I have a split A/C system in a room that runs on low 24 hours a day during Summer that unfortunately cannot be connected to any drain or pipe and which therefore requires a bucket outside to be used to collect the condensate from the condensate drain line in the exterior unit that sits on my balcony in my apartment building.
This is quite frustrating as the bucket has to be emptied every single day (once a day), so I'm looking for a better solution.
The bucket is already quite large and gets quite heavy at the end of the day when it's full, so maybe something that makes the water evaporate faster than normal so that I don't have to empty the water so often?
Does such a solution exist or am I condemned to a lifetime of emptying the bucket every night during Summer?
** 14 May 2015 EDIT **
I have not yet been able to solve this issue.
Without going into details, connecting the condensation drain line to any drain of any kind, drain line, drainage hole, ground, pumps, pipes, etc. is NOT an option, so I need an outside-the-box solution.
The A/C Condensate Drain Line seems to empty about 3 Gallons / 12 L per 24 hour period.
Potential solutions:
Humidifier
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Are there outdoor-friendly humidifiers that could get rid of 3 Gallons/ 12 L per day? The tank would not have to hold that much as the drain line would just drip the water constantly into the tank.
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CONSIDERATIONS: Would I need to use more than 1 humidifier and serialize them? Can a humidifier handle being on for 24 hours a day for 4 months straight? Can a humidifier handle the elements (e.g. could rain affect the circuitry or create any electrical issues)?
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My balcony has 37sqft / 3.4 m2 of area to play with but only 1 hour of direct sunlight (although plenty of indirect sunlight) per day, could I create a garden of plants/grass to absorb the water?
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CONSIDERATIONS: How much garden would I need? Which plants could meet this criteria? Could the balcony handle the weight of soil + plants + water?
NEW: Drip Tray + Humidifier Wick
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What about something like this plus several of these, could that evaporate 3 Gallons / 12L per day?
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CONSIDERATION: Would they get clogged from dirty city air? How many wicks would I need to evaporate all that water?
Any other outside-the-box solutions?
Would any of the solutions listed above work? If so, what specific details would I need to make it work? Are there any other solutions?
CLIMATE:
On the hottest Summer months, the average relative humidity is about 72%, with about 9 mean daily sunshine hours, 1-2 inches of monthly rain, and daily mean temperatures of about 76 F / 24 C (with average highs of 84 F / 29 C). Remember, however, that the balcony only receives about 1 hour of direct sunlight, although plenty of hours of indirect sunlight.
As you can see, it gets VERY dirty due to this being in the inner city next to a large avenue where a lot of cars run through creating a lot of direct air pollution, so any solutions that may clog need to take this into account. This is another reason I want to avoid having to open the balcony doors to empty it every night. In case it helps, the model of the outdoor unit is Mitsubishi MXZ-18TV.
Best Answer
While you can't have it drip off the balcony, you can turn it into a fine mist and blow it off. Even a fine sprayer would work fine, but you'll need a float switch to auto-activate it, and a pump. On the plus side, this will air condition your balcony as well.
Home Depot has a bucket-top misting fan that looks like it would solve your problem. You would need to hook it up to a battery or adapter.