that you have bad air, but
there are all kinds of airborne nasties (pollutants like smoke,
pesticides, formaldehyde, bacteria, etc.) around the home that could end
up in that water, and most of these things are not good for our finny
friends. Stick with the tap water - At least you know it's relatively
free of bacteria (and, hopefully, the other stuff), thanks to modern
water treatment plants. Your water utility can provide you with a neat
report of the composition, hardness, and pH of your tap water, so you
can make sure it's ok for the fishies.
E-mail me if you wish to talk water quality or aquariums further - glad
to help with problems or just talk fish.
(1 garden fish pond, 13 fish tanks, and counting)
-NORY
Don't assume that because you have found one problem, you have found the
ONLY problem.
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