Hot Water Recirculation Pumps: Pros, Cons, and Costs
Last Updated: Apr 9, 2025For 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.
Table of Contents
- What is a Hot Water Recirculation Pump?
- How Much Water Could You Save With A Water Recirculation Pump?
- Who Makes Water Recirculation Pumps?
- What Are The Energy Costs of Water Recirculation Pumps?
- What Is a Point of Use Tankless Water Heater?
- Should Water Pipes Be Insulated?
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.
How Much Water Could You Save With A Water Recirculation Pump?
If you have to wait 90 seconds for hot water to appear every time you take a shower, the amount of cold water going down your drain adds up quickly. The average showerhead uses 2.1 gallons per minute (GPM) / 7.9 liters per minute (lpm), meaning that you could be wasting three gallons of water before you ever step foot into the shower. While low-flow showerheads can reduce wasted water, there is still a waiting time that leads to inevitable water loss. The water that goes down the drain will add up with each time you wash your hands, the dishes, brush your teeth, or turn on any faucet in your home.
What Is a Point of Use Tankless Water Heater?
A point of use tankless water heaters is usually located close to the faucet or showerhead. This strategic placement can drastically reduce the amount of wasted cold water. Because on-demand water heaters don't have a storage tank, there are no standby energy losses during periods when hot water is not being consumed.
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.
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.
