Cleanbrwater is one of our most valuable resources and it shouldn't be wasted. With a rapidly expanding population and droughtsbroccurring frequently, saving water and energy is important. Homes with longbrpipes running from the water heater to the tap have a long wait for hotbrwater. The hot water in the pipes cools when it is not in use. The heat loss is significantbreven if the pipes are well insulated. All this cool water runs through thebrpipe and down the drain before the hot water can reach your faucet. This wastes water and it's inconvenient. The water wasted can add up to thousands of gallonsbrper year.
Installing a hot water recirculation system can solve thesebrproblems. These systems keep hot water in the supply pipe by slowlybrpumping hot water through your pipes and send it back to the heater through abrdedicated line or through a special manifold on the cold water line, which savesbrthousands of gallons a year while using very little energy.
Most of these systems use abrpump to circulate the water. On a dedicatedbrloop system, the pump is connected to the water heater. The hot water pipes arebrinstalled in a loop passing near each plumbing fixture. A short pipe connects eachbrhot water valve to the loop. Because hot water is consistently circulatingbrthrough the hot water loop, it takes only a second for hot water tobrreach the faucet.
An integrated loop system is typically installedbrto retrofit a home. The pump is installed at the heater and the manifold is nearbrthe plumbing fixture farthest from the water heater. Hot water is returned tobrthe water heater through the cold water pipes. This raises the temperature ofbrthe cold water slightly, but it returns to the usual cold temperature rapidly.
Some models circulate hot water through the pipes constantly. Others usebra timer so that the pump only runs briefly for peak demand times. For example,brsetting the timer to turn the pump at the same time as your alarm clock ringsbrenables the hot water to be waiting at the faucet when you need it.
Some models use a thermostat maintaining a desired temperature. Sensorsbrare placed near the fixture furthest from the heater. The sensor detectsbrthe water temperature in the pipe and turns the pump on and off to maintain a certainbrtemperature. Several manufacturers may offer warm (rather than hot) waterbrrecirculating systems that use low flow circulation pumps. Some models have adjustable temperaturebrsettings.
Thebr“on demand” type of system uses the least amount of energy and saves the most water. When you push the “request”brbutton or a motion detector sends a signal, the pump sends the heated water tobryour fixture. The cool water is sent back to the heater through the cold-waterbrpipes. The pump stops when the sensor detects the arrival of hot water, so thebrpump only operates when you want hot water and the cold water sitting in thebrpipe isn't wasted. Most types of Ombrdemand units can take a minute or two before you feel the hot water at the tap.
Thebrenergy used to run a typical system is minimal - a few dollars per year tobroperate. In addition to saving energy and water,brrecirculation improves the efficiency and effectiveness of washing machines andbrdishwashers by having hot water available instantly.
Yourbrcertified plumber can help you determine which system is best for you. Your certified plumber maybrhave specials on equipment or other services and discounts or rebates frombrthe manufacturers. Many also have service plans, like Berkeys BAM Plan, that can help save you money on service calls andbrprovide annual plumbing tune-ups.
Berkeys AirbrConditioning & Plumbing specializes inbrhot water solutions for residential customers in Dallas, Texas. To learn morebrabout hot water recirculating pumps, visit www.berkeys.com/grundfos.
For more information, call Berkeys Air Conditioning & Plumbing 24/7 at 817-481-5869 or visitwww.Berkeys.com for questions and scheduling information or on Facebook atwww.Facebook.com/Berkeys.
About Berkeys
Berkeys is an award winning home service company, providing quality plumbing, air conditioning, and heating services to homeowners in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex for over 35 years.
All of our technicians, are background-checked, drug tested and have passed rigorous state examinations and are licensed by the State of Texas; they understand the complexity of state codes all the way down to local requirements.