Use tap water in Radiator?

Water is an excellent medium for heat transfer. Then why not use plain tap water in the cooling system of the diesel engines instead of the branded Coolants available in the market?

Although water is one of the best mediums for heat transfer, it has got some limitations.

Water will start boiling as soon as the temperature reaches 100^oC and will evaporate in the form of steam.

To increase the boiling temperature of water the cooling system is designed as a closed-loop system equipped with a Pressure Cap in the Radiator. The concept is similar to that of a Pressure Cooker. By chance, if there is a leak in the Pressure Cap of the Radiator, the water will evaporate at 100^oC, if not refilled in time all the water will vanish and the engine will seize due to high temperature.

Water freezes at 0^oC, it will not work in sub-zero ambient temperatures. The water will freeze and block the coolant passages and will also damage the Water Pump.

Water is corrosive when it comes in contact with ferrous metals. It will form rusts throughout the coolant flow paths and eventually choke it. At very high temperature water also corrodes aluminium and copper parts.

The minerals and other impurities present in water also contribute to scale formation along the paths of coolant flow. The fine water tubes of the radiator will get choked severely.

Rust and scale formation completely destroys the cooling efficiency and finally the engine will seize due to lack of cooling. Only a costly and time-consuming engine overhaul service can restore the engine in such cases.

That is why specially formulated Coolants are used in engine cooling systems. Various chemicals are added into the water to make the coolant which is most suitable for the engine.

COOLANT = Water + Anti Freezing Chemicals + Anti Boiling Chemicals + Rust Inhibitor Chemicals

Some brands will sell their coolants as Ready-To-Use (RTU). The benefit of using RTU Coolant is that you don’t have to mix it with water. You simply open the can and pour the coolant directly into the Radiator.

Do not mix different brands of coolant. Before adding the manufacturer recommended coolant flush out the old coolant (if it is of a different brand).

Some brands will sell concentrated or semi-concentrated coolants. In such cases, the user needs to mix the coolant with locally sourced water.

While mixing the concentrated or semi-concentrated coolant with water be careful with the quality of water you choose. Do not use tap water or well water. Water from these sources contains various metals, salts and other impurities and will completely defeat the purpose of your investment in branded Coolants.

Use only DM (Demineralized) water for mixing with Concentrated or Semi-Concentrated Coolants. DM water is not distilled water, it is specially purified water that has had most, or all of its mineral and salt ions removed. It is also known as Deionised water.

All water sources contain various minerals that can eat through aluminium or copper fins of the Radiator. Well water is typically full of iron and very hard. If that well water is softened, still it will contain sodium or salt. Tap water from the local municipal supply will have various amounts of Calcium, Fluoride and Chlorine. These will contribute to Scale formation or leakage.

Only in case of extreme urgency, use water as a coolant. But get the coolant as soon as possible and drain the water completely and refill with coolant as early as possible.

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Air-Cooled Engines vs. Liquid-Cooled Engines

An internal combustion engine generates heat in order to produce power. However, only a small percentage of the heat can be utilized for the conversion of power into mechanical force. The rest is discarded either through the exhaust, cylinder walls, cylinder heads, crankcase walls or engine oil.
To remove the waste heat in the most efficient and reliable manner possible, engines are either air-cooled or liquid-cooled.

Air-Cooled Engines:-

Air-cooled engines have an increased surface area for quicker heat exchange and usually have fins on them. Air-cooled engines have a high heat tolerance, which means the parts of the engines are rated to perform over a higher temperature range. This is very important in extreme conditions such as during extremely hot summers. The parts of the engine are made in a way to accommodate the expansion of the metal in the hottest of climates.

Liquid-Cooled Engines:

Liquid-cooled engines have their heads without fins and are surrounded by a water cooling system. Although the term ‘Water-cooled’ is more popular term for these engines, of late, the water in the radiator is replaced by Ethylene Glycol based coolant which has got better thermal conductivity than water. The coolant is used to keep the temperature of the engine at an optimum level. The coolant flows through the channels and absorbs the engine heat and transfers it out of the engine through radiator fan. The flow pattern, rate, temperature and pressure can all be adjusted in order to provide maximum cooling effectiveness without increasing the surface area of the cylinder head or walls.

Which is Better?

Generally, both of them have an equal number of advantages and disadvantages.
Below are the features of both types of engines:

a.Air cooled engines have lesser moving parts and hence less maintenance is required.

b.Setting up a cooling package of a Liquid cooled engine is complex affair as many hoses, pipes and accurate sizing of radiator is required.

c.With the same size of engine, a liquid cooled engine produces more power compared to an air cooled engine.

d.Due to higher thermal conductivity of Ethylene Glycol based coolant, liquid cooled engines are more efficient in removing heat and thus can operate at full load at longer time duration's.

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