Used Tap Water in GC Battery

[Alvan]

We use our cart often (I have 2 boys with autism and riding is one of their joys) and I have been refilling monthly with distilled water. Well, the other day I realized I was a bit late refilling and I check the levels. One battery looked pretty low but the others still had water. I worried about driving it with out any water and I didn't have any distilled on hand, and had the crew waiting anxiously for a ride, so I used our filtered tap water. I drove it today and it charged fine and ran fine-normally. BUT there is a noticable smell coming from the batteries and when I looked at them it looks like there is new corrosion (it did have some before-some blue crystals) but that corrosion looks white now, not blue and the batteries and the seat they sit under are very warm and smell hot.
SHould I just clean the corrosion off the exterior of the battery and let it? Or Have a done a big boo-boo and need to siphon it out? TIA!

[oldphart]

It'll be fine....just don't make a habit of it due to impurities. Worry about something else.

Jim

[Alvan]

Thank you!

[Swan]

in a pinch you can boil water (rolling for 15 mins) let it cool and use it , better then tap.

[cgtech]

Originally Posted by Swan

in a pinch you can boil water (rolling for 15 mins) let it cool and use it , better then tap.

Itll be safe for you to drink, but no better for your batteries than straight tap water. Batteries dont care about the bacteria that will make you sick, and boiling kills. Batteries need water that's very low in specific metals & minerals. By boiling the water, you have actually increased the concentration of bad metals & minerals by boiling off the water and leaving metals/minerals behind.