Water Efficiency

Capture Condensate from Chillers/AC

What Is It?

Capture condensate from chillers to be reused as gray water for chilling towers or toilet facilities. When water vapor in the air comes into contact with a colder surface, the water changes from a gas to a liquid and collects on the surface, a process known as condensation. The condensate that collects on refrigeration equipment is potentially an alternate source of water. However, it should be noted that condensate water should never be used for human consumption, as it may contain heavy metals from contact with the cooling coils and other equipment.

Benefits

Central air conditioning in a house can collect between 5 and 20 gallons of condensate water per day, more than 300 gallons a month in the summertime. Fred O’Grady, Chief Engineer for CBRE of One Beacon, documented that this practice saves the building nearly 20,000 gallons per month from sewer water disposal. Depending on the location of the central AC A-coils, this water can be captured, stored and used, leading to a reduction in use of tap and faucet water.

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