Stiebel Eltron
Stiebel Eltron Accelera 300 E Heat Pump Water Heater
The Stiebel Eltron Accelera 300 E Heat Pump Water Heater represents the pinnacle of water heating technology, engineered in Germany and leading the European ...
$2799
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Hot Water Recirculation Pumps: Pros, Cons, and Costs
For most people, the idea of taking a cold shower at 5 am on an early December morning is comparable to torture. For this reason, 98.7 percent of homes in the United States have indoor plumbing that includes, among other things, a steady supply of hot water. However, when we take our early morning showers, most of us let the water run until the hot water emerges from the faucet. If your water heater is in your basement and the master bathroom is on the second floor, you might have to wait up to 90 seconds before the hot water begins to flow. Hot water recirculation pumps are one way to cut back on the amount of water that most homeowners waste when waiting for hot water to emerge from our faucets and showerheads. This article takes an in-depth look at the pros and cons of hot water recirculation pumps.
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By Tobias Roberts, Rise Writer
Apr 9, 2025 · 5 min read
What is a Hot Water Recirculation Pump?
Hot water recirculation pumps are a nice convenience that allows you to benefit from an immediate supply of hot water to all of the faucets in your home. Instead of having to wait for the water to heat up every time you take a shower, wash your hands, or do the dishes, these unique systems will pump hot water through the hot water piping system and back to your heater. Sometimes these systems work with the cold water line. At other times, they have their own dedicated plumbing line.
In most cases, the hot water recirculation pump has a motion sensor located near each water fixture in your home. This sensor activates the circulation pump each time you turn the water on. The system includes temperature sensors and a check valve that prevents water from going back into the return plumbing line. The recirculation pump actually moves water in the line back to the water heater, thus reducing the amount of time needed for hot water to reach your faucet.
Who Makes Water Recirculation Pumps?
Watts Premier is one company that specializes in selling hot water recirculation pumps. According to their calculations, the average household in the United States wastes 11,461 gallons of water each year while waiting for hot water to appear.
They arrived at this conclusion by calculating the average length of piping in a home (just over 125 feet), which holds about 3.14 gallons of water. If a household draws water ten times per day, over 31 gallons of water each day could be wasted while waiting for the hot water to appear. With the average national cost of water rising rapidly, a hot water recirculation pump could easily save you upwards of $50 each year. Since these pumps cost between $200 and $250 each, you could pay back the investment within a couple of years.
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Should Water Pipes Be Insulated?
Insulating your water pipes is also a great way to reduce water waste, especially if your household tends only to require hot water during certain periods of the day. In most cases, well-insulated water pipes will mean that you only have to wait for hot water twice daily, during the morning and evening.
Innovative Products
Products like Shower Start TSV by Evolve Technologies are innovative ways to decrease water loss through "behavioral waste." Since most people either brush their teeth or do other bathroom tasks while waiting for the shower to heat up, not only is cold water lost down the drain but even hot water can be lost as most of us don't merely sit in front of their shower waiting for it to heat up. The Shower Start TSV has a temperature-sensitive switch that will lower the water flow to a trickle once the water reaches 95 degrees. This setup can save countless gallons of unintentionally wasted hot water at the start of every shower.
Rise Writer
Expert. Practical. Sustainable.
Article by
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
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