Its been dry and like everyone else with plants I have had to water my plants . I saw the tomatoes failing and my rain barrel was getting low so I resorted to using the county tap water .
That was a disaster . It killed my cucumbers and wilted the tomato blooms after 3 days watering . I got really frustrated because I needed to salvage my plants somehow and they had to have water . I came to the conclusion that if plants don’t like the tap water I’m not crazy for not using it to cook with or ingest in coffee or tea .Â
It wasn’t economically feasible to buy big jugs of bottled water so I started looking for other methods . I constructed a water vapor misting unit for my heat pump to cool it down on very hot days so it operated more efficiently . I was going to put a timer on it and plumb it into the water line but I didn’t want to run my water bill up so I was using rain barrel water to start with .
I noticed the long pretty green patch of grass behind my heat pump and realized it was draining a good amount of water every day especially when the humidity was high . I took the water drain and turned it into a 55 gallon plastic barrel I buried 90% in the ground so gravity would fill it and a small pump would suffice to spray the mist on the heat pump . To my surprise the 55 gallon barrel filled up in a day .
I knew the mister couldn’t use all that crystal clear water so I put some on my plants and behold they loved it . My tomatoes took a second growing spurt , new blooms popped out and the tomatoes started growing again . My heat pump loved the cool mist and works more efficiently and less . The reclaimed water drains into the tank and unlike water subjected to direct sunlight and air , it stays very cool in the ground tank so it doubles the thermal cooling effect on the heat pumps coils .Â
 I put 5 gallon buckets under my window ac in the shop and my bedroom and both fill up every day . I have watered my plants with this recycled water and I have had phenomenal results . I cleaned the ac coils with a mild soap and a warm water spray so I wouldn’t contaminate the recycled water with dust and mold possibly trapped on the evaporator coils . The water is crystal clear and I suspect very clean as its condensed from the water vapor present in the air just like rain water .
With this in mind I have a new project I want to try . I need to find a 500 or preferably 1000 gallon plastic tank suitable for clean water storage . If anyone wants to help me with this project I will help you maximize your heat pumps efficiency and extend its life cycle . ( end result is a lower electric bill and cooler home in the summer ) .Â
When the temperatures and humidity are lower the water output will naturally be less but you don’t need to cool the coils on the heat pump as much so you wont need as much water either . Likewise when its cooler its either raining , or not in the growing season so again you wont need as much water .Â
I’m working on a relay to turn the water misting on the heat pump with a thermostat so it doesn’t come on when outside temperatures are below 75 degrees . The phase change energy needed is low when outside temperatures are close to what you want inside and below 65 degrees you are normally using the heat function of your heat pump so you don’t need to cool the coils or freeze water lines .Â
I’m gradually going green .
I have always recycled just about everything and now I’m finding that recycling in a smart way can not only be good for the environment but save money . I hope to gather some interest in recycling in a practical manor so I can get some help and help others .
If you know where a good sized water tank is please let me know , I need it 🙂Â
Goodnite Mark 🙂