Are you tired of running the shower or sink faucet and waiting for hot water to come out? Well, there is an easy solution. You can solve the problem simply by installing a hot water recirculation pump.
Some recirculation pumps have a thermostat that measures the temperature of the stagnant water in the pipe. This measurement is made on the fixture that is furthest from the heater. When the temperature drops below a preset limit, the pump kicks in and pumps water from the heating unit to the line. At the same time, line-cooled standing water is pumped through the cold line back to the heater. Through this recirculation circuit, the pump will provide you with hot water instantly whenever you need it.
This pump works electrically. It doesn’t use a lot of electricity, but energy will be wasted if it is turned on and off repeatedly throughout the day and night. Energy waste can be minimized in several ways. One way is to insulate the pipes. If your pipes are easily accessible, this can be done very cheaply. This will keep heat losses to a minimum and reduce the frequency with which the recirculation pump will be activated.
Another solution is to add a timer to the pump. You can then set the timer to turn on the pump just before the time you wake up in the morning and the time you return from work at night. This way energy will be conserved and hot water will be waiting at your faucet when you need it most.
Grundfos makes pumps that work in this way. These pumps are available with timers and can simply be spliced into the line immediately after it leaves the heater. These pumps range in price from $100 to $300.
Pumps made by Metlund and Chilipepper also use a recirculation loop, but they solve the problem of wasted energy in a different way. These models are installed under your bathroom sink, and simply by pressing a button on the pump, hot water will be instantly supplied to all your fixtures. With this system, the hot water recirculation pump is only activated on demand. This keeps power usage to a minimum so you don’t need a timer.
Metlund models sell for between $350 and $750. You can buy the Chilipepper CP 6000 for $180. With a remote it sells for $216.