Use AC condensate to wash hands?

[gordo9742000]

Same fridge operators? Tell them to decide on items before opening the fridge door. Leaving the door open a lot will cause the fridge to produce too much condensate.

Same house? Sounds like the humidity level in you house is too high. It should evaporate damn near as fast as it is produced. I would get a humidity gauge and track indoor humidity levels. If north of 45% or so in the summer, then your ac is likely oversized (not removing enough humidity before shutting down) or your windows/doors leak by allowing in too much humidity for the ac to handle.

And the argument in this thread has been the hazard of collecting ac condensate, storing it, and using it to wash hands. So I assumed your fridge argument was intended to support this.

Not at all meant to support this. Just asking questions. I just find it strange if it’s such bad stuff why is it in our house.

As far as humidity levels in the house, it’s like a swamp. Don’t run the a/c when I’m not around.

 

[bad_idea]

Condensate from an AC (whether whole house or unit in the fridge) is nothing magical. It's just water. Pretty much pure water. It's not bad. It's not that the water is bad it's the stuff that grows in it that causes trouble. Treated water will not allow things to grow in it because the chlorine will kill the 'bad stuff' before it causes trouble.

A swimming pool is a good example. It is a body of stagnant water that someone tries like hell to keep clean. They dump chlorine into it regularly to kill the 'bad stuff' before it can cause trouble. If they fail to put chlorine in the water, the water turns green and slimy. Same thing if you store condensate water for a prolonged period of time in a tank. It has no chlorine in it, so it will get gross quicker.

The systems in your house that drip condensate are not an issue because the water is disposed of quick enough to avoid issues. AC drips into the lawn and is soaked into the ground. Fridge water evaporates into the air.

 

[gordo9742000]

I understand all that. I just think that if it’s as bad as everybody on this thread is saying, we wouldn’t be allowed near it at all.

What about water coolers? They are warm standing water yet we drink out of them.

 

[kbs2244]

It sounds like a squirt from a truck stop catsup squeeze bottle full of Clorox into to all our condensate collectors is something that should be to added to the Sat AM things to do list.

 

[bad_idea]

I understand all that. I just think that if it’s as bad as everybody on this thread is saying, we wouldn’t be allowed near it at all.

What about water coolers? They are warm standing water yet we drink out of them.

Water coolers are a sealed container of treated water. Emphasis on treated. There is minimal means for 'bad stuff' to get into the water and there is enough 'treatment' in the water to nullify any 'bad stuff' that does get in.

It sounds like a squirt from a truck stop catsup squeeze bottle full of Clorox into to all our condensate collectors is something that should be to added to the Sat AM things to do list.

Excellent plan. Should pretty well handle any growth in the water. Wouldn't be a bad idea to get a chlorine test kit to make sure you are adding a sufficient amount of chlorine to adequately treat the water. Or do a little research to identify necessary quantity of chlorine on 'x' schedule to treat 'x' quantity of water.

 

[nyy845]

As plenty of others stated; it's a bad idea to keep that water in a holding container. It will be a petri dish before long.

 

[Worsedog]

I've seen the mold that grows in the condensate drains on all three of my a/c units, I'd piss on my hands first.