Several people have asked me about how-to videos and kits claiming to give you the ability to run your car on water. More specifically to run your car on hydrogen gas derived from water. I’ve done some digging and thought I would share a summary of what I’ve found so far. In brief I can say your mom was right, if it sounds to good to be true, in fact it likely is. However there may be something to it.

The reality from the hype

There are basically 3 claims on the internet about this:
1) Hydrogen from electrolysis fed into your intake
2) HHO from some special (possibly patented) process or plans using water as the source
3) Browns Gas from some special (possibly patented) process or plans using water as the source

#1) The majority of the kits I’ve seen on the internet are simple electrolysis rigs: In layman’s terms – water with baking soda in a container with a positive and negative electrode. The electrical current will cause the water to bubble out hydrogen and oxygen which is fed to the intake of the engine. I’m actually tempted to try this, and we may in a future episode. The biggest problems are:

• The most cost/efficient electrodes (graphite) are eaten away in the process and have to be replaced often.
• The electrodes that last longest (Stainless Steel) are not very effective at producing gas
• The best electrodes (Platinum) are very expensive.
• Using table salt as a electrolyte or even some tap water will yield chlorine gas. And this could kill you in a very uncomfortable way by dissolving your lung tissue amongst some other nerve damgey type things.
• At the end of the day this is Hydrogen we’re talking about… The same stuff that was in the Hindenburg. Yes I know we live in NJ but I don’t need any reenactments taking place in my driveway. Some of these kits call for the use of Mason Jars… Glass containers and highly combustible gas, no thanks. I understand glass is inert but I think I’ll opt for plastic in this case. There may still be shrapnel if it explodes but I think it’s the softest of the possible options (glass, metal, or plastic). Additionally engine compartments are not the kindest of environments and glass is not very forgiving.

• No one speaks to the long-term effects on engine acidity. For those of you who saw our Greasecar episode, it ended poorly for this very reason. I have spoken to several other Greasecar experimenters and all have reported the same problem; on older engines the more acidic fuel ate their seals and totaled the engine. I have concerns about the long-term effect of a hydrogen booster as it will undoubtedly add water vapor to the combustion chamber and may effect overall wear.
• No one speaks to the the added drain on your alternator. If you spend $100 on kit parts to end up saving $200 on gas and have to buy a new alternator for $150 because you burned through the brushes twice as fast: 100+150-200=Bad deal
• As an environmentalist first and a miser second I worry about all the unknowns in a poor-man’s kit. Without strict controls, I may be creating gases or solutions with pretty foul stuff in it. In other words if my electrodes are breaking down in the process, what is happening to the metals? Obviously they are either turning to gas and being burned or dissolving into the liquid and being thrown out. If we’re only using graphite rods (carbon) that’s one thing if people are using bolts or alloys there could be lead or other nasties in there that I don’t want to be putting out my tail pipe or dumping on my dasies.

This is not a replacement to gas but rather a catalyst to more efficiently burn the gas you already have. As you might expect the results will vary depending on the engine you use it on. A V8 would not see as great a boost as a 4 cylinder with the same size kit; more hydrogen & oxygen would be added relitive to the gas in the smaller engine. I don’t know if I’m up for putting our hand-me-down Camry on the test floor just yet. But if you guys coax me I just might be convinced. Frankly I’m more game to try it on the 69 Cougar, the engine needs a rebuild anyway… There’s also something to be said for doing it in style. Kind of Back to the Future Delorian-esqe.

The problem I have with many of the kits online is that they claim to be something more (kit versions 2 & 3.) One site http://www.runyourcarwithwater.com has videos of HHO or Browns Gas machines. I’m not a scientist but I did find a very decent thread with references sited and critical thinking employed, see here: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=56705
The thread basically concludes that Browns gas and HHO are similar but different. Browns Gas is also highly unstable and very dangerous. The way I read it HHO has yet to be substantiated by the scientific community. Making any claim that it is the wonder gas being produced very suspect. They also claim it is as safe as water. If it burns, it is not as safe as water! There is a lot about this site that screams of BUY NOW! MYSTERIOUSLY WONDROUS BENEFITS. Especially the limited-time sale price that always extends for one more week at the bottom of the page. If it smells like BS it’s time for boots.

http://water4gas.com throws the kitchen sink at you. It’s an electrolysis machine but they label the gas coming out as the wondrous HHO. Not. They also throw in the Acetone myth (See Myth Busters episode 53). Also ridiculous claims of 77% to 250% efficiency increases. They also get into multi cells and DC power adapters at home. First of all very dangerous, again we’re talking about hydrogen. Second once you are out of the closed loop electrical system of your car you will be spending more money on power than you will be saving by burning hydrogen. Third you will not be able to store hydrogen in a jar. It’s structure too small, it will escape. Yes, right through your metal lid. Fourth, now we are dealing with AC power and still claiming it’s perfectly safe; very misleading.

http://www.fueltrips.com is a bit more up front. They claim to be a source for information about fuel saving technologies. Save your $50, use common sense and search the web.

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com at least calls a spade a spade when they sell their Hydrogen Boost kit. Unfortunately they charge $1000 for something you could make for less than $100. Maybe it includes the platinum rods?! Doubtful. But I can’t say for sure.

I don’t why all these sites seem to have gone to the same school of web design also. They are registered to different people for what it’s worth.

In the end you might well be served improving your own driving habits. Use the air conditioner less, drive 55, don’t accelerate hard. If you want to take the techie route get a computer like http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/car/8426/?cpg=ab and monitor your own driving habits. As anyone with a Prius can tell you it’s quite addicting trying to get your mileage up while behind the wheel. I wonder if there are any stats yet on how many accidents these computers cause.
Or learn some other tips from http://ecomodder.com/
Or better yet keep you tires inflated and your car tuned up amongst the other top 10 ways to save gas:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/103164/article.html
Or think big and trade in your guzzler for a model that gets better mileage.

I know, I know not nearly as much fun as stickin’ it to the man. I hear ya.

Greg