Frequently Asked
Questions
FAQ Version 1.14 (Updated 9/6/2009)
1. How can the WaterfuelForAll booster improve my mileage? Will I still get the same
power I have come to expect from my vehicle?
Adding a hydrogen-oxygen mix (also called hydroxy) to the fuel system of an internal
combustion engine, increases the combustion of the gasoline (or diesel). This can be
compared to putting a super high grade of gasoline in your engine. You get better overall
performance, increased horsepower and gas mileage.
The booster uses electrical power from the engine that is ultimately created by the fossil
fuel, but the gain in efficiency of the engine exceeds the energy loss from generating the
hydroxy mix. The increase in horsepower and gas
mileage comes from better combustion of the gasoline. Usually, only about 15% of
the available energy in gasoline is converted to mechanical energy in an internal
combustion engine. The addition of hydroxy results in better combustion which means more
of the available energy in the gasoline is converted to mechanical energy and that has
nothing to do with creating energy or violating any laws of thermodynamics.
2. What should I be looking for when comparing boosters?
There is no such thing as a booster that will always be the best under all circumstances.
However, the two most important factors when comparing boosters are their efficiency, in other words, how much gas
generated for a certain amount of power consumed, and also whether they overheat or not.
Some boosters, claim impressive amounts of liters per minute gas production, but they do
not tell us at how many amps were used and at what water temperature the measurement was
taken.
Knowing how many amps is needed is important because it tells us both how efficient the
cell is as well as whether the design is likely to have overheating problems.
The less efficient a cell is, the more there is current leakage and as a result the more
generation of waste heat. (So for instance generating 3 lpm @ 35A is less energy efficient
than generating 2 lpm @ 20A, and one should not just look at the lpm!). Knowing at what
water temperature the reading was taken will tell us if the gas was a high quality gas or
maybe contained a lot of water vapour.
As a rule of thumb, a series cell design is the most efficient design for straight forward
brute force electrolysis.
An open bath design will never be able to be as efficient as a series cell design such as
the 6 series cell
WaterfuelForAll design. (In a true series cell design, the individual cells are
isolated from each other and water cannot move freely to adjacent cells, whereas with an
open bath design, the cells are open and water can move freely inbetween the electrodes
and from one cell to another.)
The biggest problem with an open bath design is that because of excessive
current leakage, it usually overheats rapidly and typically gets to 90+
degrees Celsius within +-2 hours. If an open bath design booster
is not constructed from material that can handle those temperatures, you
have a problem (e.g. PVC plastic which is only good for 60 degrees C)
Excessive heat also means energy is lost unnecessary with resulting lower efficiency. So a
simple but very effective way to have a honest comparison between two boosters, is to put
them next to each other and let them run at the same amps. To make an accurate efficiency
comparison there should be no external water cooling device or mechanism present (e.g.
heatsinks, cooling fans, radiators, siphons etc.). The booster that has the highest water
temperature after two hours will always be the least efficient while the booster with the
lowest water temperature will always be the more efficient design! It is actually the
energy that is wasted that heats up the water, and hotter water simply means more energy
is wasted which could have been used to generate more hydroxy. In this regard one must
note that if a design needs some kind of external water cooling device or mechanism, this
might actually disguise the inherent inefficiency of the design.
If you measure the gas production of an open bath cell while it is running at >85
degrees Celsius, it might look as if you are getting impressive gas production, but at
those temperatures the gas contains a lot of water vapour, thus it is a lower quality of
gas. So, be very careful when comparing the "claimed" gas production from
various boosters. Make sure that you know at what operating temperature the claimed amount
of gas was measured and make sure the claim can be verified!
Another important measure of the quality of the booster, is to look at the stainless steel
being used.
Some boosters are constructed from cheaper 304 stainless steel and not the more corrosive
resistant 316 as is the case with the WaterfuelforAll booster.
Also the WaterfuelforAll booster only uses plastics (e.g. nylon, polyprop) which are
capable of handling higher temperatures as PVC.
So the biggest advantage of the 6 series cell WaterfuelforAll booster is its efficiency,
which is up to 2.2 liters per minute at 20A (13.8V) for the Standard model, and up to
2.75liters per minute at 25A for the Deluxe model, measured
with a water temperature not exceeding 75 degrees Celsius. Even more important is
the fact that it can run 8+ hours continuously without overheating.
3. Which is best, tubular or sandwiched plate booster?
A similar sized 7 plate series cell and 7 tube series cell should have
similar efficiencies if built to the same precision. However, the biggest
advantage of the tubular design compared to the sandwiched series design is
the fact that the tubular design is less prone to leaking of hydroxy than
the sandwiched series cell. This is because every seal between a sandwiched
plate is a potential leaking spot at a later stage when the cell gets older
(hydroxy has got the tendency to leak at places where nothing else will
leak!)
Another
distinct advantage of the tubular design is the fact that the caustic soda
is safely contained in the booster itself. Plate designs typically house
the electrolyte in a separate/external water tank and then use plastic tubes
to circulate the electrolyte between the reservoir and the booster itself.
Whenever these plate boosters must undergo any maintenance, those tubes
carrying electrolyte must be disconnected, easily resulting in caustic soda
dripping all over the engine!! (Thus the maintenance procedure is not very
user friendly, neither safe…..)
On the
other hand, when a tubular unit must undergo maintenance, the whole booster
unit carrying all the caustic soda can easily and safely be removed with no
electrolyte being spilt on sensitive engine parts.
4a. What models are available?
We manufacture three models:
WaterfuelForall Standard max 25A, 20A @ 13.8V continuous, 1.6-2.2 lpm @ 20A
WaterfuelForall Deluxe max 30A, 25A @ 13.8V continuous, 2.0-2.75 lpm @ 25A
WaterfuelForall Super Deluxe max 35A, 25A @ 13.8V continuous, height
14.5"
2.0-2.75 lpm @ 25A
For pricing and to order, go to
http://www.waterfuelforall.com/orderform.htm
Slimline "heavy duty" bubblers are available at a cost of
USD30 each.
All units are fully assembled and individually bench tested to be
functional, before it leaves our factory.
AWG 8 cables with soldered connectors, a 30A relay, amp meter, in-line fuse and switch is
available at an additional USD 50.
4b. What is the main difference between the 3 models?
Whereas the Standard booster produces 1.6-2.2 lpm @ 20A,
both the Deluxe and Super Deluxe is capable of 2-2.75lpm @ 25A. The only visible difference
between the Deluxe and Super Deluxe is that the Super Deluxe is about 5cm (2 inches)
longer.
The Super Deluxe holds the most water, thus longer intervals before refilling is
necessary.
Typically the 3 models needs to be refilled with water at the following intervals:
Standard - every 6-8 hours of driving time
Deluxe - every 8-10 hours of driving time
Super Deluxe - every 10-12 hours of driving time
Since the Super Deluxe's electrodes have got a larger surface area than the Deluxe, the
Super Deluxe will have lower current density, thus running slighty cooler if used
continuously and more suitable for continuous use of 24 hours a day as for trucks. (At
lower water temperatures, the hydroxy gas contains less water vapour and is thus of a
higher quality with better combustion enhancement capabilities, likely to give best
mileage improvement)
Also, because of the lower current density, the Super Deluxe will need less electrolyte
(lye) to pass the same amount of current, which in effect means that the Super Deluxe has
the benefit that you have to top up the electrolyte less frequently than with the smaller
Deluxe unit.
So the Deluxe and Super Deluxe is equally potent but the bigger Super Deluxe is
recommended if you want to run the booster 24hours a day.
However, for commuters who typically do not travel more than 2 hours at a time, the
Standard model is sufficient.
With regard to engine capacity, we recommend one unit for roughly every 4000cc.
5. Which shipping options are available?
Two shipping options are available:
Asia,Canada,
Americas China, Australia
Europe Delivery Time
Air mail USD 85
80
75 +- 7-10 days
Surface mail
No additional cost
+- 35 days
6. How do you manage such competitive prices?
We had several e-mails from individuals telling us that they cannot
beat our price if they want to build it themself, and the reason is simple:
we buy our materials in bulk and have designed a manufacturing process that is very cost
efficient.
Our goal is to provide the public with a reliable
booster but at an affordable price so that
it make more sense for someone to rather buy a professionally built unit from us, instead
of trying to build a unit themself, with all the related problems.
7. Which unit do you recommended for my car?
If your car's engine size is larger than 2500cc, we recommend the Deluxe model otherwise
the Standard model should be fine. For engine sizes larger than 4000cc, we recommend 2
units. Also refer FAQ 13b
8. How difficult is it to install?
Detailed installation instructions goes with every unit sold, but the
procedure is pretty straight forward and should not take longer than 2 hours to install, if so much.
9. Where must the booster be placed?
Anywhere in the engine compartment but preferably in a place where it will have a constant
airflow (just like the radiator) so that it can benefit from the cooling effect of
airflow.
10. How is the hydroxy injected into the engine?
The hose coming from the water trap is connected to the air intake before the air
breather, so that the gases introduced into the intake are first filtered by the air
filter.
We are not interested in a vacuum because the manifold has greatest vacuum at the wrong
time, and no vacuum at the worse time.
Also, we want the hydroxy gas filtered of any mist, which may carry traces of electrolyte.
As an additional benefit, the air filter serves as a first line of defence protecting
against a backflash coming from the engine.
11. Where do you buy your tubes? What is the grade and wall thickness?
We are situated in South Africa, and are buying our tubes locally. All tubes are grade 316
ISO certified.
When comparing the quality and prices of various boosters, one must always compare apples
with apples.
The 316 grade tubes that we use, are more expensive and more corrosive resistant than the
cheaper 302/304 grades. Also note that our tubes have a 1.5mm wall thickness (0.06"),
which is almost double the thickness than the electrodes of many other boosters.
This also contributes to the fact that our boosters do not overheat, while others do.
In short, the WaterfuelForAll electrodes are designed to last a lifetime.....
12. Do I need an EFIE?
If the vehicle has fuel injection, it is possible that you will have to use an EFIE
together with your booster, before you will notice optimal mileage improvement.
Various EFIE circuits are available on the internet, for example:
http://www.fuelsaver-mpg.com/
It has been suggested that EFIE devices, MAP or MAF enhancers, ect should
not be needed
for most vehicles for mild hydroxy gas
boosting
applications, where one is trying to increase burn efficiency of the primary fuel,
(as is the case with the WaterfuelForAll booster). If one or more of these devices are
required, then that means there is too much hydroxy gas being injected for the engine
displacement. Those devices likely WILL be needed for large scale hydroxy boosting, where
one is trying to replace a portion of the primary fuel with a larger portion of hydroxy
gas.
13a. What is the maximum amount of amps that my engine can handle
for optimum mileage?
Every engine has a sweet spot where the net energy gain because of
the addition of hydroxy is the biggest.
If your booster is pulling too much amps, your engine may need more petrol just to
supplement the drag from the alternator (just like an air conditioner causes higher fuel
consumption).
To answer this question, the following procedure is suggested:
Remove the hydroxy gas outlet from the intake and start your engine without the booster.
Listen to the engine or watch the rpm's. Next turn on the booster, but do NOT feed the
hydroxy gas into the intake.
If you notice a change in engine pitch, then that is a sign that you are pulling too much
amps.
Next, turn off the booster, put the gas hose back into the air intake and turn on the
booster again.
Listen to the engine pitch. If the rpm went down, then your booster is not offsetting the
amps you are pulling, in other words, it is pulling too much amps and no/little mileage
improvement is to be expected.
13b. How much Hydroxy is needed for optimum mileage improvement?
Depending on your vehicle, it will require between ¼ and ½ a liter per
minute of hydroxy for each 1000cc of your engine.
So for a
2000cc engine we recommend between 0.5 – 1 lpm hydroxy, i.e. run your WFA
booster at 5A-10A @ 13.8V.
For a
3000cc engine: 0.75 – 1.5 lpm hydroxy, i.e. run your WFA booster at 7.5A –
15A @ 13.8V.
For a
4000cc engine: 1 – 2 lpm hydroxy, i.e. run your WFA booster at 10A-20A @
13.8V.
(Note
that if your vehicle is 24V-27V, e.g. trucks, then you would only need half
the amount of amps to get the same amount of gas)
14. How do I refill with water and how much?
The booster has a removable cap for easy refill.
Just add the water until it wants to overflow the edges of the inner tubes.
If you by accident fill up a little bit too much, then its not such a big problem.
Yes, there will be much more current leakage initially, but this will only last until that
first bit of excess water has been used up, which should be rather quickly.
If the water/electrolyte overflows, it will simply be caught by the bubbler/water trap.
15. What electrolyte should I use?
We recommend lye (also known as caustic soda, chemical symbol NaOH)
or KOH.
Do NOT use baking soda since it might damage the electrodes (tubes) which may lead to
reduced gas production.
16. What kind of water should I use?
Distilled is recommended because tap water may cause sludge to build up and short the
electrodes.
Should you decide to use tap water, you do so at your own risk and in such case we advise
that you should regularly open up and clean out the electrolyzer, at least once every
3 months. If your water contains too much impurities, it may contaminate the electrodes
which may lead to reduced gas production. Thus, if the water is not distilled, it should
be at least filtered by a Brita water filter.
17. How do I control the current draw (amps)?
Amps are controlled by how strong the electrolyte solution is, and to stabilize at between
15-18A you need to add +-30ml (6-8 teaspoons) of lye to 1 liter of water initially.
If you are driving less than 2 hours at a time, then you do not have to be too much
concerned about the amps, and then you may add up to 50% more lye, and the current draw
should not go above 30A within 2 hours. Thus, for usage less than 2 hours, you can start
with 9-12 teaspoons of lye to 1 liter of water. Note that once you have reached the
minimum required lye concentration (+-6 teaspoons), the current draw increases very fast
with every additional teaspoon of lye added. So rather start with too little lye, than too
much. You can always add another teaspoon of lye if you see that your booster does not get
close to 25A within 2-3 hours, but if you have added too much lye initially, you may end
up with the current draw increasing too quickly and after an hour you may be forced to
switch off your booster.
An even better solution is to order the
WaterfuelForAll Current limiter that will automatically limit the current to
a level set by yourself. Thus you would not have to worry about the lye
concentration being mixed too strong.
18. Should I add lye every time I fill up with water?
No, the lye is slowly being consumed by the electrolysis reaction.
Thus you do not have to add lye every time you fill up with water.
Most of the time you will simply be filling up with distilled water alone.
When you see the amps does not want to go high enough, then you can add a little bit of
lye.
19. What happens if my booster runs dry?
Nothing! If all the water is used, the booster will simply stop producing any hydroxy gas.
Thus you do not have to be afraid or worry about the booster runnning dry. No harm will be
done to the electrodes. In this regard a booster is different from a kettle.
20. How do I prevent freezing in sub zero temperatures?
Electrolyte concentration needs to be high to prevent freezing.
Alternatively you can put a heating/cooling coil around the unit (engine coolant driven)
or wrap the booster with fiberglass foil backed insulation.
The following link provides a document that shows on page 22 how the freezing point of the
electrolyte can be delayed by increasing the concentration of KOH.
http://www.oxy.com/oxychem/Products/caustic_potash/literature/kohhandb.pdf
The same principle applies to NaOH (lye)
21. How do I / Should I condition my booster before using it?
Simply connect your
booster to a regulated power supply and let it run at between 10-20 amps for
a period of +-30 hours, before fitting to your vehicle. (Use a PSU rated at
least 20A, 13.8VDC)
Interrupt the procedure every time when the cell gets to +- half full of
water and replace with new water & electrolyte.
If you do not have a PSU, just borrow your friends'! (I'm sure one of your
friends will have one!)
If you
cannot get hold of a PSU at all, then install the booster into your car but
make sure you do not exceed 20A during the first 24 hours of operation and
try to refill with new water and a clean electrolyte mix at least twice
during this period.
Also remember that the tubes should never be touched by bare hands or any
other chemicals than NaOH or KOH.
The most important point is to stick to using distilled water and
just know that your booster will not start out at maximum gas production,
but gas production will gradually increase during the first +-30 hours of
operation.
During assembly we only handle the tubes with rubber gloves, so you do not
have to be worried about contamination for a start.
22. Can I add a PWM to my booster and what would be the benefit?
Yes, you can add a Pulse Width Modulator (PWM) to your booster. Adding a PWM will allow
you to manually control the amp flow as you like, but note that you will not have any
improvement in efficiency.
The gas production will merely increase/decrease as amp flow increase/decrease, for
example, if your unit is drawing 25A and producing 2.5lpm hydroxy and you now add a PWM
and adjust the PWM so that it limits the current to 15A, you will only get 1.5lpm
A PWM is a necessity for boosters that quickly overheats. While the WaterfuelForAll
booster does not overheat (as long as you do not add too much lye!), a PWM is only is
"nice to have" especially if you are only going to drive up to 3 hours at a
time. However, if you are frequently going to drive for more than 3 hours continuously,
then adding a PWM will make your unit more user friendly. An even
better solution is to order the WaterfuelForAll Current limiter that will
automatically limit the current to a level set by yourself. Thus you would not have to
worry about the lye concentration being mixed too strong.
23. Is the WaterfuelForAll booster a "true series cell"?
The 6 series cell tubular design is a "true series cell", since the cells are
completely seperated/isolated from each other so that water cannot flow from one cell to
an adjacent cell.
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