Question about water wetter.
- Thread starter Warpath
- Start date
That depends on what you consider a benefit. 
Does it make the cooling system more efficient? Sure. But the system is plenty efficient already.
Water wetter has some possibly ugly side effects as well - it drops the surface tension on water by a lot. What does this mean? It means that small leaks become big leaks, and areas that don't leak at all without it may very well leak with it. If you have some WW handy, try this: Fill a tupperware container halfway full of water, seal it, and shake it. Leaks? None. Open it back up and put a capful of WW in it, seal it, and shake again. I advise doing it over the sink, though, or have a towel handy!
Bottom line: I wouldn't put it into a car unless I was 110% confident of the cooling system integrity.
Does it make the cooling system more efficient? Sure. But the system is plenty efficient already.
Water wetter has some possibly ugly side effects as well - it drops the surface tension on water by a lot. What does this mean? It means that small leaks become big leaks, and areas that don't leak at all without it may very well leak with it. If you have some WW handy, try this: Fill a tupperware container halfway full of water, seal it, and shake it. Leaks? None. Open it back up and put a capful of WW in it, seal it, and shake again. I advise doing it over the sink, though, or have a towel handy!
Bottom line: I wouldn't put it into a car unless I was 110% confident of the cooling system integrity.
I tested WW back when I built my first water cooled PC and saw very very minimal difference in before and after running temps.
I've always run it for summertime use on the road course, but primarily for its anti-corrosive properties and for lubrication of water pump seals.
I've never noticed a real temp difference between it an anti-freeze - it does make a huge difference vs. straight water, but I always run mechanical fans with full shrouds on everything except the dedicated drag cars.
The drag cars (the ones that still have water jackets) run straight water, electric fans & electric water pumps. For 7 second passes, the cooling system doesn't really do all that much while going down the track, it's really to cool the motor off AFTER the run so you can work on it.
I've never noticed a real temp difference between it an anti-freeze - it does make a huge difference vs. straight water, but I always run mechanical fans with full shrouds on everything except the dedicated drag cars.
The drag cars (the ones that still have water jackets) run straight water, electric fans & electric water pumps. For 7 second passes, the cooling system doesn't really do all that much while going down the track, it's really to cool the motor off AFTER the run so you can work on it.
Same here. I saw larger performance differences when using it in an automobile, though. I don't recall the exact numbers anymore, that was ... err... probably at least a decade back by now.
Of course, I couldn't keep using it for long, because it caused leaks that hadn't been there before!
Of course, I couldn't keep using it for long, because it caused leaks that hadn't been there before!
I use Redline WW in the wife's air to water intercooler system in the Ion. Works very well, and as posted by Grim, you WILL find every single leak in your coolant system!
WW is only really effective when used with straight water.
Like Grim pointed out, it breaks the surface tension of the water, allowing a better "contact" with the metal to transfer heat.
If you are running a coolant mix, you will see little to no benefit. Coolant has additives that coat the metal to help protect against corrosion, in turn, negating what the WW is trying to do
Like Grim pointed out, it breaks the surface tension of the water, allowing a better "contact" with the metal to transfer heat.
If you are running a coolant mix, you will see little to no benefit. Coolant has additives that coat the metal to help protect against corrosion, in turn, negating what the WW is trying to do
(dripping wet from shaking water bottle w/ WW)
I see what you guys are talking about. I got this bottle of water wetter when I bought my flexalight electric fans thinking it would aid in cooling. But then I decided to stick with my mech fan and had this bottle sitting in my garage and
was eyeing it.
Thanks for the help everyone, I do appreciate it!
-Jim
I see what you guys are talking about. I got this bottle of water wetter when I bought my flexalight electric fans thinking it would aid in cooling. But then I decided to stick with my mech fan and had this bottle sitting in my garage and
was eyeing it.
Thanks for the help everyone, I do appreciate it!
-Jim
One thing I have seen using Red Line water wetter...it can cause a kind of slime to form. Depends on the coolant, but it happened with Toyota Red to me. Had to do a very thorough flush with oxalic acid to get it all out.
Why would people expect Water Wetter to reduce coolant temperature? I understand it is enhancing coolant ability to transfer heat from the coolant - to radiator - to ambient air. But at the same time it also takes out more heat from the cylinder head.
Where we have gain is by running cooler cylinder head, which is not easy to measure. Coolant temperature maybe the same as without WW.
I used WW for the last 4 or more years with 40/60 antifreeze mix, didn't see any ill side effects.
Where we have gain is by running cooler cylinder head, which is not easy to measure. Coolant temperature maybe the same as without WW.
I used WW for the last 4 or more years with 40/60 antifreeze mix, didn't see any ill side effects.