How atmospheric water generators work.
An atmospheric water generator makes drinking water from the water vapour in the air. It condenses that vapour on a cold surface, then filters, protects and remineralises the water before it reaches the glass.
The water is already in the air.
Air always carries some water in the form of invisible vapour. How much it can carry depends on its temperature: warm air can hold more water vapour than cool air.
Relative humidity describes how full the air is. It is the amount of water vapour present, expressed as a percentage of the maximum the air could hold at that temperature. At 80% relative humidity the air is carrying four fifths of what it can hold. At 100% it is saturated.
Dew point and condensation.
The dew point is the temperature at which air, cooled down, becomes saturated. Cool it further and part of the vapour has to leave the air as liquid water. This is condensation, the same effect that covers a cold glass with droplets on a humid day or makes an air conditioner drip.
The closer the air already is to saturation, the less it has to be cooled before water appears. An atmospheric water generator applies that principle continuously, and Minairal Air systems are designed to operate for relative humidity between 30% and 80%.
Inside the machine.
An atmospheric water generator turns that principle into a continuous process, in four steps.
Intake
Ambient air is drawn through an air filter.
Condensation
The filtered air passes over a cold surface, below its dew point. Water vapour turns to liquid and is collected.
Treatment
The collected water is filtered and protected with UV. On the Minairal Air Stand Pro the sequence runs to seven stages.
Remineralisation
Minerals are restored, then the water is stored and dispensed, cold or hot depending on the model.
Why condensed water is filtered and remineralised.
Water condensed from air starts with almost no dissolved minerals, and it can carry whatever particles were in the air or on the surfaces it touched. So it is not dispensed as collected.
On the Minairal Air Stand Pro, the sequence runs to seven stages: air filter, sediment, pre-carbon, reverse osmosis at 0.0001 micron, post-carbon, LED UV and a UV lamp in the tank. A mineral filter using Biocera technology then restores calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. The result is water at an alkaline pH of 8.5 and above, with 40 to 80 ppm of total dissolved solids. The detail of each stage is on the water quality page.
What the output figures mean.
- Average output
- 13 L, 16 L or 30 L a day, by model
- Operating range
- Relative humidity between 30% and 80%
- Reference temperature
- Average 25°C
- Connection
- Electricity only, no plumbing
Minairal rates its Air systems as an average daily output, for relative humidity between 30% and 80% and an average temperature of 25°C: 13 L a day for the Air Top, 16 L for the Air Stand and 30 L for the Air Stand Pro.
The systems operate across that humidity range. The volume drawn each day and the number of points of use decide the model and the number of units, which is why both are chosen at a site assessment.
Why the Thai climate suits it.
Much of coastal and island Thailand is warm and humid for most of the year, well within the 30% to 80% relative humidity range the systems are designed for. The model and the number of units are still sized for each site, from the volume it needs at each point of use.
The second reason is logistics. On an island, every litre of bottled water arrives by boat and then truck. A machine that makes water where it is drunk takes that delivery off the site entirely, and the supply exists whether the mains does or not. See how this compares with reverse osmosis and bottled water in air-to-water vs reverse osmosis vs bottled water.
Questions about atmospheric water generators.
More answers on the FAQ page.
How does an atmospheric water generator make drinking water?
It cools humid air below its dew point so the water vapour condenses, collects that water, then filters it, protects it with UV and restores minerals before dispensing.
What is the dew point?
The dew point is the temperature at which air becomes saturated with water vapour. Below it, part of the vapour condenses into liquid water.
What is relative humidity?
Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air, as a percentage of the maximum the air could hold at its current temperature.
What humidity does an air-to-water machine need?
Minairal Air systems operate for relative humidity between 30% and 80%. Their output is rated as a daily average over that range, at an average temperature of 25°C.
Is water from the air safe to drink?
Condensed water is filtered and protected before it is dispensed. On the Air Stand Pro the sequence runs to seven stages, including reverse osmosis at 0.0001 micron and UV, followed by remineralisation. TDS and pH are checked during routine maintenance, and an independent ISO 17025 accredited laboratory test is available once a year under the business service plan.
Why are minerals added back?
Condensed and reverse osmosis filtered water contains almost no minerals. Minairal systems restore calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, for an alkaline pH of 8.5 and above.
Find out what the air on your site can produce.
Tell us the location, the number of people and the points of use. A site assessment settles the model and the number of units.