People are becoming more and more environmentally conscious, and rightly so! Increasing attention is being given to how we recycle, this even extends to our water supply. Wastewater from household processes is known as “grey water”, it comes from, showering, washing the dishes and even dehumidification? People have started asking ‘is dehumidifier water safe to drink?’ Here we will take a deep dive into this question.
NO!
Dehumidifier water is not safe to drink!
There are two important reasons why you shouldn’t do this. Firstly, pollutants such as bacteria and mold spores can gather on dehumidifier coils and in water tanks. Consuming these is bad for your health and obviously not recommended. Secondly, dehumidifier water is often sat around for long periods. Stagnant water can harbour serious bacteria such as legionella. Despite this, there are some uses for dehumidifier water which we will discuss below.
Is it ok to water plants with dehumidifier water?
There are unlikely to be any serious consequences from watering plants with dehumidifier water. Before you start pouring gallons of it into your plant pots, however, we recommend you start slow. Introduce your plants to it slowly, this will let you see if your plants react badly to dehumidifier water. If they seem fine with it, then fire away!
Is dehumidifier water safe for dogs and pets?
No, absolutely not, for the same reasons that humans shouldn’t drink it. Dehumidifier water can become a host to harmful bacteria and even contain pollutants from the metal internal components. Anything that could make you sick could also likely make your pets sick. Why risk it? perfectly good water comes out of the tap!
Is dehumidifier water distilled water?
No, it absolutely is not and the two are quite different. Distilled water comes from water that has been boiled and then recondensed. This process eliminates most pollutants and kills harmful bacteria. Dehumidifier water comes from the air in your home condensing on the cold refrigerant coils of a dehumidifier and dripping into the tank. The distillation process kills harmful germs whereas dehumidification does not.
Is dehumidifier water safe for aquariums?
NO! You should never do this. We consulted members of fish forums and found that many had experienced disastrous results using dehumidifier water in fish tanks. Many people reported a drop in pH to dangerous levels for fish and a spike in Ammonia content which can be deadly for fish. Dehumidifiers suck in everything in the air which includes mould spores, dust, aerosols, pollutants, why give this to your fish? Many dehumidifiers are situated near damp and mould which results in many of these by-products ending up in the water tank. On top of this, you should be using a hint of bleach when cleaning the water tank. This is yet another reason why the water won’t be suitable for fish.
Can you drink water from a dehumidifier if you boil it?
Once again, we are going to highly recommend that you don’t do this. However, if there was some sort of crisis and it was all you had access to then maybe you could. Boiled dehumidifier water wouldn’t be the worst thing people have had to drink in a crisis but hopefully, this never happened to you!
Can you use dehumidifier water in a battery?
Yes, you can use dehumidifier water in a battery. The key though is to filter the water first. This is essential to remove any pollutants which could cause debris buildup in the battery. Regular filter paper such as that used in a coffee maker would work well.
Other uses for dehumidifier water
Filling an iron
This can be of good use, particularly in areas of hard water. The air in your home won’t be laden with limescale and as such, dehumidifier water won’t result in limescale on your iron. This is a safe use of dehumidifier water that we endorse. Just make sure it comes from a clean water tank.
Car screen wash
For similar reasons as those for filling an iron. Areas of hard water will result in limescale buildup in your car windscreen washing system. Using dehumidifier water can bypass this and avoid the inevitable limescale build-up.
Flushing a toilet
The most tried and tested uses for grey water! If you have a larger machine with a big water tank then you may have enough to flush the toilet with. This is one of the top, safe and effective uses of grey water that more people should start doing.
Irrigation
You can safely use dehumidifier water to irrigate your garden.
Final Thought
To wrap up, please don’t drink dehumidifier water! There are several serious reasons why you shouldn’t drink it. Please remember your pets such as dogs and fish shouldn’t be subject to drinking or swimming in it either! Instead, you should use it for one of the purposes outlined above. This will allow you to be environmentally minded and recycle some of the grey waters from your own home. You will be cutting down on water waste helping the environment instead of potentially damaging your own health or your pets! If you are looking at buying a dehumidifier, then please first read our best dehumidifiers guide here. Have a great day.
Last update on 2024-04-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
