When the summer months arrive, your air conditioning system will be working overtime to provide the essential cooling needed in the home. The summer months are also a time when many areas insist on water conservation to that water usage is cut down to a minimum. This can be hard for many home owners who need to water gardens or need more water than allowed. It is at this time that alternative water sources can be used to provide fresh water. One option is to use the graywater from your AC unit for other water needs around the home. Graywater is water found from machinery of the home and is considered wastewater. You can use the water for your benefit to uphold the water conservation rules of your area.
Condensate from your Air Conditioning System
The air conditioning system will cool the warm air and humidity will form condensation in the unit. The water is normally drained to the sump pump or a drain system. You can produce as much as twenty gallons of water each day when you use your air conditioning system continually. You can capture this water and direct it to a garden or use it where needed. This is a great way to recycle the water from your unit to use in everyday life.
Irrigation System
One form of using the AC unit water is with irrigation. The water can be used to irrigate an outdoor garden or for indoor plants. The water will be clean and clear as it will not contain chlorine or other additives that can harm your plant life. You can place the water in a can for watering, or redirect the water to be used for watering a garden directly.
Cleaning Outdoor Items
Because the water from the air conditioning unit is fresh, you can use it for multiple purposes including cleaning. You can use the water to rinse off windows outdoors or to clean any outdoor patio furniture. You can even collect the water and use it clean your vehicles on a sunny day. Whatever you have outdoors that may be in need of cleaning can be done with the water removed from condensation of your AC system.
Water Features of the Home
Have a small pond or water feature in the outdoor area of your home in need of water? Use the water created from your air conditioning unit to provide fresh water to your water features of the home. The water can be used for marsh plants, fountains, small ponds and more. This easily provides you with a source of water for your outdoor water features.
Benefits of Condensate Water
Because most areas enforce water restrictions during the hotter days of the year, you may find yourself without a water source for your plants or cleaning needs. With condensate water, you will be able to provide the much-needed water to areas of your home without breaking any rules or restrictions. The water can be used for the options above and can help you to have water for additional needs when you need it most.
While this water source will work for your home cleaning and garden needs, the water is not to be consumed. The pH balance of the water source is not viable for drinking. Filtering and treatment would be needed to create fresh water for drinking. Learn more about your air conditioning system and how you can save water from the system for your home. A knowledgeable technician from Aliso Air can help you learn how to use the water safely for your watering needs.