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Recycling Air Conditioner Condensate

Using Solar power to run a pump moving captured AC condensate to a rain barrel storage system.

jayJay
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We had a severe water shortage here in South Florida last year. Homeowners were not allowed to water their lawns but once a week for limited periods of time. My wife's vegetable garden was wilting and our fruit trees were dying.

I had installed a rain barrel system using two 55 gallon barrels earlier, along with an 8 panel solar system powering our master bedroom. It didn't take long to add a catch pan under the output of our AC condensate drain. I installed a twelve volt bilge pump, powered off the battery bank in the solar power system, with a float switch in the pan and piped the output back to the rain barrels with a length of garden hose.

The system provides about two and a half gallons of water per day depending on air temp and humidity.

We were running the AC unit anyway, so in essence we got free water for about $25 (bilge pump and switch).

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Dr. Cockroach wrote 09/25/2020 at 15:57 point

Good idea. I grew up in Hialeah from 56 to 94, now coastal NC, and remember times with the same lawn watering restrictions. Two and a half gallons per day, even free, does not sound like much but with drip irrigation it will make a difference :-D

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john dewitt wrote 09/25/2020 at 15:29 point

any growth in water collection system yet? do you filter the condensate before giving it to plant? really cool concept reminds me of star trek

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