If I remember correctly from my College Chemistry distilled water is more or
less "pure" water without the contaminants and minerals found in tap water.
The distillation process heats the water so it turns into a vapor (steam).
This is cooled on the other side and it turns back into water. The minerals
and other contaminants are left behind so that all that is left is "pure"
water.
The mineral content varies with the water source. Well water typically has a
higher mineral content than water from a fresh water Lake.
When tap water is added the battery the chemical reaction that occurs to
produce the electricity causes the minerals to leach from the water and it
can collect on the lead plates in the battery. This is not a good thing as
the more that collects on the plates the less efficient the battery becomes.
Because the distilled water does not have the same mineral content as the tap
water the battery should theoretically be more efficient and last longer. I
have not seen any tests done to prove this out but this is why distilled
water is being recommended.
Cheers
Al
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