Hot Water Recirculating System
Summary: A hot water recirculating system will give you instant hot water - no
waiting. But installing them is easier in some homes than in others.
Hot water recirculating systems give you instant gratification -
steaming hot water at the fixture.
Related Articles: Water Heater Recirculating Pumps Video, Hot Water Recirculating Loop, Hot Water Recirculating System - Installation Tips, Gravity Hot Water Recirculating Loops, Retro-Fit Recirculating Pump Comparison
Steaming hot water as soon as you turn on a shower valve is a great feeling on a cold morning. The same is true at your kitchen sink or any other plumbing fixture. As our lives become more fast paced, we don't want to wait for anything. Instant gratification is unfortunately becoming the norm.
The installation of a hot water recirculating loop system will allow you to have hot water at your fixtures. Those people who have their heaters below the piping system get the recirculating work done for free Those who live in slab houses or who have hot water lines below the heater must use inexpensive in-line recirculating pumps. The point is that you do not have to wait for hot water.
New Construction vs. Existing
If you are building a new home or rehabilitating one, now is the time to put in a recirculating loop! You will have no trouble installing the return loop lines and insulating all of the necessary pipes.
If your house is an existing two story house, it can be tough to get a return loop pipe up close to the second floor or higher bathrooms.
It is also virtually impossible to properly insulate all of the hot water supply pipes.
Existing ranch style houses that have a great majority of the plumbing pipes exposed in the basement are the best candidates for retrofitting. These houses allow you to insulate all but just a few feet of hot water supply lines. They also permit you to install a return loop close to each hot water fixture.
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Comments:
Don 13 Feb 2008, 20:42
This article indicates a slab home requires a system with a pump. The Hot
Water Lobster System (pumpless)web site doesn't say anything about not
being applicable to a slab home. Who is correct?
AsktheBuilder 15 Feb 2008, 08:44
Don,
I don't make claims for products. You need to contact the lobster people and ask them about their limitations.
Don 15 Feb 2008, 12:12
I contacted Lobster and they say the system will function properly in a
slab home.
Don 30 Jun 2008, 20:49
The HWL didn't work in our home. Lobster said it was because we had check
valves in our water system or hot water heater (no according to AOSmith)
which I could never substantiate. Now I'm reluctant to try anything
including those that have a pump. Tony, you've endorsed it, but is this on
HWL's theory or do you have one in your home?
DOUG 13 Dec 2008, 21:38
i work in a nursing home and we have installed chemical mixing stations in
all of our janitor closets and now my hot water is really inconsistant. why
would these stations cause a problem and is there another way to fix this
without pulling the stations??
cab hargrave 13 Jan 2009, 17:42
I'd like to know which one is better;
a Redytemp hot water circulator pump or a Hot Water Lobster pump. I have a ranch style house 2200'
Jack Williams 15 Jan 2009, 22:57
Just wanted to say that I followed your direction and it worked great.
who ever built my house placed the hot water as far from the kitchen and bathrooms as they could. from turning on the shower and waiting a couple of minutes to instant hot water.
wakhar 31 Jan 2009, 02:13
dear sir, i am a corgi registeed engineer and have been for the past 4
years and plumbing experience of 9 years. i have been contacted by an owner
of an old peoples nursing home and they have asked me to have a look at
their hot water system. the problem they have is that when there is a high
demand of hot water, ie in the morning, the hot water doesnt retain its
tempreture. they want the system changed. the boiler they have is only 2
years old but the hot water tanks are 10-15 years old, and they want them
changed to something new. the 2 hot water tanks they do have are each the
size of a small boxed room, and while inspecting the tanks i assume them to
be running of the cold mains, or possible they do have header tanks on the
roof somewhere. so it might be an unvented or vented system. the tanks work
on a simple where the hot water is heated indirectly by the boiler, which a
90kw boiler. there are hundreds of pipes coming off the tanks which is a
bit confusing, i didnt have much time to inspect the system, but im sure if
i get the job ill figure what each pipe is for. what i need to know what
new hot water system can be fitted to the exsisting boiler. the nursing
home has about 45 rooms with a small sink in each room, hot and cold water,
and 7 individual bathrooms, with the odd sink in the utiliy room , in the
staff kitchen and maybe a hot supply going to the washing machines. do i
get rid of the 2 huge tanks and replace them with the biggest unventer tank
availiable, with an external plate heat exchanger? or is there another
system i can use. please can u provide3 me with some helpful information on
exactly what i ned to do, or maybe a web site i can get information from. i
realy need this contract so please can you help. a prompt response will be
much appritiated, thank you
Luke 12 Mar 2009, 08:43
I live in Florida. Most of the homes here are on cement slabs. Myself and
one of my neighbors installed a Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve
in our homes almost three years ago now. Our systems have been working
great.
wr 22 Jun 2010, 13:30
If one takes a shower when the recirc pump timer is NOT on, what happens?
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