With water conservation being such a huge topic, it’s no wonder if you’re wondering if drinking dehumidifier water is possible.
Dehumidifier water is not safe to drink.
While it does create distilled water from the humid air, the water tank and the internal components can contaminate the water. You can however distill the collected water or use it for your plants and cleaning purposes.
Below you’ll find out if a dehumidifier is safe for dogs and a method to purify water.
Let’s get started.
Is Dehumidifier Water Safe to Drink?
Dehumidifier water is not safe to drink.
Dehumidifier water is not sterilized through any process and may pick up contaminants through the dehumidifying process.
As the water sits, it can also become a hotbed for mold spores and bacteria growth making it not ideal for drinking.
A dehumidifier works similarly to air conditioners by drawing in moist air.
It then passes through the dehumidifier’s cooling coils and contracts, leaving behind the condensed water.
Through this process, the dehumidifier collects water that can become contaminated, especially if you don’t clean your dehumidifier often.
Not to mention that the condensate can contain metal residues from parts of the dehumidifier, making the water undrinkable.
The water is never boiled, so it never becomes sterilized.
While the water itself can be considered as clean as purified water, the issue is the water tank as well as the internals of the dehumidifier.
Is Dehumidifier Water Safe for Plants?
Repurposing dehumidifier water for plants is a great idea but it does come with some caveats.
If you’re going to eat the plants you’re consuming, then you’ll want to avoid using the dehumidifier water and use water from a fresh source.
If however, the plants are only for aesthetic purposes, then feel free to use dehumidifier water.
Water your plants sparingly at first before you water your entire garden, just to make sure that the water is 100% safe.
Is Dehumidifier Water Safe for Dogs?
Just like for humans, dehumidifier water can be full of contaminants that it picks up through the dehumidifying process.
The water tank may also be contaminated with toxic chemicals. It’s best to avoid giving dehumidifier water to your furry friends.
How to Dispose of Dehumidifier Water?
- Pouring it down the drain: The simplest option would be to pour it down any drain in your home. Whether it be inside or outside, pouring it out is a great way to rid of dehumidifier water.
- Down the toilet: Before you flush your toilet, add some dehumidifier water to aid the flushing process. This way you’ll save some tap water and repurpose your dehumidifier water.
- Steam iron: Steam irons require water to create steam, and your dehumidifier water is a great source.
- Aquarium: Another use is putting it into an aquarium. Do be thorough in testing the water for any contaminants to avoid harming your fishy friends.
What happens if you drink dehumidifier water?
Dehumidifier water can make you sick if you drink it.
While the water a dehumidifier collects is as clean as distilled water, it can become contaminated by an unclean water tank as well as the dirty internals of your dehumidifier.
Even though dehumidifiers do create pure water, it’s best to not drink water from your dehumidifier.
Can You Make Dehumidifier Water Drinkable?
Reverse Osmosis
By using a reverse osmosis filter, you can turn water from a dehumidifier into drinkable water.
It uses a filter to filter out any unwanted particles and contaminants that may be in the water.
You can buy a reverse osmosis system for your home, but it is a bit expensive.
Distillation
By putting your dehumidifier water through the distillation process, you can make water from a dehumidifier drinkable.
Distilling water is a simple process that heats water, and then the water evaporates leaving behind the contaminants.
It then uses a cold surface to condense the water vapor, resulting in purified water.
How to Distill Your Own Water
- Start by putting your water into a pot
- Place a metal bowl that can fit into the bowl. You need to keep the bowl from being on the bottom of the pot, so if you have a metal grille, place that inside the pot to raise the bowl a bit.
- It’s important you don’t bring this to a rolling boil so that the boiling water doesn’t cause the pot floating around to move a bunch.
- Place the lid upside down on top of the pot and then add ice
- As the condensation process occurs from the water, the water that drips into the bowl will be distilled water
- Continue the process until you’re satisfied. Remember that you won’t be able to get a ton of drinking water through this process as it isn’t efficient
Final Thoughts
While the water a dehumidifier releases is clean water, it can become contaminated thus making it not suitable for human consumption.
The dehumidifier tank as well as the dehumidifier components that the air passes through can contaminate the water.
You can however turn that water into drinking water, but it’s a long process that isn’t efficient.
A better idea to repurpose dehumidifier water is to use it on plants that you don’t consume, for cleaning, or even in a steam iron.
Image Credit: Flickr.com
