How much water is floating in your living room right now?
Set the sliders to today's weather. The jug fills with the water hiding in a room-sized pocket of air.
Or pick a typical day:
- Dew point
- 63°F
- Ice-water glass
- Sweats
- Condensation
- Strong
A surface needs to be colder than 63°F to pull water out of this air.
This is the water the air holds, not what a harvester collects. A device captures only part of it, and only while it keeps a surface below the dew point. See how one DIY harvester is built
How this is calculated
We estimate how much water vapor the air holds at your temperature and humidity with the Magnus formula, for a room 12 × 15 ft with an 8 ft ceiling (about 1,440 cubic feet). The dew point uses the same formula. Real rooms and weather vary, so treat the numbers as estimates.
Why a cold glass sweats
Air always carries some water as an invisible gas. Cool the air enough and that gas turns back into liquid. The temperature where it happens is the dew point.
A glass of ice water sweats on a summer day because its surface is colder than the dew point of the air around it. A home water harvester does the same thing on purpose: it keeps a surface cold, moves air across it and catches the drops.
With the weather you set above, any surface colder than 63°F collects water.
What to realistically expect
- Warm, humid weather gives the most water. Cold or very dry air gives little.
- A harvester is a backup that adds to your stored water, not a replacement for your tap.
- How much you collect depends on your build, your weather and how long it runs.
- Filter and disinfect collected water before drinking. The CDC explains how.
- Some home water projects are regulated. Check the rules where you live.
Build your household water plan
Emergency planners recommend storing at least one gallon of water per person per day. Ready.gov suggests several days at minimum, and two weeks at home if you can.
That fills 6 five-gallon jugs.
Your water plan
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Want a backup source on top of stored water? See how a DIY air-to-water harvester is built
If you'd like to build a backup source
Smart Water Box is a digital, step-by-step guide to building a small home water harvester. It's sold through ClickBank, and the seller offers a 60‑day money-back guarantee.
It suits you if
- You like hands-on DIY projects
- You live somewhere warm or humid
- You want a backup next to your stored water
Skip it if
- You want a ready-made appliance
- Your air is cold or very dry most of the year
- You expect it to replace your water supply
Opens the seller's page on ClickBank.
Questions people ask
Will this work where I live?
Warm, humid air works best. Set the calculator at the top to your usual weather: the higher the dew point, the more water there is to catch. In cold or very dry air, any harvester collects little.
How much water will I really get?
No one can promise a number. It depends on how you build it, your weather and how long it runs. Plan on it as a backup that adds to your stored water, not as your main supply.
Is the water safe to drink?
Not straight away. Filter and disinfect any water you collect before you drink it. The CDC explains how to make water safe in an emergency.
Is Smart Water Box a machine?
No. It's a digital guide with step-by-step instructions. You buy the parts and build the harvester yourself.
Do I need special tools or skills?
The seller's presentation shows what the build involves. Watch it before you buy, so you can judge whether it fits your skills, time and budget.
What if it's not for me?
The seller offers a 60-day money-back guarantee. ClickBank, the retailer, handles refunds through its customer support site, clkbank.com.
Who runs this page?
Water Ready Home is an independent site. We're not the seller. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Opens the seller's page on ClickBank.