We've had to run our central air conditioner for the past week - temps in Ohio have been hovering around 90 with thick, muggy humidity. Anyhow, my husband put a bucket outside to collect the water that drips from the air conditioner pipe. (It will fill a 5-gal. bucket in a day!) That water is so soft and clear! We've been using it to water our vegetable plants.
This is my question: Is that pure water? Does it go through any kind of chemicals in the air conditioner? Is it OK to use on plants?
Thanks.

I'm no expert, but my guess is that the water is condensation (moisture from the air that collects on the cold pipes). So it is probably, when it condenses, as pure as it gets. However, once it hits the pipe it is condensing on, it will pick up any contaminants on that surface, as well as anything on the bucket and/or anything that also falls into the bucket.

Seems like there ought to be a way to enclose the system so that the air conditioner also produces pure water for household use. Maybe there is such a thing. Maybe you could rig one?

Good for you, using the water from your air conditioner.

Do you have a swamp cooler or air conditioner? Some people call a swamp cooler the other and the water from that is questionable...

If your water is running through copper pipes to the cooler, I'm not sure that it is "pure". Water picks up minerals from the pipes, the roof...

but if it is the condensation from the air, forming on the outside of the pipe my guess is it is pretty clean.

probably a lot cleaner than washing machine water that many people divert into their gardens...

Good idea! I'm using the water from our dehumidifier.
Kitt

I also use the water from my dehumidifier to water my plants.

I'll let you guys know how well plants like it. Some of the seeds that loamlump gave me grow best in wet areas. Just so happens I have a downsloping bed that is watered all summer long by my air conditioner. So far they seem to love it.

I've been doing that too. The plants don't complain at all.