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LaBomba182
 
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Default "Free" fresh water?

Recent talk of watermakers on another list got me thinking about an idea I came
up with on may last trip to the Bahamas. And as I well know, few ideas are
original, I thought I would run it by you folks and see what you think of it.
And whether anyone had tried it or seen it tried.

While sitting in the Exumas I got to thinking about how nice it would be to
have a watermaker while at the same time weighing the pros and cons of the cost
and maintenance involved.
At that point I started thinking about all the condensation water my A/Cs were
making and how it was just going overboard and being wasted. So I started to
wondering about setting up the condensation pans to drain into a shower sump
and pumping that water, perhaps using a higher pressure pump than the small
bilge pumps that come in most shower sumps, through a media/charcoal filter and
then through an ultraviolet sterilizer and into one of my water tanks.
A shower sump and an ultraviolet sterilizer along with the hoses and fittings
would be much cheaper and lower in maintenance than a watermaker.

The A/Cs can make 5 gallons or more condensation water in a 24 hour day. And I
have 3 units so I'm looking at, at least 10-15 gallons of "free" water per day.
And on part of the last trip to the Bahamas there were 5 of us on board and we
made 120 gallons of water last 7+ days no problem.
So at that rate, 10 gallons or more of condensation water per day would be as
good as a watermaker for me.

So, what do you think?
Has anybody tried it? Down sides? Problems you can for see?

While searching around the web I did run into this:
http://www.waterfromair.com/index.php


Capt. Bill


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DSK
 
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LaBomba182 wrote:
Recent talk of watermakers on another list got me thinking about an idea I came
up with on may last trip to the Bahamas. And as I well know, few ideas are
original, I thought I would run it by you folks and see what you think of it.
And whether anyone had tried it or seen it tried.

While sitting in the Exumas I got to thinking about how nice it would be to
have a watermaker while at the same time weighing the pros and cons of the cost
and maintenance involved.
At that point I started thinking about all the condensation water my A/Cs were
making and how it was just going overboard and being wasted. So I started to
wondering about setting up the condensation pans to drain into a shower sump
and pumping that water, perhaps using a higher pressure pump than the small
bilge pumps that come in most shower sumps, through a media/charcoal filter and
then through an ultraviolet sterilizer and into one of my water tanks.


I think this is a great idea. It sounds like it would definitely be
cheaper, less bulky, and less maintenance than a RO water maker. You
could run a rain collector into the same set-up.


The A/Cs can make 5 gallons or more condensation water in a 24 hour day. And I
have 3 units so I'm looking at, at least 10-15 gallons of "free" water per day.
And on part of the last trip to the Bahamas there were 5 of us on board and we
made 120 gallons of water last 7+ days no problem.
So at that rate, 10 gallons or more of condensation water per day would be as
good as a watermaker for me.

So, what do you think?
Has anybody tried it? Down sides? Problems you can for see?


The only problem I can see is that it limited to summer and hot climates
when you're running the A/C (how many hours per day do you run the
genset?) and is dependent on high humidity.


While searching around the web I did run into this:
http://www.waterfromair.com/index.php


Neat idea but I'm suspicious of a "water magnet" and the durn thing
costs $1K... you can buy about 1,250 gallons of distilled water at the
grocery store for that.

Fair Skies
Doug King

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LaBomba182
 
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Subject: "Free" fresh water?
From: DSK


LaBomba182 wrote:
Recent talk of watermakers on another list got me thinking about an idea I

came
up with on may last trip to the Bahamas. And as I well know, few ideas are
original, I thought I would run it by you folks and see what you think of

it.
And whether anyone had tried it or seen it tried.

While sitting in the Exumas I got to thinking about how nice it would be to
have a watermaker while at the same time weighing the pros and cons of the

cost
and maintenance involved.
At that point I started thinking about all the condensation water my A/Cs

were
making and how it was just going overboard and being wasted. So I started

to
wondering about setting up the condensation pans to drain into a shower

sump
and pumping that water, perhaps using a higher pressure pump than the small
bilge pumps that come in most shower sumps, through a media/charcoal filter

and
then through an ultraviolet sterilizer and into one of my water tanks.


I think this is a great idea. It sounds like it would definitely be
cheaper, less bulky, and less maintenance than a RO water maker. You
could run a rain collector into the same set-up.



Yeah, I thought of that one while taking a "rain" shower under the run off from
the top deck. :-)



The A/Cs can make 5 gallons or more condensation water in a 24 hour day.

And I
have 3 units so I'm looking at, at least 10-15 gallons of "free" water per

day.
And on part of the last trip to the Bahamas there were 5 of us on board and

we
made 120 gallons of water last 7+ days no problem.
So at that rate, 10 gallons or more of condensation water per day would be

as
good as a watermaker for me.

So, what do you think?
Has anybody tried it? Down sides? Problems you can for see?


The only problem I can see is that it limited to summer and hot climates
when you're running the A/C (how many hours per day do you run the
genset?) and is dependent on high humidity.


GenSet run time? In the Bahamas, in the summer, 24 hours a day baby! :-)


Capt. Bill
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John
 
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Years ago I had the idea of watering my plants with condensate from my
dehumidifier. (At the time I was buying distilled water for that purpose.)
Someone knowledgeable told me the condensate was toxic. I have no
recollection of why that was (or even why I was watering my plants with
distilled water, for that matter) or if your filters would help at all; but
the idea is so obvious that it would be done if practical.


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Peggie Hall
 
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John wrote:
Years ago I had the idea of watering my plants with condensate from my
dehumidifier. (At the time I was buying distilled water for that purpose.)
Someone knowledgeable told me the condensate was toxic. I have no
recollection of why that was (or even why I was watering my plants with
distilled water, for that matter) or if your filters would help at all; but
the idea is so obvious that it would be done if practical.


Every now and then an idea is too obvious for anyone to think of doing
it...till someone finally does, and the rest of the world says "oh
duh...why didn't I think of that?" Even if the water collected weren't
potable-safe, it could still be used for other purposes to conserve the
potable supply.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1



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Chris Newport
 
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On Sunday 24 October 2004 4:17 pm in rec.boats.cruising John wrote:

Years ago I had the idea of watering my plants with condensate from my
dehumidifier. (At the time I was buying distilled water for that
purpose.)
Someone knowledgeable told me the condensate was toxic. I have no
recollection of why that was (or even why I was watering my plants with
distilled water, for that matter) or if your filters would help at all;
but the idea is so obvious that it would be done if practical.


The condensate contains all of the pollutants which were
in the air. By recycling the condensate you will be
continually concentrating these pollutants into your
drinking water. This is a BAD idea.

Sweaty people + cooking byproducts being concentrated
with each recycling - YUK.

--
My real address is crn (at) netunix (dot) com
WARNING all messages containing attachments or html will be silently
deleted. Send only plain text.

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BSCHNAUTZ
 
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The condensate contains all of the pollutants which were
in the air. By recycling the condensate you will be
continually concentrating these pollutants into your
drinking water. This is a BAD idea.


nice thought, but you breath in much more raw polluted air than if you drank a
glass of that condenser water that has been run though a purifier ....

besides, that distilled water you are buying...chances are it was reclaimed
from a sewage treatment center before being refiltered at the distillary.

something to think about
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Peggie Hall
 
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Chris Newport wrote:
The condensate contains all of the pollutants which were
in the air. By recycling the condensate you will be
continually concentrating these pollutants into your
drinking water. This is a BAD idea.


How is that different from collecting rain water for showering etc?

He's not necessarily suggesting mixing it with the potable water supply
(or the shower water), only collecting it in another sump.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1

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Eric Currier
 
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Does the condenser coils on the A/C have any salt or scale type build-up?
I'm thinking that if there is any kind of build-up it would not stay there
long and then disolve into the water you are collecting and you might end up
with water almost as bad as you started with.
I know growing up my parents had a dehumidifier (similer to an A/C unit) in
the basement and the water that came off of that was fairly pure, but this
was in Minnesota...no salt in the air. The condensate coils were always wet,
so any impurities were being flushed down into the collection tank.

Eric

"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
...
Chris Newport wrote:
The condensate contains all of the pollutants which were
in the air. By recycling the condensate you will be
continually concentrating these pollutants into your
drinking water. This is a BAD idea.


How is that different from collecting rain water for showering etc?

He's not necessarily suggesting mixing it with the potable water supply
(or the shower water), only collecting it in another sump.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1



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Chris Newport
 
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On Sunday 24 October 2004 6:58 pm in rec.boats.cruising Peggie Hall wrote:

Chris Newport wrote:
The condensate contains all of the pollutants which were
in the air. By recycling the condensate you will be
continually concentrating these pollutants into your
drinking water. This is a BAD idea.


How is that different from collecting rain water for showering etc?


Rainwater is fresh clean water, perhaps with a single dose
of atmospheric pollution collected on the way down. Condensate
from an aircon is recirclated moisture from the cabin, possibly
being rcirculated several times.

He's not necessarily suggesting mixing it with the potable water supply
(or the shower water), only collecting it in another sump.


So long as it is used once only for washing or showering and
then discarded I see no harm. This does, however, imply having
two tanks, one for drinking and the other unfit for consumption.

--
My real address is crn (at) netunix (dot) com
WARNING all messages containing attachments or html will be silently
deleted. Send only plain text.

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