So i have a dehumidifier in by basement and i empty it each day. It collects quite a bit of water and im curious what the water chemistry is like from it. I havnt been able to take a sample to my lfs to get it tested but im curious if anyone else has looked into this. Anyone test their water before?
Dehumidifier water?
- Thread starter yayfish24
- Start date
I too am curious about this. The only metal that the water would contact would be aluminum and maybe some stainless steel in some models. I'm not sure how much aluminum would disolve into the condensed water, but it doesn't seem like much...any other coloration or gunk in the water would be a result of atmosphere (dust accumulating on condenser).
The water should test just like any distilled water...the Aluminum won't add measurable PPM per se, however I am not sure if aluminum is toxic and if it is, at what levels.
Hmm...
Mike
The water should test just like any distilled water...the Aluminum won't add measurable PPM per se, however I am not sure if aluminum is toxic and if it is, at what levels.
Hmm...
Mike
I'm sure there is solder, copper, aluminum iron and zinc which is what I would worry about and it is definitely dissolved at some level. I doubt there is much stainless steel. It is probably something that would take a while to manifest but if you look up food grade dehumidifiers that are designed to make potable water they take great strides to eliminate (non stainless steel) metal to water contact.
Hello; You did not state why you are considering the use of dehumidifer water in your tanks. If the goal is to find a good use for the water, perhaps it can be used to flush a toilet or some thing like that. The water saved this way can be counted against water used during tank water changes. I use my old tank water on house plants and shrubs around the house.
Yeah dehumidifier water is considered "gray" water and non-potable. It can be used for anything but drinking and watering crops. Whether or not to use it as DI water for fish is an educated decision you would have to make
As of now we just pour the water outside in the bushs and flower beds but if its ok for fish id get a big plastic trash can and save it.
So i took a sample of the dehumidifier water to my lfs and its horrible. There was an unmeasurable amount of ammonia and nitrite in it. Ph looked to be about 6.8 and 0 nitrates. I didnt test for gh and kh. I am very glad to find this info out. I wasnt gonna atempt to use it in a tank before knowing that.
If you have ammonia in your dehumifier water, I would replace the dehumidifier. Seems like the coolant is leaking. The only real contaminants should be fungus and bacteria that grows on the condenser coils. In which case still unsafe for aquarium use.