FollowPower Pipe is a brilliant, easy-to-install heat exchanger that can save a bundle on home energy costs by using hot drain water to heat incoming cold water. Statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that 20%-30% of all household energy goes toward heating water, so lessening this energy draw can have a large effect on homeowner utility bills. The system works by wrapping your bathtub drain pipe with layers of highly conductive copper coils, which effectively transfer heat from the waste water draining down the pipe.
Drainpipe heat exchange systems work because of a principle called the “falling film effect.” This means that water naturally clings to the outside of a pipe as it travels down, so heat can be effectively captured just by connecting to the outside pipe wall. If a 60-inch section of a drain pipe is wrapped with the Power-Pipe System, it can raise the incoming water as much as 25°F.
The Power Pipe works with gas, electric, or even solar water heaters. Kits are available for home installation through their website, or at select Home Depot locations.
Source: inhabitat
