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Old 10-11-09, 04:32 PM   #17
GaryGary
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SW Montana
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Hi,
There are some other designs for grey water heat recovery as well -- this is a grey water heater exchanger in a barrel idea of Nick Pine's:
Grey Water Heat Exchanger

We kind of lost steam on the prototype project, but I think the idea has merit, and while the GFX style exchangers are only good for things like showers where there is draining hot water at the same time hot water is being used, Nick's idea can recover energy from any draining hot water.

Here is a Canada study on a somewhat similar design:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Experime...verySystem.pdf

I've often thought that in places like where I live with a 6+ month heating season that just recovering the heat for space heating would be good. We have a well insulated conditioned crawl space that our drain pipes go through -- If I could just figure out a way to retain the draining water in the crawl space or basement long enough for it to lose its heat, it would go into space heating the house. Any ideas?
Since we solar heat the water in the first place, this would be a sort of double gainer.

It just seems so dumb to spend a ton of energy heating water from 50F up to 110F, let it run over your body once, and then right down the drain taking 90+% of the heat you just added right with it -- has to be a better way.

Gary
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