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Big Geek Daddy has installed an Instant Hot Water Recirculation System on his hot
water heater. This is a very simple concept where you install a pump on the hot water line
leading out from the hot water heater. A sensor is installed under the sink farthest from the
hot water heater. In my case I had to install two sensors as I have a split water line.
When the water in the sensor valve drops to around 85 F then the pump kicks in and sends
water through the existing water lines until it reaches approximately 95 F. The benefits of
installing a Hot Water Recirculating Pump are several fold:
1. You have hot water within 5-7 seconds at every faucet in your house.
2. You're going to save roughly 10,000 gallons of water a year for a family of 4
because you're not letting the water run for 2-3 minutes before you take a shower
or wash your face.
3. You will cut your water bill and most likely your gas/electric bill as well.
Some people claim that these pumps will increase your gas or electric bill because they are
using electricity to run plus you're constantly heating the water as it recirculates. This isn't
correct though as the water you're reheating is already at 85 F compared to reheating the
water you waste while waiting for hot water that would be coming into the hot water heater at
approximately 45 F. The pump itself uses about as much energy as a light bulb would if left
on each day. Most pumps also come with timers that allow you to control when it's
recirculating the hot water. I set mine to shut off from 10 PM to 5 AM.
water heater. This is a very simple concept where you install a pump on the hot water line
leading out from the hot water heater. A sensor is installed under the sink farthest from the
hot water heater. In my case I had to install two sensors as I have a split water line.
When the water in the sensor valve drops to around 85 F then the pump kicks in and sends
water through the existing water lines until it reaches approximately 95 F. The benefits of
installing a Hot Water Recirculating Pump are several fold:
1. You have hot water within 5-7 seconds at every faucet in your house.
2. You're going to save roughly 10,000 gallons of water a year for a family of 4
because you're not letting the water run for 2-3 minutes before you take a shower
or wash your face.
3. You will cut your water bill and most likely your gas/electric bill as well.
Some people claim that these pumps will increase your gas or electric bill because they are
using electricity to run plus you're constantly heating the water as it recirculates. This isn't
correct though as the water you're reheating is already at 85 F compared to reheating the
water you waste while waiting for hot water that would be coming into the hot water heater at
approximately 45 F. The pump itself uses about as much energy as a light bulb would if left
on each day. Most pumps also come with timers that allow you to control when it's
recirculating the hot water. I set mine to shut off from 10 PM to 5 AM.
| The hot water recirculating pump that Big Geek Daddy choose was the Watts Model 500/800 which is readily available online as well as at Home Depot. I bought it from Costco with an extra sensor for $260 including shipping and tax. It was delivered to my house within 5 working days. Prices vary so shop around if you want to get the best deal on your hot water recirculating pump. Grundfos is another popular brand. The instructions are very easy to follow and if you can turn a wrench you can do this yourself. There is no need to pay a plumber several hundred dollars to install this. One advantage of the Watts Recirculating Pump is that there is no need for an electrical outlet underneath the sink where the sensor valve is located. Several competing brands require this as that is also were the pump is located. The drawback to this is obvious - you have to install electric and that's not a do it yourself project for most people. Look for a model similar the Watts where you can plug it in at the Hot Water Heater. Tip: Plug it into a Battery Powered Backup Surge Protector because if your power ever goes out it will mess up the timer settings. Installation took an hour and the only tool required was wrench. If you live Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, or anywhere else that is facing a water shortage and want to help do your part to conserve water then installing a recirculating pump is a great choice. |