Ever wonder to yourself “how does a recirculating pump work?”, well in this article we’ll break it down for you. A hot water recirculation pump is the secret to luxurious hotel bathrooms that offer instant hot water when you turn on the shower. You can have the same level of pampering with a recirculating pump professionally installed by a plumber in your Phoenix home.
Here’s How a Recirculation Pump Works
Imagine a greatly simplified home with only a water heater and a shower. The hot water line goes from the heater to the shower, where it typically ends. If, instead, a branch goes to the shower and the hot water line loops back to the heater, an endless loop of always-hot water is created. This means you can turn on the shower and almost instantly get hot water, just like hotel hot water heaters.
Source: nachi.org
Is a Recirculating Pump Efficient?
The travel distance from your home’s hot water heater to the farthest spigot could be 50 feet or more. With a three-quarter-inch pipe, more than 1.5 gallons of water is sitting in the hot water supply pipe, which cools rapidly. Your heater has to run about three gallons of hot water through the pipes before you feel the water as “hot.” This means your hot water heater is wasting energy every time you turn on the hot water.
A recirculating pump runs either intermittently or constantly, but at much less power than the whole water heater uses. It sends unneeded hot water back to the water heater, which has to operate less often to maintain a ready supply. When you need hot water, it is already there in the pipe, ready to provide you plentiful hot water for your shower, shaving or cooking.
A recirculating pump means your home uses far less water than with the traditional setup. It also means your house disgorges far less greywater (used water) into municipal treatment systems.
Types of Recirculating Systems
Your home could benefit from a retrofit system that adds the necessary piping in an integrated loop. The recirculating pump is positioned under the farthest fixture from the water heater and runs intermittently. You may be fortunate enough to have a dedicated loop, which places the pump near the water heater and runs constantly.
With an intermittent system, the pump activates when it senses a drop in water temperature. This sends the standing water in the pipe back to the hot water heater, where it is reheated.
Getting Help With Hot Water Pump Installation in Phoenix, AZ
A recirculating pump system requires professional installation. Contact ACE Home Services today at (602) 428-3341 to have us inspect your Phoenix-area home and put together a plan. For Phoenix water recirculation pump installation services, we have the experience and know-how to bring five-star hotel luxury to your own home, without a five-star price.
