Some Like It Hot! Hot Water Recycling

Posted by lindseyshoe

Hot water recycling . . . what is it and how can you do it? What are the advantages to reusing the power that you use to heat the water in your home?

What is hot water recycling?
No doubt your family is recycling many materials including glass, plastics, cardboards and newspapers but did you know that recycling hot water is an option as well? In the average home, more energy is used to heat water than any other electricity using activity. In fact, it often accounts for 30% of home electricity costs. With electricity costs continuing to repeatedly rise across the country, it is hard to swallow that up to 90% of that heat energy goes right down a drain. In other words, your money is going down the drain with your hot water.
Recycling hot water is not the same as reusing “grey water.” With the exception of toilet water, all water leaving your home can be categorized as grey water. When you collect and reuse your shower water to water your lawn, you are reusing grey water and that is a smart and easy eco-friendly habit.
Other the other hand, recycling hot water involves recapturing and reusing some of the heat energy rather than the water itself.
How does hot water recycling work?
Heat recycling uses a heat exchanger to recover and reroute hot water heat from common household activities like showering, dish washing and laundry washing. For example, with a heat exchange device, the heat from the hot water going down the drain is then used to heat the returning water. Of course the hot water going down the drain is not as hot as when it first came forth but still the estimates are that 60% of the heat energy is recaptured which can save resources and money too.
Where can I find heat-recycling exchangers?
Heat exchanges are sold under several brand names including:
Kill a Watt
The Power-Pipe
EcoDrain
Exergy Miniature Heat Exchangers
ReTherm
The inventor of the Power-Pipe, Gerald Van Decker says, “With the residential installation of the pipe, the typical water temperature rise would be from 10 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius.” Van Decker also claims that, “The Power-Pipe saves as much on domestic water consumption as a single solar heating system, at about a quarter of the cost,” and that “It has no moving parts, requires no maintenance and will last over 50 years.”
While solar heating is an exceptional green water heating option, hot water heat recycling works regardless of whether it is a summer or winter, a sunny day or a cloudy day.

Advantages of Hot Water Recycling
- Increased water heating capacity means more hot water available
- Saves on energy bills
- Generally maintenance free
- Can be retrofitted into existing homes
- Reduce carbon emissions
- Adds a selling point for your home
Be sure to check for available green grants or green tax credits that are offered for eco-friendly home upgrades.
Of course conserving water and especially conserving hot water is still the ideal way to reduce environmental impact and energy bills too; reusing grey water and recycling hot water are eco-friendly options as well.