EU INDUSTRIAL AND SOCIETAL PROBLEMS:
Water scarcity affects 3.6bn people worldwide and many countries suffer from water stress. Currently 11% of EU territory has a serious water scarcity problem.
Water recirculation showers are not a new idea. Technological developments have included filtering, purification, electric pumps and heaters, yet their market penetration is close to zero.
Hotels, for example, are one of the biggest points of waste, as tourism adds extra pressures to water scarce areas during water scarce seasons. Yet the adoption of recirculation showers in hotels is still low due to concerns about costs and pay-back times. To re-use the water, the shower water first needs to be collected, altering the existing drainage, which is expensive and time consuming - a hotel bathroom renovation can take 2-3 weeks. Where users are trying to save money on their bills, this initial greywater conversion outlay is a very important concern. This inflexibility of water infrastructure presents a big challenge for wide adoption of recirculation showers at every level.
Furthermore, even though consumers are interested in reducing their water use to reduce their bills and their environmental impact, they want to be assured that the water that returns to them during the shower is fit for purpose. However, to deliver this peace of mind, finer, thus more expensive, filters are needed, which further narrows the list of future users.
OUR SOLUTION:
Flow Loop has developed the first retrofittable water recirculation shower. Our innovative drain cover means our shower is quick (only 30mins) and cheap (90% cheaper) to install; our membrane pump, stringent cleaning and efficient temperature control ensures great shower performance (documented as “Excellent Bathing Water” by Technical University of Denmark, DTU); and our back-flush filter ensures minimal maintenance.
Our Eco Loop Shower is a retrofittable water recirculation shower. With Eco Loop Shower, rather than hot water going to waste down the drain, the water is collected directly from the floor with our key patent pending innovation – a retrofit drain cover. Our drain cover means Eco Loop Shower is the first recirculating shower with 30-minute retrofit installation. The solution is easy to install into the existing infrastructure of the bathroom, without breaking up tiles on the walls or floor or disturbing the current plumbing infrastructure (e.g. drains, piping). Eco Loop Shower can be used as both a normal shower and a recirculating shower.
During a recirculating shower, the drain cover overflow mechanism is up, meaning the water level at the drain rises 5-10mm before a sensor starts pumping, pushing the water through a pre-filter (stopping hair and larger particles) and a fine micro-filter before the UV-purifier inactivates any bacteria or viruses in the water. The multi-stage filtration guarantees top levels of hygiene, eliminating all risks of harmful bacteria and microorganisms. By adding 1-2L of hot water per minute, the right temperature is sustained and allows the user to experience a larger water flow (12L/min), while only consuming about 2L/min.
