March
2007
Worth
the Wait?
Is
is worth the price to have instant hot water?
“I’m
busy!”
And who
isn’t these days? We don’t have time to waste or wait–even
for hot water.
The problem
comes when we want hot water at a point far away from the water heater.
It can take the better part of a minute before we detect any warmth flowing
from the faucet or showerhead.
Some homeowners
have found a way to end the wait–by installing a small pump that circulates
hot water continuously throughout the plumbing system. This ensures hot water
pipes are always filled with hot water, no matter where they’re located.
The circulating
pump itself is not a big energy user. The surprise comes when homeowners
discover how much heating energy it takes to keep hot water flowing
throughout the plumbing system.
The network
of pipes that allows the hot water to be instantly available
in all parts of the home acts as a giant radiator system. The water heater
works overtime to replace the heat the water lost during its round trip through
the pipes.
Most residential
water heaters consume 4,500 watts of power when they’re running–probably
the second largest electrical load in the home.
“We’ve
found hot water circulating systems to be the cause of many high bills,” says
Howard Turner, energy expert and director of member services. “I’ve
been out on some cases where the basement or crawlspace actually felt warm
because it was being heated by hot water circulating through the pipe loop.”
“Many
homeowners don’t get all the facts before installing these systems.
It’s not always their fault, either. They’re sometimes misguided
by the people who sell and install this equipment.”
So what’s
a homeowner to do? Heed these tips from Turner:
- If
you’re building a new home, don’t
use a hot water circulation system.
- A
more efficient solution is to install
an additional water heater on the opposite side of the house or on another
level close to the place hot water will be used.
- If
you already have a circulating
system, disconnect the circulating pump.
If
you decide to use a circulating system anyway:
- It
is critical that you insulate
all hot water pipes.
- Put
the circulating pump on a timer so it doesn’t run when you’re
away or sleeping.
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