How does a GFX work?
When you drain a sink or basin of water the water forms a spiral as it drains. As it falls it spirals in a thin film around the circumference of the waste pipe. The GFX has a vertical waste pipe with the water spiraling down the inside of the copper and heating it. Wrapped tightly around this pipe is another copper tube carrying cold water. Heat transfers from the inner pipe to the outer tube and heats the incoming water.

What is the efficiency?
The efficiency for the standard G3-30 (30” high) is around 40% and for the smaller G3-20 (which is 20”) it is around 30%.

What is a typical payback period?
Typical paybacks in the residential market are in the order of 2–3 years.

What factors influence how quickly the cost of the unit is recovered?
The variables include; number of people showering, the length of the showers, the cost of energy and the temperature of the water etc.

How easy are they to install?
The installation is very simple. A Plumbqwik at each end is used to attach the GFX to the waste pipe. The other cost is in plumbing the cold supply, which varies depending on the complexity. The pre heated supply water can either be plumbed into the cold supply of the shower mixer, or into the hot water cylinder. For a new home the installation cost is practically zero.

What are the benefits of installing the GFX?

1. For an electric cylinder the first hour rating is 3 times! I.e. you can obtain 3 times the amount of hot water from the showers in the first hour because the water feeding into the cylinder from the GFX is already pre-warmed.
2. The GFX practically halves the costs of a shower, which is usually the major use of hot water in a residential home.
3. From a homeowner’s point of view, a smaller hot water cylinder can be installed. This saves space but also the 180 litre ‘standard’ cylinder is not always adequate for the amount of hot water used in the modern home.
4. The GFX contributes positively to the environment by not only recovering waste heat but also reducing the temperature of the wastewater entering the system. This also helps lengthen the life of the Local Authority's wastewater drainage system.

Is the GFX suitable for use with a Gas or Electric Tankless water heater?
The GFX can dramatically increase the output of ‘instant heat’ type hot water systems, whether they are electricity or gas. In fact savings can be even greater than for a standard hot water cylinder.

Are there any limitations on installing the GFX?
The GFX must be installed vertically and requires approximately 850mm vertical drop somewhere in the waste pipe after the shower drain. A smaller less efficient unit requires 500mm.

I don’t have 850mm available, what else can I do?
There is a low power pumping system available that lifts the drain water up to the top of an installed GFX. It is very energy efficient. The low power pump costs very little to run (only when it is needed) yet saves kilowatts of energy and dollars off your power bill.

Another solution is to use a pit to create the extra depth. This works as long as the drain outlet can be plumbed into the drainage system at a lower level. Often this is not very difficult to arrange

Does the GFX require cleaning?
The GFX is self-cleaning.

How long will a GFX last?
The GFX is made completely from copper so it will last as long as the copper piping used for the rest of the plumbing in the house.

Are there commercial and industrial systems available?
The GFX can be tailored to any size of building and is capable of recovering heat efficiently at many thousands of litres per minute. Schools, Gymnasiums, Restaurants, Laundromats, Office and Apartment Blocks, Food and Chemical Processors, even the dairy shed and anywhere else where water is heated and discharged can benefit from large scale heat recovery.

In many cases the savings in energy costs can be measured in thousands of dollars per year.