The Department of Energy wants electric hot water production to be substantially more efficient by the year 2000, but the chances of pulling that off are slim with current water heater technology. Anything that helps builders meet the goal is bound to be well-received. That's where the GFX comes in. The GFX is a counterflow heat exchanger. It consists of a coil of 1/2- or 3/4-in. copper tubing that's tightly wrapped around a 3- or 4-in. diameter copper pipe. The device is installed vertically in the plumbing system. As waste water flows down through the vertical pipe section, it naturally clings to the walls of the pipe. More than half the waste water's heat energy is transferred through the copper pipe and tubing to the incoming cold water. There is no pump and no storage tank. The device uses no electricity, so there is no operating cost. GFX only works when the drain and supply lines are being used simultaneously--as when someone is taking a shower.

Tests, sponsored by Virginia Power, were performed at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The GFX was paired with various electric water heaters. The tests indicated that the $180 device can save up to 50 percent of the energy a home uses to heat water. In fact, when the GFX was installed, the water heater's upper elements never energized, something the test report calls "a significant result." GFX has been demonstrated in several model energy-efficient homes including one operated by the National Association of Homebuilders' Research Center.

Contact: WaterFilm Energy, Inc.