Every homeowner hates to see valuable resources wasted. That’s money down the drain. But that’s exactly what happens every time you turn on a hot water faucet and have to wait for a minute or more for the hot water to reach your shower, bath or any other faucet in your home. If this mirrors your experience, call Stashuk and have us pay a visit to discuss the various types of hot water recirculating systems that are available to you.
Save water. Let Stashluk install a hot water recirculation system in your home.
Waiting for your shower water to get hot is especially annoying on cold winter mornings. However, when you turn on a faucet that’s connected to a recirculation system, hot water emerges from your showerhead without delay.
Stashluk has installed hot water recirculating systems in many newer and older homes throughout the area. These systems are especially effective in larger homes where bathrooms may be far removed from the hot water heater. Depending on the age of your home, there are several different ways to approach the installation of these systems. If your new home is under construction a traditional hot water recirculating system might be the answer. If your home is older and running new plumbing behind old walls and under floors is out of the question, there are several localized options to choose from to suit your hot water needs.
Hot water, fast: Different ways to achieve the same results.
Depending on your home’s age and construction, Stashluk can guide you to help you select the right hot water recirculating system for your home. These include:
- Traditional Hot Water Recirculating Systems
- Instant Hot Water Recirculating Systems
- On-Demand Hot Water Recirculating Systems
Traditional hot water recirculating systems work by installing a recirculating pump near the water heater and a dedicated return line which runs from the furthest bathroom fixture back to the water heater. This creates a loop that returns the remaining water in the pipes back to the hot water heater where it can be reheated. With these systems hot water is always present in your pipes.
Many of today’s recirculating heat pumps are also smart. The more modern devices come equipped with timers and automatic switches to turn them on and off based on use. They can also monitor your family’s hot water usage patterns via temperature sensors to help ensure that the water that’s left in the pipes is at the optimal temperature when your family’s hot water usage peaks—such as every morning before you’re headed out to work and school.
If a recirculating loop is not an option; try instant hot water recirculating systems
With these recirculating systems you can skip the loop in a traditional system and still have hot water in the toughest to reach faucets in your home. The pump can be installed either over the water heater or under the sink.
When installed over the water heater, a check valve must be installed under the sink that’s furthest away from the hot water heater. To create a localized hot loop, the pump pressurizes the hot side and pushes the hot water through the check valve into the cold water system. Not surprisingly, because hot water is pushed into your cold water supply, when you turn on the cold water at the distant fixture you’ll have an initial flow of hot water from the spigot. This will quickly cool. When the system is installed with a timer you have the option of letting the loop run continuously or only during those hours when you need hot water fast.
An under the sink system operates in a similar manner by pushing hot water into the cold line. These require a power source at the installation location, so an electrician might be needed to install GFCI outlet under or near the sink. Many of these systems come with timers as well as built-in sensors that turn on to reheat the water when it falls below a set temperature.
On-demand hot water.
On-demand hot water recirculating systems operate similar to instant systems, with the pump installed either above the hot water heater or under the sink, however the user is required to activate the pump by pushing a button or via wireless remote to activate the system whenever hot water is needed.
When activated, the cooled water that’s sitting in the hot water pipes is pumped into the cold water pipe and pushed to the water heater where it’s reheated, creating a temporary loop. When the hot water at the furthest fixture reaches the desired temperature, the pump shuts off and hot water pours from your faucet.
To view a good description of the different kinds of pumps and systems, check out this video from This Old House:
Are you ready to explore your instant hot water options? Call Stashluk!
Stashluk can visit your home and give you an estimate on a hot water recirculating system that will solve your water usage concerns. We have experience installing systems in every type home, and we’ll know what works best for yours based on the size of your home and the distance water has to travel from your hot water heater to your sink faucets. To learn more and to schedule an appointment call Stashluk at 908.277.6200.
