If you're worried about it clogging and backing up, simply put a T fitting in your vertical PVC run and let any runover go out the open side of the T fitting.
I do this with our dehumidifier. Living in Florida it can be 100% humidity even on clear days with weather in the 60's so we have a dehumidifier running nearly 24/7. I use the water pulled from the air to water out plants and fruit trees.
genius. This can be especially helpful in cities that have very expensive water bills. What a great way to save money if you are going to use the air-conditioning anyway.
65bellett Thanks 65B, it's been working out pretty well so far... just gotta make sure I don't let it get clogged. And I'm thinking of doing some walk around vids pretty soon. Rainwater collection system, chicken coop and garden area, maybe my running trail that I built to... anyways, just thoughts but I think a walk around would be cool to. Soon;) Joe
Cool. I have sat here and watched around 6 videos or so. I finally found one that I can do today with no help. Ha ha ha ... well, besides the peach Mojitos. Smiles.
maybe your ac is designed differently than where i come from but if that drain is leaking it is because the main ac drain is stopped up. that pipe is usually an emergency pan drain that only is used if the primary drain is blocked. but i could be wrong maybe your ac is made differently. it will not pop that pipe off with water pressure because it is not pressurized . it will just back up and possibly flood. if that is your main ac drain you may want to catch it in a basin and use it from there .
We used to generate about 5 gallons a day from our ac unit just from the backup drain, the rest went down the main drain in the heat of summer. We are in San Antonio Tx. We just put in a new unit and asked if we could collect all the condensate instead of dumping it down the drain. Our AC company said yes and plumbed it all out to the back for a rain barrel. For now I just have a 5 gallon bucket to catch it. Well, it’s only April, the high today was about 86 and the bucket is overflowing. I’m gonna need a bigger rain barrel. Maybe I’ll just attach a super long soaker hose around my house and hook to it?
I'm in Austin with the same issue. I think the problem with the soaker hose is the lack of pressure. Unless you have a nice slope or a bunch of plants near the AC I don't think it would be great. I have a big rain barrel for the gutters but it's on the other side of the house, so for now I just dump the AC bucket into the rain reservoir once a day. Not great.
@@christinegarza6516 update: I now have a 44gallon trash can the water flows into. I didn’t want a traditional rain barrel because they are hard to clean. I put a regular hose spicket at the bottom and connected a regular hose to the front flower bed. On a hot humid day I get about 10 to 12 gallons of water. There seems to be a “dust slime” that accumulates on the sides of the can. It’s easily washed out. I use this water only for my orchids and garden. I’ve recently checked the ph on it and it’s about 6.8. (There’s a video on my Instagram)
Just tested my AC condensate water and the ph is 4.4 which is extremely acidic. It can easily be raised and the soil will buffer it a little but I'm worried about pathogens also.
Here in the UK the gas fired boiler causes the acidity in the water, by code we must have a lime based soakaway or we need it to go to rain pipe or sewage. Not garden.
@@oliverburke I'm sure you know, you'll need to filter that water, and if you live somewhere humid, you could expect about 10 gallons a day for a 3 bedroom house at 78 degrees.
@@razingcanez717 I got 3.5 gal/day from an offgrid 2kW solar, 4.5 kWh battery, and a 1.5 kW heat pump setup. I only ran it till the sun went down or I would've run the battery down. I did filter the water, yes, because it tasted horrible, like everything indoors wanted to pollute it :). Thanks for the recommendation!
@@razingcanez717 Sure, West Oakland, CA. Right by the San Francisco Bay. This was in August, 2020 - a very humid time for Oakland. Sunny days to generate solar & power the heat pump, just 2 miles east of the bay to profit from the humidity from the winds that come from the west to fill the hot rising Central Californian air. A great location. How’s your humidity/location?
@@JaimeBurciaga Thanks for getting back, Jaime. Your video was just what we needed! We're experiencing the same issue, with water from the air handler discharge pipe saturating the area around our back door; we, however, have 2 air handlers, and both heat pumps are located directly in the water discharge field! I purchased a 50-foot drip line hose and PVC parts at Lowe's today. I've already cut two pieces to the needed lengths, so tomorrow, I'll need to make another trip to Lowe's for hose hardware! Arrgghh! Anyway, we'll get there. Thanks, again, Jaime.
@@nholt Got one today, along with PVC, at Lowe's. It's taken a few trips, but it's all coming together. In the end, it will be a very inexpensive, and a very effective, solution to a real problem.
I’ve got two line from the using heater it drips from the tray A lot And whje usinh cold I have a pipe that I extended to the drain what can I do with the hot one ? As when I turn ac on heat mode
imasurvivornthriver Thanks Thriver! BTW, I just went over and checked out your channel and I'm subscribing.. Great stuff! I've been thinking of getting into rabbits or quail so I'm definitely going to be checking out those vids for sure. Looks like you've got a lot of other cool stuff too. Anyways, thanks for watching and commenting:) Joe
"Condensation" is the process & "Condensate" is the product. You are watering your plant with "Condensate" from the evaporator pan drain. Thought you may wish to know this.
That would be fine for ornamentals but negative on anything you’re going to consume your condensers are made out of heavy metals in your AC unit the water runs over them you’re getting heavy metals in your water and shit no good for eating
I connected a hose to the pipe but water started dripping in my inside unit. I am thinking that's because outside dripping water didn't have enough pressure to travel through the hose. How do you think I can fix that?
The condensate has backed up into your indoor unit because the hose you attached to the drain pipe outside is sloping upward some where along its length. Make sure it slopes downward all the way from the house.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
If you're worried about it clogging and backing up, simply put a T fitting in your vertical PVC run and let any runover go out the open side of the T fitting.
I do this with our dehumidifier. Living in Florida it can be 100% humidity even on clear days with weather in the 60's so we have a dehumidifier running nearly 24/7. I use the water pulled from the air to water out plants and fruit trees.
Thank you for the info that the condensation water is good to use on my plants.
genius. This can be especially helpful in cities that have very expensive water bills. What a great way to save money if you are going to use the air-conditioning anyway.
This should be a mandatory water saving structure in all of the Nevada state
Very clever. Would love to see a bit of a walk around of your home stead one day.
65bellett Thanks 65B, it's been working out pretty well so far... just gotta make sure I don't let it get clogged. And I'm thinking of doing some walk around vids pretty soon. Rainwater collection system, chicken coop and garden area, maybe my running trail that I built to... anyways, just thoughts but I think a walk around would be cool to. Soon;)
Joe
Cool. I have sat here and watched around 6 videos or so. I finally found one that I can do today with no help. Ha ha ha ... well, besides the peach Mojitos. Smiles.
Glad to see some more vids!
I wish I could stay up for the Arizona v. Nevada game. Starts at 11PM in the east.
Keep it up.
Bear Down.
Henry Pu Yi Thanks, there'll be more to come for sure! And hopefully the Cats will have a great game tonight too!
maybe your ac is designed differently than where i come from but if that drain is leaking it is because the main ac drain is stopped up. that pipe is usually an emergency pan drain that only is used if the primary drain is blocked. but i could be wrong maybe your ac is made differently. it will not pop that pipe off with water pressure because it is not pressurized . it will just back up and possibly flood. if that is your main ac drain you may want to catch it in a basin and use it from there .
My 1600 sq ft house produces about 10 gallons a day. I have 9 big (3-4 gallon) potted plants watered with it and it still overflows.
What kind of pipe do you use to connect to the A/C
Drain?
@@christinegarza6516 it's just a black flexible hose coming out of the ground.
Have you considered installing infiltration basins for your trees to capture more water?
What specifically is the fitting that goes into the 3/4" elbow? I have had issues finding that piece. Thanks!
update on the tree?
We used to generate about 5 gallons a day from our ac unit just from the backup drain, the rest went down the main drain in the heat of summer. We are in San Antonio Tx. We just put in a new unit and asked if we could collect all the condensate instead of dumping it down the drain. Our AC company said yes and plumbed it all out to the back for a rain barrel. For now I just have a 5 gallon bucket to catch it. Well, it’s only April, the high today was about 86 and the bucket is overflowing. I’m gonna need a bigger rain barrel. Maybe I’ll just attach a super long soaker hose around my house and hook to it?
I'm in Austin with the same issue. I think the problem with the soaker hose is the lack of pressure. Unless you have a nice slope or a bunch of plants near the AC I don't think it would be great. I have a big rain barrel for the gutters but it's on the other side of the house, so for now I just dump the AC bucket into the rain reservoir once a day. Not great.
// Very true about the soaker hose. Worth a try hooking it to the rain barrel. Don’t want to cause a back up for the ac.
@@user-ri4qk1xy3chow big is your rain barrel and how fast does it fill up!
??
@@christinegarza6516 update: I now have a 44gallon trash can the water flows into. I didn’t want a traditional rain barrel because they are hard to clean. I put a regular hose spicket at the bottom and connected a regular hose to the front flower bed. On a hot humid day I get about 10 to 12 gallons of water. There seems to be a “dust slime” that accumulates on the sides of the can. It’s easily washed out. I use this water only for my orchids and garden. I’ve recently checked the ph on it and it’s about 6.8. (There’s a video on my Instagram)
Just tested my AC condensate water and the ph is 4.4 which is extremely acidic.
It can easily be raised and the soil will buffer it a little but I'm worried about pathogens also.
Odd. AC condensation should be as safe and clean as condensation on the side of a glass of a cold beverage. Maybe look into cleaning your lines?
Add a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water. That will kill any pathogens and provide more oxygen to the soil.
Here in the UK the gas fired boiler causes the acidity in the water, by code we must have a lime based soakaway or we need it to go to rain pipe or sewage. Not garden.
also that could be a hot-water pop off valve drain which would mean your water heater safety valve is bad.
Great video, keep it up!
I am producing 10+ gallons of water every 24 hours from my AC condensation
That's a lot, Bryson! This might just be the ticket for my urban off grid water supply!
@@oliverburke I'm sure you know, you'll need to filter that water, and if you live somewhere humid, you could expect about 10 gallons a day for a 3 bedroom house at 78 degrees.
@@razingcanez717 I got 3.5 gal/day from an offgrid 2kW solar, 4.5 kWh battery, and a 1.5 kW heat pump setup. I only ran it till the sun went down or I would've run the battery down. I did filter the water, yes, because it tasted horrible, like everything indoors wanted to pollute it :).
Thanks for the recommendation!
@@oliverburke Thank you for the response.
What part of the country are you in, if I may ask?
@@razingcanez717 Sure, West Oakland, CA. Right by the San Francisco Bay. This was in August, 2020 - a very humid time for Oakland. Sunny days to generate solar & power the heat pump, just 2 miles east of the bay to profit from the humidity from the winds that come from the west to fill the hot rising Central Californian air. A great location.
How’s your humidity/location?
I was curious if you used evaporative "Swamp" Cooler(s) or A/C. Question answered. Swamp Coolers are really wasteful of water.
Genius idea! Why didn't I think to use drip irrigation tubes?
Where can I buy drip irrigation tubes?
@@TeleGuy53 Any home improvement store with Outdoors/Garden department. Ask for Drip Irrigation supplies.
@@TeleGuy53 Home Depot has drip irrigation tube in their irrigation supplies area.
@@JaimeBurciaga Thanks for getting back, Jaime. Your video was just what we needed! We're experiencing the same issue, with water from the air handler discharge pipe saturating the area around our back door; we, however, have 2 air handlers, and both heat pumps are located directly in the water discharge field!
I purchased a 50-foot drip line hose and PVC parts at Lowe's today. I've already cut two pieces to the needed lengths, so tomorrow, I'll need to make another trip to Lowe's for hose hardware! Arrgghh! Anyway, we'll get there.
Thanks, again, Jaime.
@@nholt Got one today, along with PVC, at Lowe's. It's taken a few trips, but it's all coming together. In the end, it will be a very inexpensive, and a very effective, solution to a real problem.
I’ve got two line from the using heater it drips from the tray A lot
And whje usinh cold I have a pipe that I extended to the drain what can I do with the hot one ? As when I turn ac on heat mode
What are the specs on the piece you insert into the L PVC piece?
Thanks for the video. Can you please update us on whether this water is good for the trees?
It should be fine. If you live in a country with a dry climate you can make good use of this water for irrigating trees and fruit or vegetable gardens
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
imasurvivornthriver Thanks Thriver! BTW, I just went over and checked out your channel and I'm subscribing.. Great stuff! I've been thinking of getting into rabbits or quail so I'm definitely going to be checking out those vids for sure. Looks like you've got a lot of other cool stuff too. Anyways, thanks for watching and commenting:)
Joe
Thanks for the sub Joe! :-)
No prob! Looking forward to checkin out more of your vids:)
Thank you. I LOVE the things you have going on on your channel!! Thanks for sharing all that you share.
imasurvivornthriver And thank you too.. had you not commented I might not have discovered your channel as well:)
Nice idea
While I like the idea of reusing the water, condensate line should be kept as short as possible to reduce clogs.
"Condensation" is the process & "Condensate" is the product. You are watering your plant with "Condensate" from the evaporator pan drain.
Thought you may wish to know this.
There is always one.
how do i collect water from outdoor unit of a ducted aircon?
Wondering what chemicals are in this AC condensation water. I have not a clue for example copper or etc. Should it go to the sewage or plants?
That's what I was thinking too. I heard that it wasn't good for plants because of the lack of minerals.
@@danram247Rainwater has no minerals…and plants require it.
I collect with a bucket for my flowers and grass but my friend said the water may be bad for grass and plants.??
I don't see why it would be bad. It's actually very clean water "pulled" from the air.
@@nholt OK. Well, someone was saying the metals... Idk. But tap water has all kinds of metals in it, too.
arkansastraveler70
says water might be acid. Try acid loving plants (gardenias, camelias, begonias, ferns, magnolias, dogwood, etc)
@@JaimeBurciaga thank you
That would be fine for ornamentals but negative on anything you’re going to consume your condensers are made out of heavy metals in your AC unit the water runs over them you’re getting heavy metals in your water and shit no good for eating
Did the tree live?
yep... still here :D
:D
AC Condensate tends to be highly acidic
¿Have you tried acid loving plants like gardenias, camelias, begonias or ferns? or maybe larger trees like magnolias or dogwood.
Jaime Burciaga
Can we grow acid loving plants
If it's a problem throw in some lime
Take the guesswork out and test the water for acidity
I connected a hose to the pipe but water started dripping in my inside unit. I am thinking that's because outside dripping water didn't have enough pressure to travel through the hose. How do you think I can fix that?
The condensate has backed up into your indoor unit because the hose you attached to the drain pipe outside is sloping upward some where along its length. Make sure it slopes downward all the way from the house.
I collect 1 quart/ hour from mine. 6 gallons/day.
My ac water is plumbed into sewage.
Genus
can I use that water for my aquariums?
I thought water from a/c condensation was bad for plants.