After using AC power industrial inverters for so long, you by now know that you must keep its battery water levels topped up. It’s because the water goes through a chemical reaction when AC inverters run.

These chemical reactions break down water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The gases evaporate with time, and lead to a drop in the water level.

It in turn reduces the battery’s working efficiency. 

Why use distilled water

You may wonder why you have to use only distilled water and not any other water to top up the battery.

It’s because water from faucets, wells, and natural resources contain dissolved salts, minerals, and impurities. 

There is the risk of these minerals and salts filling up the pores and forming a layer on the plates. This, in turn, harms the AC power industrial inverters’ electro-chemical reactions. They can drastically reduce the inverter’s battery life. 

Some people make the mistake of using filtered tap water to top up batteries.

Filtering doesn’t help because it only removes the suspended matter. It does not remove any dissolved mineral and non-ionic compounds in the water. 

Even the advanced filters like ion-exchange or activated carbon filters are not much of a help. They only remove ionic and non-ionic compounds while leaving smaller molecules. 

On the contrary, distilled water does not contain any harmful dissolved minerals, salts, or compounds. Because of this, it’s better to use distilled water to top up the batteries in AC inverters. 

Is RO water safe for batteries?

Yes, RO or reverse osmosis water doesn’t contain minerals because reverse osmosis removes all unwanted impurities, salts, and ions from the water. That’s why many AC inverter service centers suggest using RO water for battery top-up. 

However, they maintain that you keep checking on its TDS level, hardness, and water pH levels to ensure the battery’s optimal functioning. 

That’s why most AC power industrial inverter manufacturers like Exeltech usually recommend and suggest using only distilled water for the inverter batteries.