After reading Dave Yates article on
hot-Water Recirculation in the Feb/March issue I found myself wanting to try it myself.
In my upstairs bedroom I am installing a very small bathroom. My wife and I are both 65 and going downstairs in the middle of the night is getting harder to do. I’ll be running about 25′ of pipe from our electric hot water heater which is on the first floor .
My wife requested instant hot water and Dave Yeates seemed to come up with the best solution for our situation.
My questions are:
1. If I put a Grundfos Comfort PM Auto pump in the cold water line close to my hot water tank then what kind of bypass valve do I install at the bathroom sink upstairs?
2.Because I have a 20′ run to my kitchen sink could I also get instant (I realize it might not be INSTANT but quick) water at my kitchen sink as well by putting a bypass valve under that sink? Are there remote relay signals required as well?
3. I have never used pex pipe before. My current plumbing is galv and copper. I thought I would use 1/2″ pex for the hot and cold runs to the new bathroom but the pex fittings look like they will restrict the flow. Would I get enough water for the new shower with just 1/2′ pex?
Any information would be appreciated. Allen
Replies
The thing to do, if you have the space, is to install a bypass pump under the sink, between hot and cold lines. (I'm vaguely recalling that the "Taco" brand is popular.) When you need hot water you push a button and the pump runs until hot water reaches it.
Thank you Dan. I was wanting to install the pump near the hot water heater for several reasons. The bathroom sink is a hanging sink so I want to minimize what goes on beneath it.The hot water tank location has an outlet handy. I'm hopeing to get quick hot water to the kitchen as well. Perhaps I'm expecting too much but that is why I'm looking for advice.
I recently researched hot water recirculation in planning to move my current pump further down the line. There are now units that install at the water heater with wireless signal to a bypass valve at the far sink. Do some searching and you will find all kinds of options. Taco, Grundfos, Laing, Watts & Chilipepper are the vendors I looked at.
My current pump is a Chilipepper and the only complaint is that it is noisy. I decided to keep it and just move it.
My plumbing is all PEX and that is what I used. I have experience sweating copper prior to moving to an all PEX home. I use the SS compression rings and have no problems. The parts and tools are at the big box stores and not as expensive as the other professional options.
Thanks Condoman. You got me checking out the different brands. Sounds like the watts would install pump by hot water heater and a temp bypass valve at both kitchen and bathroom locations. Now I'm trying to figure out if I could just install a switch at each location to get the water there only when I ask so it doesn't run when I don't need it because we don't really have a predictable routine.
dial-it-in
Thanks Condoman. You got me checking out the different brands. Sounds like the watts would install pump by hot water heater and a temp bypass valve at both kitchen and bathroom locations. Now I'm trying to figure out if I could just install a switch at each location to get the water there only when I ask so it doesn't run when I don't need it because we don't really have a predictable routine.
dial-it-in
Way back in the olden days they just put a loop from the hot at the top of the house to the water heater in the basement and let gravity do the pumping.