itsy bitsy tankless water heater?

[Unquestionably Confused]

The other poster's comment, above, is not with regard to safety but rather temperature of the cold water available when this system is used.

Read on...

In our home we have hard water and thus have a water softener. I have never cared for the taste of softened water for drinking. Will I occasionally take a drink to wash down an aspirin? Sure. Will I use it several times per day to "brush and flush?" Yep.

With the Watts recirculator installed, I have one additional reason not to drink it and that is that the first glass of "cold" water comes out lukewarm to warm. Not hot.

[trader_4]

It's not just the temperature, it's that water from a water heater typically tastes like crap. I would never drink it, unless I had to. It's also one of the reasons I gave up on the instant hot water dispenser for the kitchen sink. It was convenient, but the water quality was crap and they don't last more than a few years. An electric kettle is fast and uses fresh cold water.

[micky]

One of the first things I did when I moved in was insultate the hot water line, but I could only get to the part in the basement. The 15 feet or so going up and across were beyond my reach.

And what I did accomplished nothing. I'll wash up at the sink once in the morning. Then 4 or 8 hours later, lunch or dinner (and probably not lunch since even when home, I normally have no reason go upstairs) no matter how well insulated the pipe, the water will still be room temperature

Then maybe 4 hours after dinner, I take a bath. The bath faucet is big enough so that it takes less time, or for some other reason, I don't mind waiting for the bath or shower, water to turn hot.