Hot Water Recirculation

Recirculation Basics
Convenience and conservation can be achieved together. You know what it’s like to run the tap and wait for the shower to heat up before stepping in. Waiting for hot water is inconvenient and it wastes time and money. With a hot water recirculation system, the comfort of hot water in an instant and the elimination of water waste are a turn of the knob away.

What is hot water recirculation?
Hot water recirculation means a continuous flow of hot water in the hot water supply line of your home or business. Without a recirculation system, unused hot water in the line cools and must be evacuated before hot water from your hot water heater can reach the desired faucet. As a result, gallons of water are wasted – and so is your time.

Savings and payback
How many stop to think what happens to the 2-3 gallons that run down the drain during the wait? Those gallons of water are wasted, and in an average household that takes four showers a day, that can add up to thousands of gallons per year. Multiplied by a subdivision of 300 homes, a community can have millions of gallons of water go down the drain into the sewer system every single year. Hot water recirculation means hot water in an instant without unnecessary waste. Payback will result from the reduction of water usage and water waste.

New construction
During construction, a dedicated return line can be installed between the end of the hot water supply line and the water heater. A circulator pump is installed at the point where the return line connects to hot water tank. The circulator pushes heated water from the tank through the supply line and back through the return line.

New strategy for existing homes without a return line, Retrofit – By-Pass System
This system uses the cold water supply line as the “return-line” to the water heater. A circulator pump is used to create a pressure differential that allows the cold and cool water in the hot water supply line to “by-pass (at low volume) into cold supply line through a patented thermostatically controlled valve that is mounted under the sink furthest from the water heater.”

Features and benefits

  • No return line required
  • No electricity needed under sink
  • Built-In timer and line cord
  • Uses less energy than a 25 – watt light bulb
  • Can save up to 16,000 gallons of water per year , per household

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