Wedi launches the Fundo Thermo®: a shower tray with integrated heat recovery

With Fundo Thermo®, wedi France takes a new step in the market: for the first time, a wastewater heat exchanger is integrated into the very thickness of a shower tray.

Result: up to 50% of the thermal energy recovered with each shower for an installation identical to that of a classic wedi shower tray, and long-lasting performance thanks to the XPS foam that envelops the exchanger.

A unique design on the market

While greywater heat recovery systems have existed for several years, they are generally presented as additional equipment installed under the shower tray or on the lower part of the wall-mounted faucet body. The Fundo Thermo® breaks with this approach: the heat exchanger is directly integrated into the thickness of the shower tray, at the heart of the insulating XPS (extruded polystyrene) foam that is the technical hallmark of wedi products.

This integration isn't just about compactness. The naturally insulating XPS foam plays an active role in the system's thermal performance: it insulates the heat exchanger from the external environment and concentrates heat exchange where it needs to occur, thus improving efficiency and long-term durability. This shower tray is installed just like any other wedi shower tray.

Save energy with every shower, simply

The measured gains position the Fundo Thermo® among the most efficient energy recovery solutions available for individual showers.

In real-world conditions, the system recovers the equivalent of the energy used to heat one out of every two showers. On the heating bill related to shower use, the savings can reach up to 44%.

This result is achieved without any external energy input: the system operates completely passively, without electricity, batteries, or wiring. As the hot wastewater flows into the integrated siphon in the shower tray, it transfers its heat to the incoming cold water before it reaches the mixer tap. The user notices no change in their usage; the savings are seamless. Sanitary safety is ensured by the double-walled heat exchanger, which maintains a strict separation between clean and wastewater, in accordance with EN 1717. Any risk of contamination or Legionnaires' disease is thus eliminated.

According to Patrick Vayssie, Technical and Educational Manager – wedi France: "Thanks to its integrated heat exchanger compliant with the EN1717 standard, the Fundo Thermo allows for the recovery of up to 50% of thermal energy while meeting the technical and regulatory requirements of current projects, both new and renovated."

Multiple markets, with a priority on intensive uses.

This product is suitable for individual and collective residential buildings as well as institutional markets, with a particular focus on sectors where hot water consumption is high and energy saving is most tangible: hotels, healthcare facilities, and collective housing.

In these environments, the 44% reduction in heating bills associated with showering represents an immediately quantifiable economic benefit. For individuals, the prospect of halving the energy consumed for each shower is a concrete decision-making factor, in a context of growing awareness of energy costs.

Energy efficiency at the heart of wedi's DNA

The launch of Fundo Thermo® is a logical continuation. wedi products are based on XPS foam, which is not simply a waterproof substrate: it is primarily a complete thermal insulator, applicable directly to walls, floors, and niches, without any loss of space or performance. This design has, from the outset, contributed to the overall energy efficiency of the wet rooms in which wedi systems are installed.

Integrating a heat exchanger into the heart of this shower tray is therefore a further step in this approach of "eliminating unnecessary expenses" and committing to combating energy losses that are detrimental to the environment. The Fundo Thermo® is compatible with BREEAM and Passive House certifications, as well as KfW requirements.

According to Arthur Abad, Sales Director – wedi France: “With Fundo Thermo, wedi is taking another step in its innovation strategy to improve the energy performance of buildings. The goal is no longer just to offer high-performance waterproofing and shower systems, but to directly integrate technologies into our solutions that can generate concrete and measurable energy savings.”