Dehumidifiers: Why can't we use the collected water for our tanks?
Aaron:
But in theory could you not connect the dehumidifier up to drain back into your sump?
Mike Kirda:
Sure you could. But then you would be adding a number of unknown and potentially nasty metals into your tank, as well as mucho dust/pollen/spores, etc. Just the sort of stuff we pay money to remove from our tap water...
Aaron:
Maybe I am confused on how a dehumidifier works. But I thought it worked by taking the water that was in the air and condensing it till it was water again and then the water dripped off the condenser coils into a collection pan. This process to me seems to be just like how people remove the salt out of saltwater by means of evaporation/boiling it and collecting the steam as it cools condenses back into freshwater.
Mike Kirda:
No, that's exactly how it works. But in a dehumidifier, you have to realize that water is very reactive. It dissolves the metal coils. Slowly to be sure, but dissolves them none the less.
Even if the cooling element was inert (i.e. glass), the air passing over them would contain dust/mold/pollen/spores etc. This would be attracted to the water, and be 'cleaned' somewhat. And then the water coming off the coils would have this stuff as well.
In a desalinization plant, the cooling towers would be inert, and be subjected only to the steam. A still worked in the same way. We can just tolerate the copper from the coils, where inverts couldn't... {grin}
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