Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

On Feb 12, 10:21 pm, "DerbyDad03" wrote:
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

This is more of a guess than a scientifically accurate answer:

Condensate is a result of the combustion of natural gas which should
be a pretty clean process, but NG isn't perfect, so there are bound to
be some impurities in it, but it should be generally clean. As a
furnace gets older and the heat exchanger corrodes, there should be
more metallic impurities.

JK

I would bet there is lead in it and other metal impurities.


"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
ps.com...
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

I seem to remember that the PH of that is rather acid. I don't think
you want to use it for anything.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

Joseph Meehan wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

I seem to remember that the PH of that is rather acid. I don't think
you want to use it for anything.

On my 90% unit the manual warned about
the condensate being acidic.
They also warned about dumping into a
sump where the contents are
pumped out onto the ground.

On Feb 12, 9:33 pm, "Big_Jake" wrote:
On Feb 12, 10:21 pm, "DerbyDad03" wrote:

Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

This is more of a guess than a scientifically accurate answer:

Condensate is a result of the combustion of natural gas which should
be a pretty clean process, but NG isn't perfect, so there are bound to
be some impurities in it, but it should be generally clean. As a
furnace gets older and the heat exchanger corrodes, there should be
more metallic impurities.

JK

as Big Jake points out the water you're talking about is condensed
combustion products...if the NG was 100% pure then so would the water
but NG has other stuff in it plus metals picked up from the furnace.

from http://www.engext.ksu.edu/ees/henerg...es.html#septic

Is the condensate from a high-efficiency furnace harmful to a septic
system?
It's unlikely that a healthy septic system will be affected by the
water condensed from the flue gases of a high-efficiency furnace.

A 60,000-Btu furnace operating 50 percent of the time will produce
about seven gallons of condensate a day. The condensate has a pH level
of about four, which is about the same as a carbonated soft drink.
However, furnace condensate is not safe to drink because of trace
toxic chemicals it contains.

If it's not safe to drink...it's probably not safe for watering food
plants

I wouldn't use it to water veggies or fruit but acid loving
ornamentals "might" be ok. Depending on your soil it "might" help
reduce alkalinity

depending on your situation....can the area you're talking about
handle the water load?

Why not just dump it down the the drain?

cheers
Bob

On Feb 13, 10:37 am, Art Todesco wrote:
Joseph Meehan wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

I seem to remember that the PH of that is rather acid. I don't think
you want to use it for anything.

On my 90% unit the manual warned about
the condensate being acidic.
They also warned about dumping into a
sump where the contents are
pumped out onto the ground.

Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!
Since acid rain, caused by the smoke etc. from internal combustion
engines, coal, oil and gas fired electric power plants and so forth,
pollutes the atmosphere, a few gallons of acidic water, including any
trace metals it contains, is probably not very significant?
BTW meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in the effects of
'Global Warming'? Just thought I'd ask!

Why lead? Just curious where the lead would come from?

JK



On Feb 13, 2:00 am, "Art" wrote:
I would bet there is lead in it and other metal impurities.

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

ps.com...

Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

On Feb 13, 12:13 pm, "terry" wrote:
On Feb 13, 10:37 am, Art Todesco wrote:
snip

BTW meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in the effects of
'Global Warming'? Just thought I'd ask!

Looking out my window at the snow howling by at 30 MPH and a predicted
low tonight of less than zero, I'm wavering...
G

Joe

Big_Jake wrote:
Why lead? Just curious where the lead would come from?


Distilled water (which is basically what condensate is) has an amazing
ability to leach lead from solder joints. I haven't done an analysis of
furnace condensate, but I did one for a coolant system, and the amount
of lead was truly amazing...

If you have a system with lead solder, your condensate could contain
high levels of lead.

Definitely a no no for drinking; for industrial users (i.e. those with
their own discharge permits) may even be a no no for direct discharge.

--Yan

terry wrote:
On Feb 13, 10:37 am, Art Todesco wrote:
Joseph Meehan wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Just curious...
How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?
Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?
I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.
I seem to remember that the PH of that is rather acid. I don't think
you want to use it for anything.
On my 90% unit the manual warned about
the condensate being acidic.
They also warned about dumping into a
sump where the contents are
pumped out onto the ground.

Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!
Since acid rain, caused by the smoke etc. from internal combustion
engines, coal, oil and gas fired electric power plants and so forth,
pollutes the atmosphere, a few gallons of acidic water, including any
trace metals it contains, is probably not very significant?
BTW meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in the effects of
'Global Warming'? Just thought I'd ask!

As you say, it's probably insignificant,
however, if every house had one
of these, it might add up. BTW, I just
remembered another thing in the
manual ..... it said something about a
"special filter", whatever that is, is
required in some areas.

"terry" wrote in message
ups.com...
?
BTW meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in the effects of
'Global Warming'? Just thought I'd ask!


may be warming but caused by the sun not my lawnmower

terry wrote:


Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!

Around here waste water is treated. Presumably that would include pH
balancing.

Chris

terry wrote:
On my 90% unit the manual warned about
the condensate being acidic.
They also warned about dumping into a
sump where the contents are
pumped out onto the ground.

Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!

If you burn Hydrogen in an Oxygen environment, you can manufacture water.

All other water is USED water, having passed through uncountably many
digestive canals. Yum.

In article ,
Art Todesco wrote:

it's probably insignificant

It is.

however, if every house had one of these, it might add up.

Art, c'mon... Have you ever been to a wastewater treatment plant?

If EVERY, STEENKIN' house in the ENTIRE city had such a furnace, the combined
acidic condensate from them, compared to the total volume of wastewater, would
be equal to a flea's fart in a tornado.

I guess it's true: We have become so fat, dumb, lazy and affluent that we
actually consider such things. sigh

it said something about a "special filter", whatever that is,
is required in some areas.

....and I'll bet every one of those areas is in California.
--

JR

No project too small
All projects too big

In article . com,
"terry" wrote:

Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!

Now just wait ONE MINUTE!

I thought we were forced to convert to water-saving toilets and urinals
because, as we ALL know, the water flushed down those older fixtures just
DISAPPEARED off the face of the Earth!

acid rain

Whatever happened to acid rain? I guess that farce didn't get enough traction
so "they" moved on to more dire things, like furnace condensate.

a few gallons of acidic water, including any
trace metals it contains, is probably not very significant?

That is correct.

meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in
the effects of'Global Warming'?

The effects? Nope.

Is the globe warming? That's debatable.

If it *IS* warming, is the cause manmade?

No way.

Just thought I'd ask!

....and I'm SO glad you did! Have a nice day - hiding under the covers.
--

JR

On Feb 13, 9:28 pm, Jim Redelfs wrote:
In article ,
Art Todesco wrote:

it's probably insignificant

It is.

however, if every house had one of these, it might add up.

Art, c'mon... Have you ever been to a wastewater treatment plant?

If EVERY, STEENKIN' house in the ENTIRE city had such a furnace, the combined
acidic condensate from them, compared to the total volume of wastewater, would
be equal to a flea's fart in a tornado.

I guess it's true: We have become so fat, dumb, lazy and affluent that we
actually consider such things. sigh

it said something about a "special filter", whatever that is,
is required in some areas.

...and I'll bet every one of those areas is in California.
--

JR

No project too small
All projects too big

re; "a flea's fart in a tornado"

If a flea farts in a tornado, and there's nobody there to smell it,
does it still have an odor?

In article .com,
"DerbyDad03" wrote:

If a flea farts in a tornado, and there's nobody there to smell it,
does it still have an odor?

Only if it's an "F3" or better.

Then there's the rating of the tornado to consider...
--

JR

Jim Redelfs wrote:
In article ,
Art Todesco wrote:

it's probably insignificant

It is.

however, if every house had one of these, it might add up.

Art, c'mon... Have you ever been to a wastewater treatment plant?

If EVERY, STEENKIN' house in the ENTIRE city had such a furnace, the combined
acidic condensate from them, compared to the total volume of wastewater, would
be equal to a flea's fart in a tornado.

I guess it's true: We have become so fat, dumb, lazy and affluent that we
actually consider such things. sigh

it said something about a "special filter", whatever that is,
is required in some areas.

...and I'll bet every one of those areas is in California.
I agree fully, however, treatment plants
primarily remove solids. I wonder what
they
do about acids? I have seen the local
treatment plant put out a clear liquid
into the
muddy river. It looks good, but I
really can't tell what's in that real
clear output.

In article ,
says...
Joseph Meehan wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
Just curious...

How clean is the condensate water that my 90% furnace produces?

Is there anything in it that would make it unsafe for plants?
vegetables? pets? kids?

I've got no plans for it...just curious about what's in it.

I seem to remember that the PH of that is rather acid. I don't think
you want to use it for anything.

On my 90% unit the manual warned about
the condensate being acidic.
They also warned about dumping into a
sump where the contents are
pumped out onto the ground.

When I had a 97% furnace installed a few years ago, the installed
simply drilled a hole through the floor and inserted the drain tube
into it.

In article . com,
says...
[...]
Yeah just dump it down the drain. It'll only end up in the ocean and/
or the Great Lakes, or local waterways etc. Just like much of the
stuff/pollution we humans excrete!
Since acid rain, caused by the smoke etc. from internal combustion
engines, coal, oil and gas fired electric power plants and so forth,
pollutes the atmosphere, a few gallons of acidic water, including any
trace metals it contains, is probably not very significant?
BTW meet anybody these days who doesn't believe in the effects of
'Global Warming'? Just thought I'd ask!

I'd like to help, but I'm busy trying to get the Bush Administration
to abandon Iraq.

Art Todesco wrote:

I agree fully, however, treatment plants primarily remove solids.

?????

Actually, they remove biological waste as well as solids. All those
dissolved nutrients that end up killing things. Solids removal is only
a tiny fraction of the pollutants they remove, usually done in a
small-ish tank or filter at the head of the plant, right where the main
line comes in.

I wonder what they do about acids?

pH neutralization is part of the process.

I have seen the local treatment plant put out a clear
liquid into the
muddy river. It looks good, but I really can't tell what's in that real
clear output.

Ask for the DMRs; they're available under the FOIA. (And if you don't
know what a DMR is, educate yourself on the regulatory process for WWTPs.)

In article ,
Art Todesco wrote:

treatment plants primarily remove solids.

I respectfully disagree. A modern plant, operating properly at current EPA
minimums does a *LOT* more than simply remove solids.

I wonder what they do about acids?

As the OP said, they are (more or less) neutralized.

I have seen the local treatment plant put out a clear liquid

This is called "effluent".

into the muddy river. It looks good, but I really can't tell
what's in that real clear output.

I had the job of installing a phone line at our local wastewater treatment
plant. The engineer was a friend and gave me the GRAND tour. He was quite
proud of the operation and deservedly so.

Properly treated effluent, he claimed, was "almost drinkable". He explained
further that he had never tried it. Still, it is almost clear and *NOTHING*
like what "comes in the front door". Very impressive.

While at the plant, but outside, I had to "relieve myself" and asked if there
was a toilet. He asked if my need was a "stand up proposition" (#1). It was.
He pointed to a door at the top of a long, metal stair case. He told me to
descend the stairs and "let 'er go". I did - directly into the incoming
(raw) flow. VERY awesome.
--

JR

In article ,
Mike Hartigan wrote:

When I had a 97% furnace installed a few years ago,
the installed simply drilled a hole through the floor
and inserted the drain tube into it.

Hmmmm... That begs the question of what OTHER shortcuts he took.
--

JR