If the water in the dehumidifier safe to use in the cooling system rather than buying it? Of course it would be filtered so dust would not be a problem. I can produce 5 gal a day outside.
Can I make my own distilled water?
- Thread starter Fordiesel69
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All I can say is wow
And I wouldn't do it for a measliy couple dollors for distilled water
And I wouldn't do it for a measliy couple dollors for distilled water
JHZR2
Staff member
It will likely cost you more money in that way than to buy it.
I can't think of any reason not to use it. Except what DT said, distilled water is pretty cheap. I mean I can't see what it would hurt to use it.
Is this for a 6.9?
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Just make sure your trip to the store isn't JUST for the water, if it is the cost goes up.
Cost aside, is it a good water compared to the commerically distilled water from the water plant? I am not skilled on how they make it or how pure it is.
Whether the water comes from my dehumidfier, A/C system, etc does not really matter as to its purity. Of course I would not run it outside. I was just stating I can produce 5 gal / day if on a humid day and outside. Inside more like 2 at best.
Whether the water comes from my dehumidfier, A/C system, etc does not really matter as to its purity. Of course I would not run it outside. I was just stating I can produce 5 gal / day if on a humid day and outside. Inside more like 2 at best.
Originally Posted By: Fordiesel69
If the water in the dehumidifier safe to use in the cooling system rather than buying it?
Try this - boil away some of the water your dehumidifier pulls out of the air. See what's left in the bottom of the pot.
Do the same with that overpriced store-bought distilled water after cleaning the pot. Which one do you want in your engine?
For less than $1/gallon, distilled water is astoundingly cheap considering they have to distill it, make a HDPE bottle for it, fill it, cap it, label it, put it in a carton, palletize the cartons, ship it to the stores & stock them in a well-lit, temperature controlled environment.
If the water in the dehumidifier safe to use in the cooling system rather than buying it?
Try this - boil away some of the water your dehumidifier pulls out of the air. See what's left in the bottom of the pot.
Do the same with that overpriced store-bought distilled water after cleaning the pot. Which one do you want in your engine?
For less than $1/gallon, distilled water is astoundingly cheap considering they have to distill it, make a HDPE bottle for it, fill it, cap it, label it, put it in a carton, palletize the cartons, ship it to the stores & stock them in a well-lit, temperature controlled environment.
Scurvy
Boil the dehumidifer water down. That is a great near no cost idea.
Years ago I thought about using my AC condensate as makeup water in an aquarium. Using a calibrated TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)meter it read around 50 ppm. Not knowing what the 50 PPMs were I declined putting in the tank with my Blue Disc fish.
I would think twice using the same water in my cooling sytem also.
Boil the dehumidifer water down. That is a great near no cost idea.
Years ago I thought about using my AC condensate as makeup water in an aquarium. Using a calibrated TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)meter it read around 50 ppm. Not knowing what the 50 PPMs were I declined putting in the tank with my Blue Disc fish.
I would think twice using the same water in my cooling sytem also.
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It will be fine, especially after filtering. The dehumidifier is a distilling machine. Unlike a "proper" still, it's open to the atmosphere, so dust/spores/pollen/bugs can get in.
There's no need to be harsh on the OP for this. Figure the dehumidifier draws 10 amps (probably high) and he runs it for 24 hours (probably long) to produce 5 gallons. He would use
120V * 10A * 24h / 1000 = 28.8 kWh
If electricity is 20 cents/kWh (probably high), that's $5.76 for 5 gallons.
On the other hand, the DW is $1/gal at the store, there's tax, maybe a bottle deposit, and then there's the fuel burned going to get it.
My estimate above is probably high by at least a factor of 2, so it doesn't look like such a bad deal to me--especially if he's running the dehumidifier anyway.
There's no need to be harsh on the OP for this. Figure the dehumidifier draws 10 amps (probably high) and he runs it for 24 hours (probably long) to produce 5 gallons. He would use
120V * 10A * 24h / 1000 = 28.8 kWh
If electricity is 20 cents/kWh (probably high), that's $5.76 for 5 gallons.
On the other hand, the DW is $1/gal at the store, there's tax, maybe a bottle deposit, and then there's the fuel burned going to get it.
My estimate above is probably high by at least a factor of 2, so it doesn't look like such a bad deal to me--especially if he's running the dehumidifier anyway.
Again, I want to keep this post off the topic of cost, rather gearing more towards the quality of the distilled water. Tap water is full of minerals, chlorine, and many other things. A/C or Dehumidifer condensate water is going to have dust and pollens in it, but I would think a 5 micron water filter which I already have would work to filter it.
My A/C which runs for about 4 months this summer will be producing lots of condensate, thus rather the dumping, would maybe be good if filtered properly.
My A/C which runs for about 4 months this summer will be producing lots of condensate, thus rather the dumping, would maybe be good if filtered properly.
If you are running the di-humidifier to keep a basement dry then the water is costing nothing. If you want to filter it you could probably use an old Britta filter that you were going to toss anyway. Seems like free distilled water to me. I never tried it but considering how much water I pull out of my basement during the summer I could gather quite a bit of distilled water.
It seems silly to dump low mineral water down the drain and then go buy distilled water. More so when your owners' manual says tap water is good enough. The stuff from the dehumidifier has to be much better than tap water.
I am more of a cheapskate than a flaming greenie, but we need to mend our wasteful ways. While distilled water is cheap, I can't belief it is enough better to make any difference.
I am more of a cheapskate than a flaming greenie, but we need to mend our wasteful ways. While distilled water is cheap, I can't belief it is enough better to make any difference.
I'm going to start filtering and bottling the dehumidifier water. I have a coolant drain and refill to do in the Aerostar, no point using tap water, no point buying distilled water either.
Agreed. Last summer I bought a portable AC unit with a condensate spigot (with it closed, the unit mists into the exhaust air). I've been using the condensate for watering plants and other household things. My parents did this when I was little and we had a basement dehumidifier.
I was in fact planning to use it in coolant, but I don't have any coolant service planned until 2011.
I was in fact planning to use it in coolant, but I don't have any coolant service planned until 2011.
I use it to water flowers, its worked for years. Don't know if it is good or bad for them but they seem to like it.
I had a major idea last night - if you're making 5 gallons of water a day from the dehumidifier, use it in your toilet tanks. Why we flush toilets with drinking water is a complete mystery to me.
Originally Posted By: scurvy
I had a major idea last night - if you're making 5 gallons of water a day from the dehumidifier, use it in your toilet tanks. Why we flush toilets with drinking water is a complete mystery to me.
some people use gray water set ups to flush there toilets.
I had a major idea last night - if you're making 5 gallons of water a day from the dehumidifier, use it in your toilet tanks. Why we flush toilets with drinking water is a complete mystery to me.
some people use gray water set ups to flush there toilets.
Originally Posted By: scurvy
I had a major idea last night - if you're making 5 gallons of water a day from the dehumidifier, use it in your toilet tanks. Why we flush toilets with drinking water is a complete mystery to me.
Sounds interesting, but at 1.6 gallons per flush you would get about 2 flushes out of the dehumidifier water before you had to go back to regular water.
How much is water where you are located?
Water and sewer here is less than 20 dollars per month, this is a two family complex with 4 people total. Two toilets, two bath, two kitchen sinks.
I had a major idea last night - if you're making 5 gallons of water a day from the dehumidifier, use it in your toilet tanks. Why we flush toilets with drinking water is a complete mystery to me.
Sounds interesting, but at 1.6 gallons per flush you would get about 2 flushes out of the dehumidifier water before you had to go back to regular water.
How much is water where you are located?
Water and sewer here is less than 20 dollars per month, this is a two family complex with 4 people total. Two toilets, two bath, two kitchen sinks.
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