Hot water recirculation pump?

formatting link
Has anyone installed one of those? Any good and reliable?

Reply to
Jack
Loading thread data ...

If you are trying to get "instant" hot water at every faucet read this:

formatting link
It will require additional plumbing for either the passive or the pump system. I don't have either but If you really want it you should try the passive system first then install the pump if you need it.

Reply to
RayV

formatting link

And have you considered the downside such as extra enery cost for both heating the water and the extra load on the A/C?

Reply to
George

formatting link
>

And that is a big downside. It costs a lot more to keep the water hot in those systems than the cost of the water you waste in a normal system by running it until it gets hot.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

formatting link
>>

As with most things in life, there is a tradeoff here.

Depending on the situation, up to 15,000 gallons a year of water that would otherwise flow down the drain while you wait for the hot water to arrive will be saved as hot water will be virtually instant on every time. That's on the order of $60 or more per year in water/sewer costs saved (exactly how much depends on where you live). The pump will consume maybe $10 of that in a year. The extra utility costs in keeping the water at a usable temp in the hot water lines during usage hours is hard to quantify but lets say its an extra $15 a year.

All hot water lines then need to be insulated to minimize heat loss in the lines (although here, attic temps are well over 100F in the summer, so heat loss to the attic is minimial - all water lines are above the ceiling here)

Yes, it is a MARGINAL benefit and has a LONG payback period. Yet in areas that are water poor, this can have a much quicker payback, and the comfort level in the home goes up dramatically.

Reply to
Robert Gammon

I would imagine that would be an interesting situation. Perhaps whomever wrote the marketing material for the pump got a little carried away?

We have a house on metered city water with two residents and our *total consumption* is 19,000 gallons/year.

Reply to
George

WOW, Frugal with water are we!! That is less than 2000 gallons a MONTH!!! With two people here, no outside watering of flowers, trees, shrubs, grass, two showers a day, three to four tubs of laundry a week, cooking and cleaning, we are usually about 5,000 gallons a month or

60,000 gallons a YEAR, triple your useage.
Reply to
Robert Gammon

I suspect that they assumed

  1. household of 4 people.
2 6 showers a day on average. 3 4-6 loads of clothes washing per week.
  1. Two or more loads of the dishwaher per day with hot water into the dishwasher. 5. Cold water so cold that you ALWAYS turn on the hot water to mix with it when you run water into a sink

My cold water is about 65-70 degrees year round. To get COLD water, it must come out of the fridge, or be over ice.

Reply to
Robert Gammon

Our usage pattern is similar to what you described.

Are you sure your water meter isn't counting by twos (or threes) or you aren't supplying a neighbor?

I don't remember where I read it but typical usage for a family of two is 20,000 gallons/year.

Reply to
George

New water meter as of about 5 years ago. Oh, and we have a water softner (about 40 gals a week) and a RO unit hooked to Fridge (about 10 gals a week)

Certain beyond a doubt that I am ALONE on this meter.

Reply to
Robert Gammon

Hmm, single guy, occasional lawn watering and truck washing, the usual dishwasher and laundry use and I run around 1,200 gal / month. Except for when a pipe broke, that was a 13,400 gal month, a 3/4" line can dump a lot of water in a short time.

One thing that everybody seems to be missing is the new unit by Taco I think (pump people) that is sort of a hybrid system. It's a pump that's installed at the point of use location and connects between the hot and cold lines under the sink/shower/whatever.

You press a button and it pumps water in from the hot supply and sends it back down the cold line (no water wasted at all) until it senses the hot water has arrived, then it stops. Gets you near instant hot water with zero water waste, no standby losses and minimal electric use. I've seen it stocked at Depot and it's an easy DIY install if you have power nearby or can install a GFCI outlet for it.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

I don't think that is true in San Francisco where the cost of water is reasonable but then the city tags on a criminally high sewer tax in proportional to the water usage.

Reply to
Jack

I'm just reminded of some of the nearby towns that don't have municipal water service (everyone has well water), and reminded of when the wells started running out of water. Can't remember if it was last summer or the summer before though....

S
Reply to
mrsgator88

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.