Is Dehumidifier Water Safe to Use on Plants? All You Need To Know
Can you use dehumidified water for your plants? Or should you just let it go to the drain channels and waste it?
It is perfectly fine to water your houseplants or garden plants, non-edible and (in some cases) consumable, with dehumidifier water. The condensed water that comes from the dehumidifier is soft in nature. It is almost neutral when it comes to pH. Therefore, you can also use it on indoor plants like orchids that require distilled water.
In Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 5/02/2021 at 4.00 AM, the humidity was high at 89%. That is quite high!
If you live in such a place, you will definitely need to run a dehumidifier to remove the excess moisture from your indoor air.
If ignored, mold will grow, and it could lead to mold toxicity symptoms in your family.
And indeed, a good dehumidifier such as the 70-pint Frigidaire dehumidifier that we reviewed earlier can do a good job.
But, as you might have thought…
What do you do with the dehumidified water?
When looking for information online, we find that some people even look for things such as dehumidifiers that make drinking water.
But that is not what we are trying to look at here. We want to know whether you can use dehumidifier water for plants.
In a world that is fast becoming aware of the fact that water is a depletable resource, saving as much of it as possible is the trend.
You can save the water that your dehumidifier collects. Perhaps you can even use it in your humidifier when the dry season comes.
Word of caution: If you have a desiccant dehumidifier, don’t use its water for your plants because it will contain lots of salts.
Read our article on how to stop humidifier white dust.
Why you may not use dehumidified water to water edible plants
It is a good idea to use dehumidifier water on your non-edible plants, such as orchids. However, it MAY not a good idea to use the same on your edible plants.
Please note the use of the word “may.”
First, there is a fear that the metal and plastic parts of the appliance can leak carcinogens into the water.
The same carcinogens would be transferred to your edible plants. In that case, you will end up consuming the same plants.
Of course, only a very small amount of carcinogens will leak into the water. However, in these days when cancer has become so rampant, you can never be too cautious.
Do not take chances. Just use safer water for your consumable plants. It is better that way than having to worry too much.
When you may use water from a dehumidifier to water your plants
You may wonder whether we are not contradicting ourselves by including this section, but we might as well discuss it.
Yes, in some cases, you may indeed use dehumidifier water to water your consumable plants.
I will explain why.
First, before you do that, make sure that your dehumidifier has good filters. That way, no heavy metals, dust mites, pollen, or other contaminants pass through the filter.
If the filters are good, then you may use this water for your edible plants.
The hot and cold dehumidifier coils are made of aluminum and copper. Therefore, there will always be that fear that some of these metals will leak into the water.
However, research shows that there are, in fact, negligible amounts of these metals in the water. Therefore, they cannot get to your plants.
Of course, the king of all heavy metals is lead. In this case, it is not available in the copper or aluminum pipes. Therefore, the condensate water that you collect from the dehumidifier will be free of lead.
Can you drink the water from a dehumidifier?
Definitely not. I know some sources will say that this water is clean, and of course, it looks clean.
However, dehumidifier manufacturers do not use food-grade plastics and metals. The water coming from the dehumidifier will certainly have some carcinogens. These leak from the plastic and metal parts of this appliance.
Therefore, even if some sources say you can drink this water as long as the dehumidifier coils are clean, just don’t. It is better not to drink it.
On that note, perhaps you would like to read our article on how to clean dehumidifier coils.
Here are two other reasons why you should not drink dehumidifier water:
- It might contain heavy metals such as lead, copper and others
- It might contain microorganisms because it stays stagnant in the tank
Therefore, drinking water from a dehumidifier is not safe at all. Perhaps you can try purifying it by filtering it. However, only do this as a last resort of sorts.
Is dehumidified water safe to drink? Another reason why you may not drink water from the dehumidifier is that it can contain mold spores.
Since a dehumidifier handles water all the time, mold can develop in the pipes as well as in the reservoir.
In this case, while the pH of dehumidifier water might be good, if you drink it, you might be drinking mold spores.
Even when the dehumidifier HEPA filters are working just fine, there is always a chance that contaminants like mold, dust mites, pollen, and others can pass through, albeit in small quantities. Therefore, when you drink this condensate, you will be drinking it too.
Is water from a dehumidifier distilled?
Is water from a dehumidifier distilled? This is a very common question.
Another common question is: Is water from a dehumidifier the same as distilled water?
First, the pH of dehumidifier water is as neutral as it gets; actually, it is more neutral than that of distilled water. For instance, distilled water often absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus lowering its pH to 5.8.
Therefore, if you ask, Is dehumidifier water clean? The answer is that it is cleaner and purer than distilled water if your dehumidifier filters are working as they should.
Back to whether the water from a dehumidifier is distilled, well, the answer is… not exactly.
Actually, this water is condensate since it has been condensed in the cooling coils. Therefore, this water is demineralized.
What this means is that the water does not contain minerals that can help your plants. Therefore, you will have to provide your plants with nutrients from elsewhere.
On the other hand, you can use this water to water plants that do not like mineralized water.
Can you use dehumidifier water for weed plants?
You can use dehumidifier water for just about any type of plant, including weed plants.
Imagine being able to control humidity in a grow room and being able to reuse the water you remove from the air on your plants in the room.
Of course, the best water for weed plant irrigation is bottled because it contains a controlled amount of salt. With your dehumidifier water, you will never know for sure.
But we know for a fact that if your dehumidifier has the right filters, you can get water that’s purer than what you get with distilled brands.
If you have a desiccant type of dehumidifier, it is best not to use that water for your weed plants. It contains a lot of salts, essentially making it more brine than water.
If you are a commercial weed grower, go with what the buying entities prefer and follow their watering schedule.
If you are just experimenting, you can use dehumidifier water, but not from a desiccant unit.
Can you use dehumidifier water for house plants?
Once again, if the water is not from a desiccant dehumidifier, you can use it for watering potted plants.
Remember, dehumidifier water is essentially distilled water since it has gone through the processes of evaporation and condensation. It has also passed through filters, making it pure.
If it is the dry season, you can even use a dehumidifier with a pump and pour the water from the basement unit directly into the garden.
If you are using a dehumidifier with a drain hose in the kitchen, place it on the counter so water can flow out through gravity, into your kitchen garden, or to a collecting container for future use.
According to EPA, an average, very conservative family in the USA wastes about 180 gallons of water daily. Annually, the numbers are numbing.
Imagine if everyone saved all the water they don’t need to waste, including the dehumidifier water. Start with yours.
So yes, not only can you reuse your dehumidifier water for plants in the house, but also for outdoor plants.
If push comes to shove, you could also use the same water for your humidifier. In fact, it will be much better than tap water, which contains plenty of minerals.
Is dehumidified water bad for plants?
The best answer to this question would be yes or no. Let’s start with the yes (why it might be bad) part.
If you use a desiccant dehumidifier, the water you collect will be more brine. It is not good to expose your indoor or outdoor plants to a high amount of salt.
Therefore, it is best to discard such water. Don’t use it to wash your car. Just discard it. Perhaps you can use it for toilets and such.
If you have a regular big or small dehumidifier, the water it collects is pure. It is filtered, but it is not safe for drinking.
You can use this water for your potted plants or for the plants outside.
Conclusion
Can you use dehumidified water to water plants? The answer is that you can do it without fear.
But when it comes to edible plants, you might want to reconsider a bit if your dehumidifier is old. It may be letting some carcinogens leak into the water in minute quantities.
On the same note, plants do seem to really love the dehumidifier water. You see, it is purer than distilled water.
So, finally, is dehumidified water safe for plants? It is. You can use it on orchids and other plants that require distilled water. You will save yourself a good amount of money.