Are you waiting for hot water to arrive at the shower or frequently letting the faucet run until you get warm water? Hot water recirculating systems can eliminate the wait. Installing an electric pump at the water heater when activated will circulate cool water that would normally go down the drain back to the water heater. At the same time, the system fills the hot water line with hot water from the water heater. Set the timer on the pump to circulate hot water and stop the wait! See below for more information.
These systems are designed to move hot water from your water heater to your most remote fixture within seconds. At the push of a button the cool water you normally let run down the drain is circulated back to the water heater through the cold water line so it isn’t wasted. Systems can easily be installed under the sink farthest from your water heater.
Systems can be activated by an on/off button, motion sensor, thermostat or timer. Thermostats or timers automatically turn on the pump whenever water temperature drops below a set-point, or when the timer reaches a setting. Although these systems ensure that hot water is always available at the faucet without any waiting, they may use more energy than an on/off button due to more frequent recirculation cycles.
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Tankless water heaters provide energy/gas savings because they are not keeping a full tank of water hot 24 hours a day. They do not appear to reduce wait times for hot water or conserve water. Tankless water heaters can be installed with gas/propane or electrical connections and they do not require a tank for storing and maintaining hot water. For more info on tankless water heaters and energy savings, click here.
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The City as well as many other water providers and state agencies have looked into the effectiveness of these systems over the years and have not seen significant water savings data to justify a rebate program. The City’s rebate programs are based on a cost-effective threshold for the avoided cost of water that is saved. Water savings varies widely per household and is generally quite minimal, i.e less than 5 gallons a day. The City certainly encourages all customers to evaluate the benefits of installing these systems, but does not offer rebates on them at this time.