Manitoba Hydro selects ThermoDrain

ThermoDrain to supply drain water heat recovery units for provincial program

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada — Hot water from your shower is your energy and money going down the drain.

Next year in Manitoba (April 2016), an amendment to the Manitoba Building Code comes into effect that mandates the residential use of drain water heat recovery (DWHR) units in new homes. EcoInnovation has been selected by Manitoba Hydro as the exclusive supplier of DWHR units for a province-wide energy savings program for selected target markets.

Daniel Beauchemin, founder of EcoInnovation Technologies – the Canadian manufacturer of ThermoDrain – explains how the technology works, “The ThermoDrain consists of a single copper coil wound around a central copper drain pipe.

Waste water flowing down the drain from your shower transfers heat to the cold water moving upwards through the coil. The preheated water from the ThermoDrain then feeds the water heater and the cold side of the shower thus requiring less energy to heat your water.”

Beauchemin observed, “The idea is simple and elegant, and so is the unit. It is very easy to install. ThermoDrain’s high performance is attributable to solid design, precise manufacturing and high quality materials.”

Manitoba Hydro has been actively promoting the technology in advance of Manitoba’s new DWHR building code provision. According to Manitoba Hydro Marketing Specialist Allison Lund, “Each show home in our Parade of Homes Energy Innovation Tour has a drain water heat recovery system installed. Builders and tradespeople favour the technology because it’s easy to install, has no moving parts and has a very long life expectancy. The payback period on the technology is generally under ten years. Of course, if you have a house full of teenagers taking showers, the payback period accelerates significantly.”

For a limited time, the Manitoba Hydro drain water heat recovery rebate program provides a ThermoDrain to builders at no cost. The rebate is intended to generate energy savings and to accelerate industry’s adoption of the technology in advance of the coming code change.

With 30% thicker sidewalls and no brazing of joints, ThermoDrain systems stand out from the competition. This combination results in exceptional performance with very little pressure drop.

Drain water heat recovery units are standard in energy efficient homes built and certified through programs such as Energy Star, R-2000, Net Zero, CRESNET, RESNET, and Passive House to name a few.