A dehumidifier is an excellent investment to combat humidity and moisture, especially if you live in a tropical and humid region. It removes additional moisture from the indoor air and provides clean and fresh air. Henceforth, a dehumidifier is part and parcel of leading a quality life.
But, can you drink water from a dehumidifier? It is a burning question since many people think that they can actually drink the water from their dehumidifier directly.
No, you shouldn’t drink the water directly from the dehumidifier as it might contain germs and chemicals. However, you can apply distillation and reverse osmosis techniques to make the dehumidifier water drinkable.
We will discuss the details so you know why you shouldn’t drink dehumidifier water directly. Also, we will show you alternative ways to use the water. Finally, we will discuss whether or not this water is safe for your pets.
So, stay with us if you want the best use of the dehumidifier waters.
Can You Drink Water from a Dehumidifier? Is It Safe?
You should never drink water that accumulates in the dehumidifier tank as the machine soaks moisture from water and converts it to water to reduce indoor humidity. You need to realize how a dehumidifier works to know why you shouldn’t drink the accumulated water.
A dehumidifier follows two principles to collect moisture from the air and convert it to water. These ways are:
- Absorption
- Refrigeration
Now, let’s go deep with the discussion.
1. Dehumidifiers with Refrigerator
Dehumidifiers with refrigeration techniques will have grills or coils at a chilled temperature. There’s also an electrical fan to soak the air from the indoor. After that, the air passes through the chilled coils, and then the additional water from the air condensates. The machine returns the fresh and dehumidified air to the home interior.
There is a deep chamber inside the dehumidifier. It collects condensed water. The vapor or moisture of the indoor air goes through several steps before condensing inside the dehumidifier chamber or tank. But, it isn’t clean as many people think in reality.
This way, you can quickly get rid of excess humidity using a wall-mounted dehumidifier.
The water condensates from the air still contain airborne germs, spores, bacteria, and even pollens. Especially, humid air is the breeding ground of bacteria, and the refrigeration system of the dehumidifier can’t purify it enough to make it drinkable for you.
2. Dehumidifier with Absorption Technique
The absorption method for a dehumidifier is a bit complex, and you will find materials that actually soak and then absorb water from the indoor air. The absorption material of the dehumidifier will cover the entire cage or housing of the machine.
The cage that contains the absorbing material continuously revolves. In this process, it accumulates and absorbs humid water. When the absorption process takes place, the air becomes less humid as most of the water is absorbed by the dehumidifier’s absorption materials.
Next up, the electrical fan begins the process and starts blowing hot air. As the humid air passes through the fan, the rest of the vapor drains from the air with the hot electrical fan. Finally, the dehumidified air is released indoor.
Likewise, the refrigeration technique of the dehumidifier, the absorption technique also fails to purify the air from its germs and bacteria. Thus, it is not drinkable and 100% human safe.
There’s no doubt that a dehumidifier works brilliantly in removing excess moisture from the air, but it isn’t pretty effective in purifying the air. Thus, scientists discourage people from drinking the water from the machine as it runs multiple health risks.
What Can I Use The Water From The Dehumidifier For?
You should now be 100% sure that dehumidifier water isn’t drinkable. However, it doesn’t mean that you should dump the water. We don’t encourage it either since it will be a serious wastage of the water. But, what are the uses of dehumidifier water?
You will be surprised to know that you can use the dehumidifier’s water for multiple uses. The list includes the following suggestions:
- Your car radiator tank needs water to run and function appropriately. So, why don’t you put the dehumidifier water in the radiator tank? Don’t worry since it is 100% safe for the car’s radiator tank.
- Another use of the water for automobiles is in their windshield wiper tank. You can pour in the water in the windshield wiper tank and help it clean the car’s windows if need be. Isn’t it a unique idea?
- Do you have plants in the indoor and outdoor spaces of your home? If yes, you can water the plants with dehumidifier water. It is safe for them and will reduce water wastage severely. But, you will need a container to carry the water. Or you may remove the dehumidifier tank and carry it to the plants to pour in the water. Hence, the water of the dehumidifier can be a great irrigation medium.
- Do you iron your clothes at home regularly? Then, you must have a steam iron, and it requires water for ironing your clothes. You may fill the steam iron tank with the dripping water of the dehumidifier and work with it conveniently.
- Another easy yet effective use of the water coming from the dehumidifier could be washing your dishes and floors of the home. You can mix the water with ammonia or a commercial cleaning agent to wipe off the floor. You could even mix it with dishwashing liquid and clean off the dishes perfectly.
These are the most common uses of water accumulated inside the dehumidifier. If you are a bit more adventurous, you may even pour the water inside the toilet tank and use it as a flush. But, it isn’t recommended to use the dehumidifier water since you need to open the toilet tank’s lid to pour in the water. It can be inconvenient for most people.
How Do I Make My Dehumidifier Water Drinkable?
We have repeatedly mentioned that you should never drink that dehumidifier water directly. But, there’re ways to make the dehumidifier water drinkable and safe for human beings.
But before we head to the process, here’s a good dehumidifier suggestion for you. The Waykar 2000 Sq. Ft Dehumidifier could be an excellent solution to remove additional humidity from your home and basement. It covers 220sqft space and works pretty silently.
The processes of making dehumidifier water drinkable include the following ones:
Reverse Osmosis (RO):
RO, aka, reverse osmosis is a worldwide accepted method of purifying water to make it human safe. It applies a partially permeable membrane, and the membrane will catch all the germs and impurities when the water runs through it.
You can pour the water from the dehumidifier into the permeable membrane and let it pass through the surface gradually. However, you should understand that it is a slow process, and it takes time for the water to pass through the RO membrane and become pure.
Distillation:
The distillation process includes a heating apparatus that will heat the water to a certain temperature and remove its impurities. As the water temperature rises, the microbes and germs get killed during the process. The evaporated water is then collected in a container through a condensation process, and you will get purified water to drink.
Henceforth, the distillation process will help you transform the dehumidifier’s water into drinkable. However, we would still discourage you from drinking the dehumidifier water since both distillation and RO processes aren’t pretty convenient.
For distillation, you may follow this video.
Dispose of Dehumidifier Water
You can disassemble the dehumidifier tank and dispose of the water safely. You can drain it off in the kitchen sink or bathroom drain. However, we suggest you use the water for plants and irrigation processes in indoor and outdoor spaces instead of disposing of the water. It will go a long way to save your environment as our world is going through an extreme water crisis, especially freshwater. If you think of disposing of the dehumidifier water, you can do it in any place without any health risk.
Can I Use The Water From My Dehumidifier For My Pets?
No, dehumidifier water isn’t safe for your pets. The dehumidifier tank isn’t a pretty safe option for potable water. It contains all the airborne germs and bacteria and isn’t safe for pets. Plus, pets such as cats and dogs are vulnerable to many infections and so, you should never take the risk with their health and well-being.
Therefore, we strictly prohibit you from using the water as a drinking source for your pets. However, you may use the water to clean the utensils and clothes of your pets just like you will do with your items. It won’t affect the pet’s health and should be safe for them.
Also, ensure that your pet stays away from the dehumidifier. It is crucial since a dehumidifier is an electrical machine, which might hurt your pets badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I use dehumidifier water?
You can use dehumidifier water for multiple reasons. For instance, you can use it to rinse indoor and outdoor plants, in a steam iron, and for the radiator tank of your automobile.
Can dogs drink water from a dehumidifier?
No, we don’t recommend using dehumidifier water for dogs and cats. It isn’t drinkable for both pets and human beings as it contains germs and bacteria in large quantities.
Why can’t you drink dehumidifier water?
The dehumidifier’s water is collected from the air, and it doesn’t go through any filtering process. So, it contains germs and, thus, isn’t safe for drinking. It runs serious health risks for you to drink it.
Conclusion
A dehumidifier will help you remove additional humidity from the indoor air to enjoy a better interior and stop mold and mildew growth. But can you drink water from a dehumidifier? The answer is no; you should never drink the water from the dehumidifier. Also, you shouldn’t use water for your pets as they are prone to infections.
Nonetheless, you may use the water to wipe your floors, irrigate indoor and outdoor plants, gardens, and even use it for radiator tank and windshield wiper tank instead of dumping it.
