What do you do when you want hot or cold water from the faucet? You set the temperature, turn the tap on, then wait for the water to reach the desired temperature before using any. Chances are, though, you simply let that initial not-hot-or-cold-enough water go down the drain. The new BYPASSER system from Belgium’s W&E Savings has been designed to keep that water from being wasted.
When using the system, users start by setting the temperature, then pressing down on the lever-style tap. Nothing will happen for a few seconds, and then the tap will pop back up. Once the tap is lifted up, however, the water that comes out will already be hot or cold – whichever was selected.
This is achieved by a thermostat and spring within the system's cartridge. Once the tap is depressed, the spring closes off the water supply to the faucet, diverting it to an accumulator tank for later use. The thermostat then measures the temperature of the incoming water, and keeps the line closed as long as that water is not at the desired temperature. Once it’s hot or cold enough, however, the spring is released and the tap pops back up.
If users don’t want to be bothered, or don’t care about the temperature, the tap can be used normally by pulling up on it from the start.
Some homes do already have a “hot water loop,” in which a continuous supply of hot water is always ready to go. According to W&E, however, its system is more energy-efficient, as it doesn’t require the water to be constantly heated.
BYPASSER is available in configurations for sinks, showers and bathtubs. The company is currently looking for corporate buyers for the technology.
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