Can I use the water from my dehumidifier on my plants?

Very interesting question, I'm sure some science guys on here will tell you.
I'm no scientist but I reckon it would be very close to distilled water.
Really doubt it would still have additives in it

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Do you buy your water to water your plants with?

I’m sure the dehumidifier water is perfectly fine. It couldn’t have Chlorine or Chloramine in it as its condensing it out of the air you breathe. Scrub the condensation container and go for it.

Curious though - why do you buy distilled water?

j

 

Chloramine turns into chlorine when it comes in contact with organic matter. Bottom line, if you have organic soil rich in organic matter you can use chloramine treated tap water with no ill effect. If you are still worried, just toss a handful of soil into a bucket of water and it will neutralize.

 

If you clean your unit and filter weekly, no problem.

 

Ooo ooo fishtank nerd turned grower here. I'm all about making tap water usable for things its not suited for. Prime brand water conditioner is what you need for source water period, it neutralizes basically everything for 24 hours.
The dehumidifier topic has come up many times and it always ends with the term "legionnaires disease". That's enough for me. I dump mine in the laundry.

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You definitely can use your dehumidifier water. It’s just pulled from the air. You can use your tap water too. I go straight from the tap to my plants with no ill effects

 

delete

 

My big dehumidifier's manual says to absolutely do not drink the collected water or use it on plants that you will eat..

I don't know why, but I do not and will not use it..

I have good well water anyway.. Why would I not want all those yummy minerals?

Maybe the condenser has a lot of lead soldier on it, an anti corrosion coating, can leach metals or chemicals.. IDK
Not using..

 

100% chance there is zero chlorine or chloramine in the condensation unless you add it. You would be living in a mustard gas cloud for that to happen...even then I don't think much would show up.

It is not advised to drink for the very reason. It is stagnant water without any chemicals to kill microbes.

 

I've thought about this same thing and read online before the reason you don't wanna drink it or use it on plants you plan to consume, like eat or I would guess smoke as well.. but because the water can contain airborne contaminants and it can collect mold as well.

I mean I wouldn't drink it but if I absolutely had no other choice I'd use it for the plants, but If you can just get RO water and just use the dehumidifier water for regular house plants if you don't wanna waste it.

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Dehumidifier water is recommended for use on ornamental plants ONLY due to the risk of carrying heavy metals from the non-food-grade materials these units are built out of that can leach into the water. In addition to being a standing body of water with no filtration which is a perfect breeding ground for pathogens, Legionella a big one that thrives in stagnant water.

 

When I was researching this topic I quickly realized that people are pretty adamant one way or the other on this topic. Most of what I came across was opinion and lacking any real data. I figured somebody, somewhere, had already had condensate water tested, especially the more expensive test for heavy metals. Here’s what I found.
https://www.questclimate.com/laboratory-test-condensate/
(PDF) Assessment of Quantity and Quality of Condensate Water from Air Conditioners
I have been using it as a portion of my water supply for over a year now.

Chloramine isn’t a real issue with your tap water. There could be other issues though. Get a water report and compare it to this chart.
Interpreting Irrigation Water Tests

Once you do this, it’s easy to make an educated decision on your water supply.
HTH
RD

 

I tested mine with a potted plant in my grow room. I watered exclusively with dehumidifier condensate. After about two months, my leaves started getting dark gray spots on the leaves. None of my other plants were affected.
I ended up chopping that plant and throwing it in the trash. I dispersed the soil over a wide area outside I don't grow in, and I also trashed the fabric pot.
I don't think the risk is worth it after my experience, but to each their own.

 

Another option for the condensate water is to run it through a basic RV/KDF filter this could help alleviate any real or perceived heavy metal issues.