Nearly everyone is familiar with the ritual of turning on their shower valve and letting the cold water run out before getting in the shower, or for that matter doing the same thing at the sink before washing his hands. This is not only an annoying waste of time, but a tremendous waste of water as well.
While fresh water becomes scarcer in the face of ever-increasing public demands for it, more water continues to be wasted. The typical U.S. home wastes between 12,000 to 38,000 gallons of water each year waiting for hot water.
This water places an unnecessary burden on municipal wastewater treatment systems and other infrastructures. This wasted water poured down the drain was heated and now when the water is shut off the hot water remaining in the pipes will just cool down again. Throwing HOT paid-for water down the drain not only aggravates shortages but also adds needless demands on our water producers and our Gas and Electric service providers.
In addition, all water heaters experience stand-by losses and operating stress; they cycle on and off several times during the day.
In typical plumbing, water is pumped from the water heater through the pipes to the faucet/tap. Once the faucet is shut off, the water remaining in the pipes cools - hence the familiar wait for hot water the next time the tap is opened.
A recirculation pump reduces undo stress on the tank caused by the thermo shock of new cold water entering the system, by tempering this new water with the returning warm water.
Recirculation decreases the amount of cold water that enters the system, and that results in much less condensation and less thermal stress on the tank. Yet the actual circulator requires a minimal horsepower motor in the range of 1/12 or 1/16 hp, or just enough to keep the water moving.
A recirculating pump brings instant hot water to any room in the house There are two types of recirculating systems, closed systems and open ones.
A closed system is like that found in a hot water heating system, where radiant heat from the water is used to heat the home. The system is always full and water is neither added nor removed. As a result, the quality of this water deteriorates to the point where it is not safe for drinking.
An open system, on the other hand, allows both the inflow and outflow of water during the recirculating process.
This is the type of system we're discussing in this article. Unlike closed systems, where the water is subject to the infiltration of impurities, open systems must maintain water integrity.
The solution to this problem is the recirculating pump, an item that's becoming more and more popular in new homes. Besides adding value to the home, it provides the comfort and convenience of instant hot water at every faucet and valve, without the prohibitive cost of installing instant water heaters in each location.
All the faucets, showers and water appliances are linked (in series) by the piping in a continuous line. At the last faucet or water fixture (farthest from the hot water heater), a return pipe is installed that goes back to the water heater. This is called the "hot" pipe loop. Water in these pipes is always hot
How the loop is made, depends on the type of installation:
New Home Construction
This system requires a dedicated return-line to be installed from the end of the hot water supply line back to the water heater.
A circulator pump is used to circulate water through the main hot water line and the return-line back to the water heater to keep hot water in the main line. A timer, aquastat, or both may be used to control the operation of the pump. The Grundfos UP 10-16's, as well as the UP Bronze and Stainless model circulators are common in this application.
Retrofit Solution
The Grundfos Comfort System is a pump and valve combination that delivers you hot water in an instant to any faucet or bath in your home.
This combination works together to keep the water in your hot water line at temperature to provide "no-wait" hot water throughout your home. The timer on the pump makes it more efficient during downtime, like nights or mid-day. It's quiet, maintenance-free, and keeps your water at a comfortable temperature.
Traditional hot water circulating systems use a hot water circulating pump to pump hot water from the water heater, through the hot water piping, and on back to the water heater through an additional length of pipe that runs from the furthest fixture back to the water heater.
This type of hot water circulating system provides nearly instant hot water at the fixtures, but wastes a tremendous amount of energy through both the energy required to operate the hot water pump and the heat energy lost from the piping.
Several methods have been employed to reduce the energy waste associated with hot water pump circulating systems.
Timers are sometimes placed on the circulating pump so the system shuts the hot water pump off during hours that one one normally uses hot water such as from midnight to 6:00 a. m.
Sometimes the circulating pump is controlled by a temperature sensing circuit that shuts the hot water pump off once the water temperature reaches a pre-set temperature such as !40 degrees and then starts the pump back up when the water temperature in the pipe drops below a second set point such as 110 degrees. This type of system does little to reduce the energy losses because the lower set point is still high enough to cause continual large heat losses from the system, and the pump does not contribute nearly as much to the loss as the heat loss itself.
Each year, thousands of gallons of wasted water go down the drain in American homes, and with them, thousands of dollars for homeowners, utility companies, and taxpayers. A significant amount of this waste occurs when homeowners wait for their water to reach a comfortable temperature before they shower or wash their hands.
Why do homeowners have to wait for hot water? In a traditional hot water system, water runs from the water heater to each faucet in the home but ends at the farthest faucet, leaving some water in the pipes to cool. When a homeowner turns on a faucet, the cooled water sitting in the pipes circulates to the faucet first, so the homeowner has to wait for hot water.
There's a simple and inexpensive way to eliminate the wait for hot water that will delight your customers and help conserve water. By installing circulation systems in your new homes, you can give your customers instant hot water at the faucet.
A hot water circulation pump sends cool water in the pipes back to the water heater through a return line. A pump circulates this water through the water heater as needed to keep it hot. This continuous loop of water through the water heater ensures that hot water is always available.
A hot water circulation system includes these features:
* A pump circulates water through the water heater.
* A thermostat controls the temperature in the return line by automatically switching the pump on or off to keep the temperature between 95 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
* A timer activates the thermostat to check the temperature at built-in intervals.
* An optional programmable timer allows homeowners to regulate how often the timer and thermostat turn on. Homeowners can activate the pump during periods of high water usage, such as early in the morning when they're getting ready for their workday.
It would be a hassle to install a hot water circulation system if you had to purchase and fit every piece of the system separately; this is what builders used to do, but not anymore. Unlike older recirculation systems, modern systems are all-in-one. Grundfos, a pump manufacturer, supplies a system that includes everything you need in one package, making installation fast and simple.
When you install a hot water circulation pump, you help ensure happier homeowners who will enjoy the convenience of instant hot water and experience annual savings on their water and energy bills. You'll also help conserve water, one of our most important natural resources.
To learn more about hot water circulation pumps, visit:
www.grundfos.com
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