F.A.Q.'S

I've had a few questions lately about our AC misters and rainwater collection tank. Instead of answering them individually, I thought I'd post on here for everyone. 

What do the misters on the AC actually do?  My understanding is that the water from the misters evaporates off the hot coils and removes heat which allows the compressor motor to not work as hard. When the compressor doesn't work as hard, it doesn't use as much electricity.

Why doesn't the water in our rainwater tank get all gunky and attract mosquitos? Well, actually it does get gunky and since the tank is a clear transparent color it does grow algae. If it were a darker color and/or protected from the sun, it woudn't grow algae. Supposedly, you can put a capful of bleach in the water to kill the algae and stop any smell if there is any but Jason hasn't tried that yet. Instead, Jason just cleans it out every couple of months. As far as mosquitos go, there is a screen at the opening that keeps leaves and stuff out of the tank as well as not allowing mosquitos to get in to lay the eggs.

If you have any other questions, please let me know! I am in no way an expert on any of these things but am happy to relay what I have learned by asking Jason your questions.

Comments

[Meg from FruWiki]

Bleach? Ick! I'm glad he's cleaning it manually. Using bleach is very un-green -- and who wants that in their water even if it's just for plants? Maybe he can wrap the tank in something to seal out the light when he's not checking it.

I've been wanting to do a rain barrel system, but I haven't found a tank I like. I know it's not like I will be drinking the water, but I still don't want to use plastic like most tanks are because I don't want to add that into my garden via watering. I know, I'm probably way over-protective of my plants -- especially since god knows what it would get from our shingles.

[jcoffman]

Yeah, I am not too keen on the bleach thing. Again, I haven't tried it, and most everything I read claims that the bleach breaks down into simple salts really quickly, especially since your only supposed to use like a tablespoon amount. I dont mind cleaning it though. After 4 to 6 months, there is a lot of sediment in the tank anyway.