Water Heater Recirculating Pumps


Tim Carter, of AsktheBuilder.com, demonstrates the differences that a timer water heater can make in a house.

25 Responses to “Water Heater Recirculating Pumps”

  • AsktheBuilder:

    @d1incharge Aren’t you glad you live in the USA where you have choices like this?

  • d1incharge:

    It is also a good way to make your water heater work harder, the longer it took to get hot water to your shower, the more heat loss you will have in your plumbing when you circulate hot water through it. Put that in a hot climate and you are plain stupid. If people would use their shower water for their yards, they wouldnt really be wasting anything by waiting for hot water. This is just a dumbass “luxury” item that wastes more in electricity and lost heat, then it could ever save in water.

  • catatonicable:

    @jzajzz Is that a mexican James Bond, Juan Bondero.?

  • utube4greenfuture:

    If the bypass valve closes at 95 degrees, what prevents water from siphoning into the cold water line when this valve is open and you only want to use cold water? The last thing I want between my hot and cold water lines is a normally open thermostatic valve allowing cooled down water in my hot water line to siphon over into my cold line everytime I flush my toilet because hot water wasn’t present in the line to keep this valve closed.

  • ttiiuutiu:

    2 do this you do not need any brand ( grundfos, willo, etc) , just instal a programable electrical switch ( can be find eith the socket connection for the waa outlet ) , and program it for your needs . Save the extra cash for soap :-)

  • G66CA:

    Put a new bypass valve..

  • G66CA:

    up15-10, im in mass and i use grundfos,wilo .

  • Ravinian:

    On a normal system the the line coming from the water heater goes in and branches many times, finally ending at the furthest fixture. On a system set up for a recirculating pump, the hot line does not end at the furthest fixture, instead it then loops back to the water heater where there is a recirc pump installed. So this pump keeps the loop full of hot water allowing quick access to hot water from anywhere in the house. Some pumps have timers on them, so they are not constantly spinning.

  • AsktheBuilder:

    You probably have a defective sensor near the pump that’s causing the pump to operate all the time. Go to the Grundfos website and watch the animation showing exactly how the system is supposed to operate. I’m convinced there is a problem, but it’s not that the entire system is flawed.

  • CactusBobsWorld:

    this system has problems . i have one . the kitchen sink where the bypass valve is installed . warm water comes out of the cold water side when the pump is on . there is no way to fix it . i had a plumber look at and he unpluged the pump that was his answer . and i am better off . i no longer have hot water going into my ro system . i think homeowners should think twice about this before installing it .

  • grodenbarg:

    try living at the other end of the hot line of an apartment. Takes forever to get hot water..:X

  • elliottveares:

    Althought this is a good idear, but i prefere a high pressure mains system (like Mega Flow)

  • sash99zz:

    bigjohnnywad. it sounds like you have a siemens water heater or similar. chances are you have your water temp turned to max.. you’re better to turn the water temp down abit. this will allow for a buffer in the computer programing and it will stop pulsing between cold and hot because by law in many countries the maximum allowable temperature is the max on these heaters. so when it reaches this temp “it hits the wall” and and there is no room for margin. so it then turns off and then back on.

  • 0nerozen0:

    If I understand this video, the pump takes water out of the hot water reservoir and pumps it into the cold water line?

    I have seen a pump set up near the point-of-use. It had a separate return pipe to the hot water reserve. All the pipe was wrapped with insulation to keep from pumping the heat out of the reserve also.

  • jzajzz:

    haha.. you guys are not familiar with the Taco over there… those are the most popular pumps in Mass. anyway.. what is this Grundfos series called?

  • AsktheBuilder:

    I don’t know. The only tacos I have seen have cheese and lettuce on them.

  • jzajzz:

    is this pump like a taco 007

  • AsktheBuilder:

    Go to my website and read ALL of the columns I have on this topic to get up to speed. There are at least 8 or 10 columns you need to read.

  • snaffler:

    I must be cornfused. How do you get hot water up the pipes when they are already full of water that has cooled off? Are the hot water pipes actually empty until I turn the faucet?

  • untact000:

    Strange I should find this very same article already developed.Where this heating application comes into play, it will serve the same issue and allocate hot water that is immediately available without loss of water. I use solar power for my hot water system but even through using solar,it doesn’t save the vast quantities of water that is wasted at a high financial cost to me as a consumer. I will gladly look at investing in one of these beauties within the next year. “Well done”.

  • Bigjohnnywad:

    Will the pump idea help to push the water up to the second floor better to eliminate the issue?

  • Bigjohnnywad:

    The Tankless water heater is new and was tested in the factory where I bought it from and was working fine. It is installed in a concrete brick home with 1/2 CPVC tubing which the tubing is installed inside the concrete sides of the house and lead up to our bathrooms. What is happening is the pressure of the water is fine and while your taking a shower (Located on second floor of the house)

  • AsktheBuilder:

    It sounds like you might have a defective dip tube. Go read all about that at my website. And tell me how in the world you could possibly run out of hot water if you have a tankless heater? That should never happen unless it is broken, undersized or the incoming water is super-chilled. You might want to read my Tankless Water Heater column as well.

  • Bigjohnnywad:

    Would a pump like this work to boost the hot water heater from a tankless water heater I have. I am having problems with the hot water cutting out while I am taking a shower, it will cut from warm to cold!

  • elliottveares:

    i know,but wont a high pressure hot water tank be better than a gravite feed hot water tank.
    i use mega flow and it has a special valve wich comes of the mains.

    i live in the uk and are not sure about in usa.