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waste water heat recovery
By marv, Section Remote Living Posted on Fri Dec 26, 2003 at 05:07:24 PM MST
shower water system

This is a unit I built 3 years ago. It warms up the cold water going to the shower
from the shower waste water.
Even if it heats the water a few degrees thats a little less comming from the hot
water tank. It costs nothing to run, no maintenance and the savings add up year after year.
Thought you guys might want a look.
MARV.

waste water heat recovery | 6 comments (6 topical)

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#1)
by joe4324 on Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 03:09:58 AM MST

I love stuff like this, If your warming up the cold water a little bit before it goes into the hot water heater you could be saving yourself a couple dollars a month, maybe a little more!

My only problem with systems like this is its hard for me to choose wich ones to use because you cant have them all. eventually you'll have a plumbing nightmare! :)

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#4)
by wooferhound on Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 08:11:02 AM MST

Yes , I can see the water going through the shower water
then up to tha attic to warm up some more
then down to thw hot water heater to finish warming up the water
Then to the shower and drained to start heating up the new water comming in. . .

}=- W o o f -={
[ Parent ]

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#2)
by Old F on Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 07:10:21 AM MST

Marv

Here is a tube an shell heat exchanger I built for the exhaust of a 5 HP Briggs.
The water inlet an outlet are ½ inch. Its all stainless steel.

Were I work we use waste heat from are air compressors to preheat water.
They save $ 10000 a year this way .

Oh by the way love that beast of a tower you built.

Old F

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#3)
by marv on Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 07:44:18 AM MST

Thanks Old F.
What do you heat with the briggs?
And how does the compressor rig work?

MARV.

[ Parent ]

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#5)
by Old F on Sat Dec 27, 2003 at 12:07:59 PM MST

Marv

The compressors are 125 HP screw type and the oil is air cooled they run 24/7 .
And they really crank out a lot of heat 140of to 160of air temp .

We had to install a 500 gal tank and a boost pump to raise the hot water pressure we had on the fourth floor of the building. Were we set it up it was only 20 feet from the compressors.
And ties in to a 1500 gal steam heated water heater.

We placed a air to water heat exchanger over the hot air being exhausted by the compressor.

The water form the pumps bypass was plumed to the heat exchanger and back to the tank.
We are only raising the water temp to about 90o F but this gave us one heck of a savings.
It was only an after thought as we all ready planing to put in boost pump and tank in any way.
The best part for me was getting payed for something I like playing with : )

Now the Briggs tube and shell will be a test to see how much and how fast can I heat water
with engin exhaust. Its one of many irons I have in the fire right now.

Right now I have been working on a tower design of my own.
So much fun so little time : )

Old F

[ Parent ]

Re: waste water heat recovery (none / 0) (#6)
by jt72 on Sun Dec 28, 2003 at 01:46:55 PM MST

Looks like a great idea. My problem is that my costs to replace the drywall I would have to tear out to get to my drainage would be far more than I would ever recover. This Spring I will be installing a "desuperheater" to my heat pump. The waste heat that is blown to the outside air at the compressor will be used to heat water that is recirculated to the hot water heater. As such, in North Carolina where we cool 9 months out of the year, my hot water costs during the Summer should be little or nothing. Since the old tank hot water heaters are the biggest energy hog in the house, I expect to recover the cost of installing this thing in less than two years.

Jim

[ Parent ]

waste water heat recovery | 6 comments (6 topical)

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