Can you use de-ionized water in a battery?

Everything I've read says to only use distilled water when re-filling a battery. Can you use de-ionized water instead?

EDIT: See my second post. I had it backwards.

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However, adding water to a battery is only to replace the water that was lost due to evaporation. If the battery was never full of acid, or some acid spilled out, it needs to be filled with acid.

Post edited by: loudhvx, at: 2007/12/07 18:48

I don't think any water is more pure than distilled. Distilled water is evaporated and then condensed leaving all impurities behind.

It is the impurities (minerals) that destroy batteries.

De-ionized water is exactly what? Process?

It may be ok, but I don't know for sure. You can't go wrong with distilled though

loudhvx is right about the acid level. Only way to know is to do a specific gravity test with a battery tester.

Oops, that a big blunder on my part.
Distilled is purer than de-ionized. De-ionized can still contain caontaminants, but just not ionized contaminants.

Best to use only distilled water.

Thanks for the help guys!