Great video. I've looked into it for my house, but I can't justify the cost of installation vs. the water savings. It would be many decades to pay back and factoring in pump replacements over time, it may never pay back. Now, if the city I live in were to offer a decent rebate for the installation, I might reconsider. But in any event, the most I wait for hot water is 30 secs. The way the plumbing is run, there are 2 separate hot water runs, one to the kitchen and a 2nd to the bathrooms so there are 2 "farthest" fixtures.
I ran a return line in my house and it works with gravity, no pump needed . You just have to be careful how you run your lines. Also a good idea to insulate both the feed and return lines.
Great videos and I’ve learned a lot, mostly what not to do, thank you! My problem is waiting for hot water. It takes 2-3 minutes for hot water to reach my taps, doesn’t matter whether it’s the kitchen, upstairs BR, downstairs bathroom, lower level, but once the hot water is running, I have a good very hot and continuous supply. Why does it take so long for the hot water to reach the taps?
If you don’t have a circulating pump, you have to wait for the hot water. The water cools off in the pipe and when you turn the faucet on, it takes awhile for the hot water to get to the faucets. If your water heater is located in the basement, you can install a gravity circulating line that doesn’t need a pump.
@@cottagekeeper if the water heater is in the basement, you shouldn’t need a pump. Put a return line from the farthest fixture to the water heater, remove the drain on the bottom of the heater, install a 3/4x3/4”x1/2 brass tee, 3/4x3” brass nipple to screw into the heater and reuse the drain on the heater and screw it into the other 3/4” opening on the tee. Make sure the 1/2” opening is vertical. Screw a 1/2 x2” brass nipple into the 1/2” opening on the tee. Put a 1/2” ball valve on the nipple. Add another 1/2” brass tee to the top of the tee and then add a 1/2” check valve and connect the return line. Add a hose connection to the 1/2” side of the brass tee. To get it started, you turn off the ball valve, open the hose bib and run until you get real hot water. Then open the ball valve and it should start circulating. Make sure the check valve arrow is pointing to the bottom of the heater when installed. All those parts cost less than $30. The circulating pump alone cost about $350 and it has to be a stainless steel body. The circulating pumps I use are Grundfos.
I have a 3 story house. The hot water heater is in a third floor closet located above the stairs between the 2nd & 3rd floors. All hot water faucets (except for the clothes washer) are located near the vertical wall space where the copper lines are located. In other words, I have no long horizontal runs for water lines. It took forever t(up to 7 minutes( to get hot water. I installed a circ pump and it worked well except my gas bill almost tripled even with the timer set for 12 hours. It seems I was paying to heat the copper pipes. I fixed this by putting the pump on a smart plug, which I activate via a voice command in Google Home. It shuts off after 15 minutes. My theory is due to the top floor location of the water tank, it seems to draw the hot water back to the tank soon after the faucets and pump are off. I'm talking 5 minutes or less depending on the season. Am I correct? It sure made me grumpy for a long time!
@@ronhuppert7505 you have a strange situation. I would set the timer a half hour before you need the most hot water like showering and then turn off a half hour after you are done. I’d be grumpy too but it sounds like you have it under control. .
Jim I’ve asked this question before without a response, can I run my fridge water dispenser line behind my stove and if the answer is yes should the line be copper?
Use 1/4” soft copper tubing. Another way is…..if the refrigerator is not too far from the water source, use a 1/4” braided stainless flexible supply line. They come as long as 15’ and with a 1/4” compression union, you can connect them together.
You can insulate the cold water lines and if you do that, you might as well insulate the hot lines. When I lived in Michigan, the biggest complaint I had in summer was condensation on the toilet tanks. I would install a tempering valve to eliminate that problem.
Yes, your plumber is right. To avoid this problem, run the return from the last fixture to the pump in Pex A or B pipe. Most plumbers in my area are doing this in that way. I have found that 99% of the leaks are on the return line near the pump.
The recirc line returns to the bottom of the heater, connected to the drain on the heater. You can increase the size of the return line about 10 feet before the pump. Normally the return line is 1/2” so increase it to 3/4”.
Great video. I've looked into it for my house, but I can't justify the cost of installation vs. the water savings. It would be many decades to pay back and factoring in pump replacements over time, it may never pay back. Now, if the city I live in were to offer a decent rebate for the installation, I might reconsider. But in any event, the most I wait for hot water is 30 secs. The way the plumbing is run, there are 2 separate hot water runs, one to the kitchen and a 2nd to the bathrooms so there are 2 "farthest" fixtures.
I ran a return line in my house and it works with gravity, no pump needed . You just have to be careful how you run your lines. Also a good idea to insulate both the feed and return lines.
Thanks for the info Jim 👍
Hey Jim - great video. I have a recirc. It's great. If you don't believe me ask your digital thermometer. Grundfos pump!!! Thumbs up.
Great videos and I’ve learned a lot, mostly what not to do, thank you! My problem is waiting for hot water. It takes 2-3 minutes for hot water to reach my taps, doesn’t matter whether it’s the kitchen, upstairs BR, downstairs bathroom, lower level, but once the hot water is running, I have a good very hot and continuous supply. Why does it take so long for the hot water to reach the taps?
If you don’t have a circulating pump, you have to wait for the hot water. The water cools off in the pipe and when you turn the faucet on, it takes awhile for the hot water to get to the faucets. If your water heater is located in the basement, you can install a gravity circulating line that doesn’t need a pump.
Can you post a link to the one you mentioned?
Grundfos is a UPS 15 circulating pump. It comes in stainless steel and they have them on Amazon.
What brand do you recommend we have a basement and the hot water heater is in the basement.
@@cottagekeeper if the water heater is in the basement, you shouldn’t need a pump. Put a return line from the farthest fixture to the water heater, remove the drain on the bottom of the heater, install a 3/4x3/4”x1/2 brass tee, 3/4x3” brass nipple to screw into the heater and reuse the drain on the heater and screw it into the other 3/4” opening on the tee. Make sure the 1/2” opening is vertical. Screw a 1/2 x2” brass nipple into the 1/2” opening on the tee. Put a 1/2” ball valve on the nipple. Add another 1/2” brass tee to the top of the tee and then add a 1/2” check valve and connect the return line. Add a hose connection to the 1/2” side of the brass tee. To get it started, you turn off the ball valve, open the hose bib and run until you get real hot water. Then open the ball valve and it should start circulating. Make sure the check valve arrow is pointing to the bottom of the heater when installed. All those parts cost less than $30. The circulating pump alone cost about $350 and it has to be a stainless steel body. The circulating pumps I use are Grundfos.
I have a 3 story house. The hot water heater is in a third floor closet located above the stairs between the 2nd & 3rd floors. All hot water faucets (except for the clothes washer) are located near the vertical wall space where the copper lines are located. In other words, I have no long horizontal runs for water lines. It took forever t(up to 7 minutes( to get hot water. I installed a circ pump and it worked well except my gas bill almost tripled even with the timer set for 12 hours. It seems I was paying to heat the copper pipes. I fixed this by putting the pump on a smart plug, which I activate via a voice command in Google Home. It shuts off after 15 minutes. My theory is due to the top floor location of the water tank, it seems to draw the hot water back to the tank soon after the faucets and pump are off. I'm talking 5 minutes or less depending on the season. Am I correct? It sure made me grumpy for a long time!
@@ronhuppert7505 you have a strange situation. I would set the timer a half hour before you need the most hot water like showering and then turn off a half hour after you are done. I’d be grumpy too but it sounds like you have it under control.
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Jim I’ve asked this question before without a response, can I run my fridge water dispenser line behind my stove and if the answer is yes should the line be copper?
it can b anythin ss is wat we use or coppa not plastin mice rodents chew thu
Use 1/4” soft copper tubing. Another way is…..if the refrigerator is not too far from the water source, use a 1/4” braided stainless flexible supply line. They come as long as 15’ and with a 1/4” compression union, you can connect them together.
Most Excellent ¿
Summers here are super hot and people report that they warm cold lines. Is there a solution for that?
You can insulate the cold water lines and if you do that, you might as well insulate the hot lines. When I lived in Michigan, the biggest complaint I had in summer was condensation on the toilet tanks. I would install a tempering valve to eliminate that problem.
👍👍
I computed the electricity cost of my recir pump. $19/yr. Cheap for the benefits of instant hot water.
My plumber told me that they play havoc on the pipes and cause leaks everywhere. Is there any truth to this?
Yes, your plumber is right. To avoid this problem, run the return from the last fixture to the pump in Pex A or B pipe. Most plumbers in my area are doing this in that way. I have found that 99% of the leaks are on the return line near the pump.
@@TheGrumpyPlumber Thank you. I purchased this home, and it had a recirculation pump. It has no return that I see. The home is 20 y/o/
The recirc line returns to the bottom of the heater, connected to the drain on the heater. You can increase the size of the return line about 10 feet before the pump. Normally the return line is 1/2” so increase it to 3/4”.
its ok just make sure copper is type m or k not m to thin leaks
use Type K if you want it to last. Type L is standard. Type M isn't used much anymore. Plumbers don't even carry it.
No. Solar water heaters are the best! You will save lots on your electric bill as we do
Erica sounds sick. Jordan sounds stuffy. Drink some tequila guys!