How Much Drip Water Does My Air Conditioner Make?

Climate

• An air conditioner run in a dry climate will not produce nearly as much drip water as one run in a humid climate. The water run off from an air conditioner is the humidity in the air. Therefore, homeowners will notice their units producing substantially more water during long periods of high heat and humidity.

Thermostat Setting

• Most modern air conditioners, especially central air conditioners, come with a thermostat that triggers the unit to run when a specific temperature or humidity is reached. Homeowners will focus on the temperature portion of their thermostat, and may not realize that the air conditioner will continue to run after the indoor temperature drops below the thermostat setting if the indoor humidity remains higher than the thermostat setting. The lower the setting for humidity on a thermostat, the longer the air conditioner will run dehumidifying the air, and the more water the unit will produce.

Window versus Central Air Conditioning

• Depending on the type of air conditioner you have, you may have relatively little or quite a bit of drip water emanating from your unit. A window air conditioner, intended to cool and dehumidify a relatively small space, will have relatively little water output. A central air conditioner, however, removing humidity from a much larger area, can easily produce several gallons of water per day.

Rough Estimates

• On average, for every 12,000 BTUs of air conditioning in a residence, the unit will drip 3 pints of water per hour. So a 48,000 BTU unit will produce roughly 12 pints, or 1 1/2 gallons of water, per hour. A quick and easy way to measure the water output from your unit is to collect the water in a container of a known size, for instance a 5-gallon bucket, and measure the length of time it takes to fill the container.