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Air Conditioning Condensate

AlabamaJack

AlabamaJack

eXtreme
I know the title doesn't sound like gardening or growing but I was wondering if anyone is collecting the condensation that runs off their air conditioners for watering their plants with.

I have just noticed :doh: the run off of my air conditioning...with the temperatures hovering around 100F in the day and 80F at night here in north Texas, my air conditioner runs a lot. The outside drain from the AC is almost a steady drizzle when the AC is on and I was thinking about collecting this water to use for watering the plants with...to me, it would seem just like rain water since that is all rain water is...

I have not had any measureable rain in the past 30 days here and my rain barrels are completely empty so I am having to use city water for watering. I am going to set up a 55 gal drum to collect the condensation and use that water for my best plants...what brought this to my attention was I have a plant that sits directly underneath it and it never wilts like the ones next to it do...AND someone down under was talking about water restrictions they are under...

Thoughts anyone?
 
Yeah, that was me talking about water restrictions.

It could get worse here this spring/summer, if we dont get decent rainfalls, we could hit Stage 4 restrictions, where I dont think you can water any of your garden at all. That will really screw up this years growing season if that happens.
 
AJ please do NOT water your plants with the air conditioning condensate. It will kill your peppers, every notice the grass doesn't even grow where this drips from a pvc on my yard. Lots and lots of mineral build-up in the condensate. I'm sure somebody else will tell you why a little better, just wanted to make sure you don't use this water.
 
Hey AJ, I don't know if the problem is worth a $90 portable water filter, but this is a well made one that will make your a/c condensate ok to use on your plants, or even to drink. ph would still be a concern, but you can compensate for that.

You'd have to collect the water, filter it and then adjust the ph. Compared to buying gallons of RO water, I don't know which would make more sense in your area.

http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/dewapufi.htmlhttp://www.watershowerfilters.com/product-p/cqe-ct-00103.htm
 
thanks for the input guys...that is what I was seeking...

bottom line...I will not collect it and use it...
 
Pepper Ridge Farm said:
AJ please do NOT water your plants with the air conditioning condensate. It will kill your peppers, every notice the grass doesn't even grow where this drips from a pvc on my yard. Lots and lots of mineral build-up in the condensate.

I think your wrong man. I think the water discharge from an AC unit
is just de-humidified water. Plain n simple, no minerals. Maybe
it's the heat from the water that is killing your grass. AC units get pretty damn hot. Either way, whether you can use it or not, don't make a decision based on what is said here. Also PVC was mentioned. That alone would require more info. PVC's have poison in them, and that's why you can't use PVC tubing for inbound water. That's about to change soon though, if it hasn't already. New and improved PVC. Non poisonous.
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I guess I should have done a little research first, but I have been told not to use air conditioning water somewhere. I don't think I'd drink that water that comes from the condensation pipe, then my peppers won't drink there either. Others seem to have used it around the web without any problems, not me. Thanks for the correction.
 
If it's not designed for drinking (which it isn't) it is most likely made with lead parts, like garden hoses. I wouldn't use it. Also if you use garden hoses, get a marine or camper grade hose, as they are designed for drinking. All other gardens hoses say "do not drink the water" and that is because the hose if full of lead. Just check Google. I researched this awhile back.
 
You can make distilled water by either heating the water to steam and condensing it with cold water or you can let the atmosphere make the steam and condense it with refrigerant....either way it is distilled water and contains nothing but water. You paid to produce the condensate, use it.

Plants love it.
 
Last year I let one of my plants sit under AC and it grew better then any other plant so I think its fine ity has not killed me yet.
 
As a career database developer, I've become pretty adept at finding answers to specific questions. Here's what I've found on this question that is specific to a/c condensate water. It pretty much clears up the issue and references several professional cites to back up the information.

To sum it up, yes it's safe to use on plants after bringing it to ambient temps. No, you shouldn't drink it unless it's first made safe.

From: Laboratory Design June 2008 Newsletter

Condensate recovery In many places in the U.S., mechanical space conditioning generates significant quantities of condensate, as warm humid air is cooled and dried for temperature and humidity control. The condensate from air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and refrigeration units can provide facilities with a steady supply of relatively pure water for many processes. Laboratories are excellent sites for this technology because they typically require dehumidification of a large amount of 100% outside air.


The potential for condensate recovery depends on many factors, such as ambient temperature, humidity, load factor, equipment, and size. However, because this technique is relatively new, there are no established formulas for calculating the exact amount that can be collected from a given system.

Condensate water is relatively free of minerals and other solids. In most cases, it is similar in quality to distilled water. This makes it an excellent source for cooling tower or boiler make-up and RO feed water, for example. Another advantage of using condensate for cooling tower make-up is that there is usually a good seasonal correlation between condensate supply and cooling tower demand. Additional savings could result from reduced chemical usage and lower membrane maintenance costs.

Condensate should not be considered potable because it can contain dissolved contaminants and bacteria. However, because biocide is added to cooling towers, condensate is an excellent option for cooling tower make-up. For laboratories that are not medical or bacteriological research facilities, condensate should be safe to use for drip-type irrigation. However, medical and other facilities could use disinfected condensate in spray-type irrigation. Normal chlorine feed equipment, ozone, or ultraviolet disinfection should be effective. It is best to use condensate in a process that provides an additional level of biological treatment (Hoffman).
 
Call it bull headed or whatever, but yesterday after I said I would not use it, I took one of my 55 gallon drums and put it under my AC drain pipe...that was yesterday about 1 pm...in 16 hours, I have collected about 8 gallons...I know this will vary depending on the humidity but it seems I am collecting about 1/2 gallon an hour...
 
Aliens: They have a water shortage in a water vapor environment and dispose of the water their bio cooling units disperse.
 
Nute said:
Aliens: They have a water shortage in a water vapor environment and dispose of the water their bio cooling units disperse.
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huh?...... :shocked: :confused: :think:
 
I always figured condensation from dehumidifiers & AC units are safe (as long as its a clean surface which the condensation is being formed on)
it aint nothing more than something like condensation on your cold beer/pop when outside on a warm day, I dont think any of you would have a problem licking the condensation off the can/bottle ;)

if you want to be affraid of anything, it'd be collecting rain water off your roof! unless its a metal or slate roof. nothing better than ingesting small ammounts of oil from your roof ;) but then I guess its good to lube up your veins right ? :lol:
 
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