What is hot water recirculation?
A:
A hot water recirculation system uses a small pump attached to the hot water line to a home's showers, tubs, and faucets that circulate cold water out of the line to deliver hot water faster thus mitigating the amount of water wasted as you wait for it to heat up (called lag time). Often activated by a switch or button in the kitchen or baths, the system can reduce lag time to a matter of seconds instead of minutes, reducing water use at those locations by 30 percent or more.
The circulation pump is usually placed in the mechanical room or crawlspace of the home near the rest of the components that run a modern home. Circulation pumps are easily installed by a licensed plumber at the time the house is built or after as a retro-fit. The retro-fit is a little more difficult at the switch end up still do-able.
No matter what type of system you have to heat water you will end up with water cooling in the hot water feed lines unless you use your hot water to such an extent that it doesn’t have time to cool. Most people do not have that big of families or that many people lining up to use the water.
So the next time you turn on the tub and you wait for the cold water to stop coming out think about a circulation pump, it might just what you need.
Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.
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