Dehumidifiers cope perfectly with their main task – removing moisture from the air. During the operation of the dehumidifier, water is collected in a special tank. Outwardly, it looks pretty clean, and you may wonder – is dehumidifier water safe to drink? And where can this water be used at all?
Is dehumidifier water safe to drink or not?
A dehumidifier is a very useful device for home use, especially if you live in a region with high humidity. Humid air in some cases can negatively affect your health or your children’s health. The dehumidifier also cleans the air from moist vapors and bacteria that may be contained in it.
During operation, the dehumidifier collects water from the air into the tank, and there are several options for how to use this water.
But for some reason, first of all, people think that this water can be drunk.
However, in no case should you drink dehumidifier water because this water contains mold spores, mildew, and traces of heavy metals. At best, the water from the dehumidifier will be like distilled water and will not do you any good. In the worst case, it can harm your health.
Why can’t you drink dehumidifier water?
Stagnant condensate creates a favorable environment for the growth and reproduction of various bacteria, mildew, and mold. In addition, dehumidifier water absorbs various toxins, such as lead, which are contained in the dehumidifier itself and are needed for its operation.
Therefore, drinking such water is not safe. And if you can secure distilled water by simply boiling it, then this method will not work with condensed water. Dehumidifiers make the air dry by collecting water by condensation.
Moisture from the air is converted into liquid water using cold metal tubes. Then the condensate collects in the dehumidifier tank, and you can pour it out.
The reasons why drinking dehumidifier water is not recommended
Although dehumidifiers convert humid air into water, and this water looks pretty clean, you can’t drink it, because of the content of residues and impurities in it.
Bacteria
The tank where water is collected after the condensation process cannot be sterile.
It is unlikely that you pour water out of the tank regularly and then wash it thoroughly. Accordingly, it is a favorable environment for the reproduction of bacteria.
The only way to get rid of bacteria is to treat the collected water with special chemicals or boil it. But even if you get rid of bacteria in the water, there will still be other harmful substances.
Dissolved solids
When the dehumidifier collects water from the air, this liquid undergoes a filtration process. However, this filter is not so perfect that it would remove even the smallest substances.
Therefore, there are dissolved solid particles in the water from the dehumidifier. To remove this, you will need intensive boiling of water at low temperatures for at least one hour or more. In addition, it can affect the taste of water.
Other hazards
Indoor air also contains substances such as dust, pollen, and so on. During the operation of the dehumidifier, these substances fall into the water tank and you will not be able to see them with the naked eye.
So what happens if you drink water from a dehumidifier? Given the number of microbes, mildew, mold, lead residues, and other metals in the water, you can get sick if you drink such water without first cleaning it.
How the dehumidifier works
To understand why you should not drink dehumidifier water, first of all, you need to learn how a dehumidifier works. The dehumidifier works according to two principles – refrigeration and absorption.
Refrigeration stage
During the refrigeration stage, moist air enters the dehumidifier with the help of a fan, and then air passes through cold tubes, where the condensation process takes place. The water remains in the dryer and clean air is returned to the room.
That is, there is no water purification process, there is only the collection of water from moist air. It means that the contaminated water is simply collected in the dehumidifier tank.
Stage of absorption
In this method, the water-absorbing material absorbs most of the moisture from the air. Then an electric fan, which blows warm air, drains the remaining vapors into the atmosphere. Finally, the dehumidifier releases the already dry clean air passes into the room.
As you can see, dehumidifiers perfectly cope with their main task – they dry the air from excess moisture, but this does not make the water clean.
The difference between the processes of condensation and distillation of water
When distilling water, the distiller brings the water to a boil. The water vapor that rises is then moved to another tank, where it condenses with the help of a cold surface and turns into liquid water.
And all heavy metals or dissolved solids remain in the first container. Thus, distilled water is clean and drinkable.
In the dehumidifier, there is no process of boiling and evaporation of water – it simply collects moisture from the air, and by condensation turns moisture into water. But such water does not go through the purification process and therefore it cannot be drunk.
How to make dehumidifier water drinkable?
Although it is not recommended to do this, however, you can make dehumidifier water drinkable. There are several ways to do this.
Distillation dehumidifier water
During the distillation process, the water is boiled, then the steam that appears during the boiling process condenses, turning into water. As a result, the water evaporates, leaving all the pollutants.
Once the condensed water collection tank is full, you can pour the water into another container. If you wish, you can repeat the distillation process several times to be sure of the purity of the water. Distilled water is pure and drinkable.
Reverse osmosis
To remove various impurities from tap water, a reverse osmosis system is often used. The same can be done to purify the water from the desiccant. So how does reverse osmosis work?
It works by boiling contaminated water before pumping it under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane with tiny holes to trap impurities.
The water evaporates through this filter and then goes to the tank for storage and subsequent use. Reverse osmosis technology removes impurities to about one part per million or even less. But to be completely sure of the purity of your water, you can repeat the process several times.
Purification of dehumidifier water by reverse osmosis is more effective than distillation and even more so by boiling. However, before turning on the reverse osmosis system, make sure that you add fresh dehumidifier water there, and not the water that has been in the dehumidifier tank for several days. Such water will have an unpleasant smell.
Can you drink water from a dehumidifier if you boil it?
Of course, you can boil dehumidifier water and use it for other purposes, but you still can’t drink such water. Boiling can purify water only from mold and bacteria, but it is not able to remove lead and other metals that are part of the desiccant parts and get into the water.
What is dehumidifier water good for?
Watering plants
The dehumidifier water is perfect for watering your indoor plants or flowers in your garden. However, remember that the dehumidifier water contains a certain amount of lead and other heavy metals, so do not water those plants that you plan to eat.
House cleaning
The dehumidifier water is safe for daily cleaning of the house. With this water, you can wash floors, dishes, car, sink, wash clothes, use dehumidifier water to flush the toilet, and so on.
You will only need to add a little soap to the water before use to kill germs.
Ironing
You can use the water from the dehumidifier in a steam iron. Since the ode from the desiccant does not contain minerals, like tap water, then there will never be a scale on your iron.
Water for the carp
Your car also needs water sometimes. And the dehumidifier water is perfect for such purposes. For example, you can use this water in the radiator tank of your car or the windshield wiper tank.
I also recommend reading: How you can get cool air from one room to another?
Factors to consider before buying a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is not always needed in the room, or a larger or smaller dehumidifier may be needed for your room. Below, you will see the factors that you need to pay attention to before buying a dehumidifier.
Do you need a dehumidifier?
If you live in a region with high humidity, then you need a dehumidifier, as humidity can spoil your equipment. You will also need a dehumidifier if you live in a basement to remove mold, fungus, and musty smell. Also, if you have an ongoing allergy, a dehumidifier will be able to relieve the symptoms of this.
I also recommend reading: Should you use humidifier or dehumidifier for stuffy nose and how?
Necessary space for dehumidification
For a large space that you want to drain, you will need a large dehumidifier. If the dehumidifier is too small, it will not be able to drain your house as needed.
If the dehumidifier is too big for the space, then, in addition to spending too much energy on the unit, it will make the air in the room very dry.
Indoor temperature and humidity level
If the room temperature is low, then you need to make sure that the dehumidifier works under such conditions. Because at a low temperature, the dryer coils can freeze and stop functioning.
I also recommend reading – Why is the dehumidifier blows hot air? How to fix the problem?
How to get rid of the water from a dehumidifier?
You can’t drink water from a dehumidifier and you can’t give it to your pets, such as cats and dogs.
You should regularly empty the dehumidifier tank because if it is overflowing with water, the device will automatically turn off.
Special dehumidifier functions
Various dehumidifiers have various additional functions. For example, the function of the air outlet, which you can use for several rooms at the same time, and you can also hide your dehumidifier in the closet.
Other additional functions of the dehumidifier include digital controls, hygrostats, remote controls, and wheels or handle for ease of movement.
I also recommend reading about how many Amps does a dehumidifier use: dehumidifier power efficiency.
Conclusion
The water from a dehumidifier looks clean, but you can’t drink it because it contains bacteria, mold spores, lead, and other dissolved solids. It is also non-advisable to give your pet water from a dehumidifier.
But you can use the water from a dehumidifier to water your home plants, for cleaning, or the needs of your car.
If you still decide to drink water from a dehumidifier, then you should clean it using a distillation or reverse osmosis process.
