Another Use for Dehumidifier Water
Posted on December 1, 2008 by
We run a dehumidifier in our basement to keep things dry, and I hate to pour that water down the drain. In the past I’ve suggested using it to water the garden or lawn. But I don’t have enough house plants to put all that water to good use. Here’s another idea for emptying the dehumidifier.
If you run a dehumidifier in your house, you can use the collected water from it to flush the toilet. Right after you flush, instead of letting the tank fill up again by itself, carefully empty the water from your dehumidifier collection bucket into the tank to the correct fill level. There’s no need to use drinking quality water for every single flush.
Don’t forget to outfit your toilet tank with a brick or soda bottle filled with water to make it low flow. And don’t forget to flush selectively.
We collect gray water in out sinks from hand washing and we collect the water used to warm up the shower in a bucket and in the winter we use these for flushing the toilet.
if it’s yellow, let it mellow. if it’s brown, flush it down! thank gosh the man and i have a separate bathroom for ‘us’
i do the same thing with my ‘used’ mop water.
If only there were a way to house all the dehumidified summer air so I can put it in the humidifier during the winter.
The person who figures out this water balance should also go to work on figuring out how to use all the energy output by sweat jockeys at the gym to fuel the energy input needed to keep the gym running.
The water from the dehumidifier can also be used in irons. (Anyone out there still iron?) It’s better for a steam iron than tap water – mineral build-up that can occur from tap water won’t take place with the dehumidifier water. Your iron will last longer.
[...] Monday – Another Use for Dehumidifier Water [...]
Does anyone have any thoughts about using the collected dehumidifier water in the laundry. My
wife is ready to kill me. I can’t tell the
difference.
I’m using the water for laundry. Don’t see why it wouldn’t be safe. The laundry will be rinsed well and machie dried. Any other thoughts?????
Just after reading all these comments, I thought about filling my rain barrel during our dry spells. Thank you for the idea!
The water from my dehumidifier in the basement AND the water I collect from my A/C unit kills my grass. I hate dumping it down the drain so I’ve been throwing it on the lawn and every place I’ve put it turns the grass brown in short-order. What gives??
That’s so strange! I wonder if maybe it’s coolant from the A/C unit? I’ve never had a problem with using dehumidifier water.
Can I use the water from my dehumidifers in my freshwater aquarium? I would like to add it when I do partial water changes. Thanks
I would talk with an aquarium specialist about that – maybe someone at your local pet store would have an answer for you?
Do not use distilled (dehumidifier) water in your tank for water changes. Fish actually need some salts and minerals in the water. Tap water is fine as long as you age it to remove the chlorine.
Distilled water should be used to “top off” your tank, i.e. to replace water lost by evaporation. You might think that dehumidifier water would be good for this except that it may contain some toxic components (aluminum from the cooling coils, or mold spores). If it is not recommended for human consumption then I would not put it in a fish tank.
I run a dehumidifer in my basement but need a humidifier in my bedroom during the winter. Is there any reason I shouldn’t save the water from the dehumidifier and use it in my humidifier?
Humidifiers seem to last longer and get fewer lime deposits when you use distilled water, but buying gallons of distilled water quickly outprices the cost of a replacement dehumidifier. Would this be a good alternative?
A friend advised me not to use dehumidified water
on her plants (flowers). She stated that when she did use dehumidified water it killed all of
her plants/flowers. What would be the cause ?
Bart
When you dehumidify water you turning it into “grey water” which you can use for plants and grass, but you should not use on any plant that is edible. It usually carries pathogens and in some cases trace metals. If you going to use this water for irrigation place it into the ground to be absorbed up from plant roots, don’t place it right over the plant. As the water goes through the ground (dirt) it picks up nutrients that’s beneficial for plants.
CAN I USE THE WATER COLLECTED IN MY DEHUMIDIFIER IN THE KETTLE INSTEAD OF TAP WATER?
No! Please do not do this. The water collected in your dehumidifier is non-potable.
Is it ok to wash dishes and dirty plates with gray water collected from my dehumidifire?
I wouldn’t. That water has not been treated. If you’re not sure what to do with the water, use it to flush the toilet.