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URGENT: recirc pump and water heater Qs

eleena
10 years ago

Hot water tank is "bust" and we have no hot water. I need to make a decision by 10 pm, thus, the urgency.

I have always been planning on going with tankless for the next round. But two plumbers are telling me it is not worth it - and not only $$-wise but you get patches of hot and cold water. "You never run out of hot water with tankless" is not a consideration - it has not happen once in 10 years.

I do want to be "green" and responsible but cost is a consideration as I "blew" too much $ on the kitchen remodel.

Also, our water heater is installed far away from the main point of use. It takes *forever* to get for hot water in the kitchen. Plumber said moving it would only make things worse b/c of the location of water and gas lines. He also says the house is not set up for recirculating pump, so there is only one kind that can be installed and it'd run me $1K to install. Is it worth it?

WWYD?

Any input is appreciated.

Comments (6)

  • justalurker
    10 years ago

    Whether a tankless is right for you or not they cost a lot and usually you have to upgrade the gas service and vent system and that can cost a WHOLE lot. The quickest and most cost effective solution is another tank style water heater. Same size as you have now should bolt right in as much as plumbing stuff does bolt right in.

    There are retrofit recirc pumps that can work quite well with minimal compromises and at modest cost. Google and search this forum for threads on autocirc. I've had one for a long time and it works GREAT.

  • eleena
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, justalurker!

    Apparently, you are not a lurker any longer? :-)

    After doing research for the last 2 hours, I am starting to think that a good tank is my best option.

    The plumber named a particular recirc brand. He is a very good plumber. Wouldn't he know about other options? This is an honest question, no sarcasm intended. I am completely new to this and just trying to understand.

  • Elmer J Fudd
    10 years ago

    Two matters:

    1) Some of the retrofit-recirculating gizmos (the kind that work without a hot water loop) dump the no-longer hot water into the cold water system. The effect of this is that your cold water pipes will contain both fresh water and and the cooled water from the hot system that spent some time in the water tank.

    Why would you care? Without getting into the issue of whether it's ok or not to drink hot water (opinions are divided), it can frequently have an off taste. I spent a week with a friend at his mountain house in a location known for its pristine water. He complained about how awful the tap water tasted - after a few days of thinking about it, and experiencing the instant on hot water system he had, I inquired and learned he had one of the retrofit type systems. We went to his neighbor's (in an identical house, built by the same developer), got a water sample and did an A/B comparison. Bingo! We turned off his recirc system, flushed through enough fresh water, and then tasted his cold water. It tasted the same as his neighbor's water had, it appeared that the recirc system was putting water into the cold side that had a heavy mineral taste. From that point forward, his recirc pump has remained off.

    The best loop recirculating installations use check valves to keep hot and cold supplies separate.

    2) Whether you save energy with a tankless model depends on your usage pattern. A moderately sized unit could have a larger gas BTU burner than what's used in your home furnace, some are truly monstrous. While you may or may not use less energy, you're unlikely to save money when all costs are considered, for the reasons previously stated.

  • justalurker
    10 years ago
  • klem1
    10 years ago

    If your water contains any solids,recir will wear the pipes. How long before it causes trouble is only a guess but likly not less than 10 years. A point of use heater near the kitchen is a good solution and simple to install. Other than rare electrical issue,it is a diy for the average handyman.

  • Elmer J Fudd
    10 years ago

    If your pipes are accessible under the house (either crawl space or basement), running a hot water loop shouldn't be a major undertaking. If the house is built on a slab, it's a different story.

    Electrical point of use heaters are a good solution in some cases and not in others.

    In a kitchen, many dishwashers have internal heaters so there's really no need on that score. Also, in areas like where I live (where most people are on a usage tier where electricity is > 30 cents per kwh) it's much cheaper to pour water down the drain until the hot water comes than to use an electric heater.

    If the OP can't get a true loop put in, maybe a small electrical booster under the sink would be the best approach.