Most of us like to step into a hot shower to begin or end the day. How many times have you turned on the water, and then proceeded to brush your teeth or lay out your clothes as you wait for the water to get warm?
In the average household, the shower uses two gallons of water per minute. If you and the other members of your home wait just two minutes for the water to heat up before every shower, it adds up to a significant waste of water. Hot water recirculation systems instantly provide water at a comfortable temperature, increasing comfort and optimizing energy consumption.
What is a Hot Water Recirculation System?
In systems without a recirculation pump, water sits in the pipes and must be pumped out of the faucet or showerhead. If the faucet has been off, this water will come out cold.
With a recirculation pump, cooled water is pumped through pipes back to the water heater to get heated, and a dedicated hot water line pumps water to faucets. The water is continuously recirculated, which means you don’t have to wait for hot water; it comes out instantaneously.
A recirculation pump can be easily installed to the point of water distribution, without the need for additional piping. Of course, hot water doesn’t need to be recirculated all day long. To improve the efficiency of your recirculation pump, you can put the pump on a timer or use a hot water demand pump.
Benefits of Hot Water Recirculation
The most apparent benefit of hot water recirculation is comfort. Recirculation pumps allow for more precise control over water temperature. Water instantly comes out to your preferred temperature, and remains steady throughout the shower, so you don’t finish rinsing off in lukewarm water. In addition, you don’t waste time checking to see if the water is warm enough.
Recirculation pumps also save water from being wasted. Each time you wait two minutes before stepping into the shower, you waste four gallons of water. A hot water recirculation pump eliminates the need to wait for the water to become warm, saving time, water, and energy.