Have you ever seen water dripping from your air conditioner? Don’t just waste that water, let’s use it for something else! Today, I will show you how to reuse air conditioner water at home.
If you use an air conditioner with a separate outdoor unit, you often see water pooling. Separate air conditioners have drains to drain the water, which is normal during the evaporation process. So, can the water from the air conditioner be used for other purposes at home? Let’s find out together!
Water is an indispensable commodity for human life, so it is important to use it wisely at home.
Turning off faucets when brushing your teeth or soaping, fixing broken pipes in time, minimizing water wastage when washing dishes and laundry, and reusing water are just a few actions that can make a big difference.
Read Also: Low-Cost Ways to Keep Your House Warm
According to information from the United Nations (UN), nearly 2 billion people live in countries suffering from water scarcity. Even in many places, the water supply is becoming more and more polluted. But we have a duty to conserve these precious resources. Of course, one of the ways to conserve water is to recycle the water from the air conditioner instead of throwing it away.
Why is water coming out of the air conditioner?
An air conditioner is a household appliance that works as a mechanism to lower the air temperature. To lower the temperature, the evaporation and condensation processes work and water droplets are discharged.
A split air conditioner with a separate outdoor unit works just like this. The air conditioner’s main body is installed indoors to lower the air temperature, and the outdoor unit discharges hot air to the outside.
There are refrigerants that change from liquid to gas to remove the heat from the house. As the fan rotates, cold air is delivered to the house well, while the air conditioner body condenses the surrounding humidity and discharges the water in the form of water droplets through the drain hole.
This is a normal process, but not all water droplets are discharged this way. Originally, it should only be drained through the drains of the devices capable of holding water.
However, if the drain hole is clogged, the filter is not cleaned, or the inner support is not level, water can especially come out of the air conditioner body.
How to reuse water from an air conditioner
If the filter is defective or if it is not cleaned properly, water may drip into the house and wastewater.
The water from the air conditioner may contain impurities in the air, so it is not suitable for humans or pets to drink. Especially if you have a lot of insects or pollen in your house, or if you smoke indoors, you should not eat it. But since we need to protect an important resource, water, it can be put to good use for other purposes.
Reusing water benefits the environment as well as the household situation. Of course, before using water, you must first check its condition. Most are clean, but the water can be a bit cloudy if the machine is broken or if there are contaminants in the environment.
The air conditioner discharges from 4 cups to about 5 liters of water per hour depending on the humidity conditions of the environment. In other words, you can collect up to about 7.5 liters of water per day.
Plant water cycle
At the University of Magdalena in Santa Marta, Colombia, a study was conducted to determine the availability of water from an air conditioning system. Studies have shown that, according to international standards, their physical and chemical properties are not suitable for drinking, but they can be reused.
Therefore, the quality of the water from the air conditioner is suitable for watering without harm to the growth of plants and trees. It may even be better than tap water. If you store the water from the air conditioner, you can use it in the dry season.
House cleaning, how to reuse water from the air conditioner
The water from the air conditioner is suitable for use when cleaning the house. Of course, it is unreasonable to use it for washing or washing dishes, but you can clean the floor or wash a mop. It is also useful for cleaning bathrooms, window sills, and exteriors.
Flush the toilet
If your toilet does not have a water-saving system, 3 to 8 liters of water are used each time you flush. Don’t forget that water from the air conditioner can be used here too! In this case, it’s important to stock up to a full bowl for efficiency.
Car wash
No matter how much you try to reduce water usage at home, a car that looks dirty with a lot of dirt needs to be washed. At this time, it is better to use the remaining water from the air conditioner drain.
The water from the air conditioner is good for steam ironing. Because it does not contain scale, it does not stain clothes and does not clog the iron tube.
The air conditioner can discharge more than 3 liters of water per hour, so it can be used enough every day.
Do frequent maintenance
Water from air conditioners can have a positive effect on the environment. This will reduce the impact of the water footprint, an indicator of the number of water people use and pollute.
However, it is also important to maintain the air conditioner to ensure that the amount of water discharged and energy consumed is adequate. You should clean or replace the filter at least twice a year, clean the drain to keep the line from clogging and check the circuit.