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Lynn Barber at the Hillsborough County Extension dreamed up a way to safely capture air-conditioning condensate for use on newly installed plants.
“You don’t want to connect a hose directly to the condensate outlet because if it backs up, it overflows inside the house,” she notes. “I hung a funnel from the outlet with wire and then put the hose underneath the funnel.”
The funnel directs the water to the hose so the water can be used anywhere the hose reaches instead of dripping in the same spot. But if the hose kinks or otherwise clogs, the funnel overflows outside where it won’t cause any damage.
The slow drip of air-conditioner condensate – which amounts to several gallons a day – helps new plants establish deep roots and keeps less drought-tolerant plants thriving even during the dry season, she says.
Article originally published Spring 2007.
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