Futuristic water-recycling shower cuts bills by over $1000

[jeffrey]

...So how does it work? Similar to space showers, it works on a "closed loop system:" hot water falls from the tap to the drain and is instantly purified to drinking water standard and then pumped back out of the showerhead. As the process is quick, the water remains hot and only needs to be reheated very slightly.

As a result, it saves more than 90% in water usage and 80% in energy every time you shower, while also producing water that is cleaner than your average tap.

"With my shower, which is constantly recycling water, you'd only use about five liters of water for a 10 minute shower ... In a regular shower you would use 150 liters of water -- 30 times as much. It's a lot of savings," explains Mahdjoubi...

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/11/tech/innovation/futuristic-water-recycling-shower-orbsys/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I do wonder what powers the pump, because that would be an energy user.

Do I get to mention that when my son was just shy of 5 years he sat in the bathtub watching water go down the drain and told me that we should put a tiny turbine in the drainpipe to let the falling water generate electricity. (He's a physicist now.) There's more than one way to skin a cat.

[JoeP]

I've often wondered how easy it would be to build a heat exchanger that took gray water (sinks, tubs, washing machine, dish washer) and passed it by the water heater's cold water inlet on its way to the sewer. Especially in winter, even raising that inlet water temp from 38F to 50F would mean less energy needed to raise it up to its final temperature.

For showers, it would be better IMHO to have some sort of voice command for water. "Full" would give you the regular efficiency volume, "Mist" would give you a very light spray to keep you warm while lathering, and "Off" for shaving or when you're done. This could be achieved with 2 dedicated shower heads with a valve that diverts water to one at a time.

[GrimJack]

The Japanese have put in piezoelectric pads at all the subway turnstiles and harvest the energy of the commuters; they put the pads everywhere there is a lot of foot traffic. I never heard a follow-up report on what the upkeep was. I imagine that they need all energy they can produce.

[kork13]

The Japanese have put in piezoelectric pads at all the subway turnstiles and harvest the energy of the commuters; they put the pads everywhere there is a lot of foot traffic. I never heard a follow-up report on what the upkeep was. I imagine that they need all energy they can produce.

Some dance clubs are doing the same thing, with the dance floors (made up of 2'x2' pads) harvesting the energy from all of the excitement going on in there... Some generate enough power to actually run the club most nights with a net-zero energy draw.

[delemag]

what about those new refrigerators with gel ? they save tons on electricity