Air Conditioning Condensate Recovery

Air conditioning and refrigeration are used around the world for temperature
comfort and food preservation. As the air is being cooled, it is dehumidified,
causing water to be removed as condensate. With proper treatment to address
biological contaminants, this water can be constructively used.
A typical air conditioning system in a commercial building consists of an air-
handling unit that circulates air to the occupied spaces to maintain comfort. As
the air returns from the space, it is mixed with outside air, which is necessary to
maintain a healthful environment. As the air passes through the air-handling unit,
it goes through a cooling coil. The temperature of the air drops, and the
humidity, from the added outside air and moisture from the space, is removed as
condensate.
Condensate is essentially distilled water, low in mineral content, but may contain
bacteria. Air conditioning condensate can amplify Legionella and other airborne
bacteria, and it has been shown to be the source of outbreaks in hospitals,
motels, and cruise ships. Contamination of air conditioning condensate by
Legionella is so common that there are commercially available kits for inhibiting
microbial growth in the condensate. High levels of Legionella are cause for
concern. Most natural sources of water are not contaminated, but can become
problematic when an amplifying device, such as an air conditioner, is present.
Untreated condensate should be handled in a manner to eliminate any possibility
of creating aerosols that can be inhaled by humans. Condensate reuse may
include subsurface irrigation or process makeup (such as a cooling tower), where
water is treated for biological contamination.
If it is to be used for potable water or for washing, proper disinfection of the
water is required. Ultraviolet light, chlorine tablets, ozone injection, and/or
raising water temperature to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit reduce the potential
hazard of biological contamination. Reclaimed air conditioning condensate is
high-quality water with low mineral and chemical content and has many potential
uses, but care must be taken with its use. Distribution in a fashion that would
cause aerosols (e.g., lawn sprinklers) should be avoided due to the possibility of
person in the vicinity being exposed to Legionella bacteria. If the use of air
conditioning condensate could expose persons to inhalation of bacteria, then
purification of the water should be done prior to use.
Examples
Examples of common applications are as follows:
 Landscape irrigation (no treatment needed if utilized for subsurface
irrigation)
 Swimming pool (with biocide treatment)
 Domestic water (with biocide treatment)
 Cooling tower makeup (can likely run direct to tower without modulating
valves)
 Industrial process makeup
Hybrid systems are being developed that route the condensate into the rainwater
catchment cistern. The rainwater needs to be considered as part of a gray water
system. This means that if used for lawn irrigation, it should be used with
subsurface irrigation systems. Aerosols are a possible from flushing toilets,
therefore if the water is brought into the building for flushing toilets, it needs to
be filtered and sanitized before use.
Condensate from air conditioning units is an often-overlooked source of
freshwater. The resultant accumulation (which can be just a trickle or sometimes
more) can provide a sizable amount of freshwater that can be constructively used
to offset the use of potable water. The low mineral content in condensate causes
less fouling from mineral residue in the evaporation process thereby making
water ideally suited for use in cooling towers and fountains. The single caution
for condensate reclaim use would be that aerosols may be created in an occupied
space. In this case, treatment for biological elements contained in the water
would be appropriate.
As water shortages become more widespread, condensate from air conditioning
is gaining increased attention for creative non-potable and potable
applications. If the potential hazard of bacteria from aerosols is addressed, the
designer of an air conditioning condensate collection system can utilize this
source of water as a viable supplement.
Condensate from Air-Conditioning Equipment

Air-conditioning uses a closed-loop compression-decompression cycle of a

refrigerant (freon, CFC, HCFC, etc.) to absorb heat from inside a building, then
transfer that heat to the outside. With central air-conditioning, the cold
refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger coil inside the building (often “A-
coils” inside the plenum), where a fan blows air from inside the building through
the coils, cooling the air, and returning the cold air into the occupied space. As
the air passes through the cold A-coil, water vapor in the air turns to liquid when
it comes in contact to the cold coils. This condensate water must be removed to
prevent water damage to the equipment and the building structure. Most often,
the central Air Conditioner (AC) condensate drains off of the A-coil into a drip pan;
then runs into a hose connected to the sewer system. A central AC for an entire
home can collect 5 to 20 gallons (18.9 L to 75.7 L) of condensate water per day,
equating to more than 300 gallons (1135.3 L) per month in the
summer. Depending on the location of the central AC A-coils, this water can be
easily captured, stored and utilized.

On a window AC, the condensate water can often be observed dripping out the
back of the AC, from the outside portion of the equipment. A window AC will
collect only 1 to 2 gallons (3.78 L to7.57 L) of condensate water per day; often too
small of a quantity to invest in a method to capture and use the
water. Sometimes, simply placing a bucket underneath the window AC can
collect enough water to irrigate a few shrubs and flowers around the home.

Non-residential buildings are also potential sites to collect and use condensate
water. Wherever there is air-conditioning, there is condensate water collecting
on the cooling coils; and this water must be diverted out of the building. Like in
homes, the condensate is most often sent to the sewer drain. Depending on the
HVAC design, the condensate water might be collectible for alternate uses on the
building site. The amount of condensate water can range from 3 to 10
gallons/day per 1,000 square feet of air-conditioned space( 11.35 L to 37.84 L
/day per 92.9 square meters); largely dependant on local climate, HVAC design
and type of use for the building. A 10,000 square foot (929 square meters) office
building can produce more than 15,000 gallons (56.8 m3) of condensate water
per year.

Condensate Water Quality and Uses

The quality of this water is essentially the same as distilled water; mineral free
and a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level of near zero. The water should NEVER be
used for human consumption as it may contain heavy metals from contact with
the cooling coils and other HVAC equipment. The lack of minerals in the water
(similar to distilled water) also makes it corrosive to most metals, especially steel
and iron.

The water’s low-mineral quality and lack of sanitizers (chlorine, chloromine,

etc.) makes it excellent for the purposes of irrigation. In the residential sector,
this water should be used similar to harvested rainwater; irrigation for plants not
intended for human consumption. Although condensate water does not have
the health risk of containing biological pollutants commonly found in rainwater
(bird feces), there is a slight risk of lead contamination (from solder joints in the
evaporative coils) building up to dangerous levels in soil continually irrigated with
the water.

In non-residential sites, one of the best uses is make-up water for the cooling
tower. For most cooling towers, a portion of cooling tower water is dumped
several times each day to remove the build-up of minerals. (See Cooling Tower
Section for more information.) The dumped water requires replacement in the
system, and the replacement water is usually potable water from the local water
utility. The amount of water removed and replaced is highly dependant on the
level of minerals, measured as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) contained in the
potable water supply. The greater TDS level of the source water, the greater the
water use of the cooling tower. Not only can condensate water be used instead
of potable water (TDS levels of 150 to 800), the condensate water has virtually no
minerals (TDS level of 0 to 25). This allows the cooling tower to dump water less
often.

In commercial and industrial processes, there are a myriad of applications to use

condensate. One should look beyond just irrigation and cooling towers. It may
be possible to use condensate water for water cooled equipment, decorative
fountains and water features, evaporative coolers, rinse water for washing
vehicles and equipment, water for laundry operations, and industrial
processes. Some newest generation of air-conditioners actually use the
condensate to help cool the hot condenser coils of the AC itself. As water
efficiency concerns increase, the variety of uses for condensate water will grow.