How a Hot Water Return System REALLY Works

[@leoluna4116]

Currently working at Rescue Air and Plumbing and I’m glad you drop videos like this so I can stay updated with new products!

[@RogerWakefield]

Love Rescue Air...thanks for watching!

[@jacklabloom635]

I use a WiFi smart plug and an inexpensive recirculating pump to do the same thing. It has been working great in a 4300 square foot house for years. The smart plug is $15 plus tax. The recirculating pumps are less than $75.

[@DeAndreEllison]

I'd like to see a comparison between adding a dedicated return line vs the other method of adding the valve under a sink that pushes it back through the cold water line.

[@Alex-vr8gw]

We had a hot water return in the house when we moved in, but was a Grundfos model that a plumber said should not be connected to tap water. The Alpha HWR looks great and stainless steel construction. Might consider reinstalling.

[@kenbrown2808]

i'm amused by the designers who specify a tankless to prevent heat losses, and then specify a circ pump, which turns the house plumbing into a hot water tank.

[@matteosummer79]

Not exactly. A tankless w/ recirc loop will still provide hot water at the tap quicker than a standard tank. They are actually quite efficient, especially when you have a Rheem or Rinnai tankless, for instance, that has the pump built in.

[@kenbrown2808]

@matteosummer79 not faster than a tank with a circ pump. And no, even pex has a higher heat losses than a modern tank.

[@matteosummer79]

@@kenbrown2808 I have a Rheem RTGH-SR11i w/ recirculation pump and dedicated return line in my new home. Each tap has hot water in no more than 5 seconds. All PEX in the house. I actually have the schedule set for 24/7 and the pump maybe runs 3-4x an hour for no more than 5 minutes at each time. Not sure what you're talking about.

[@steveloux4709]

@@kenbrown2808 I have a Rinnaii tankless and a dedicated return line. Basically when I walk into the bathroom the circ pump comes on, so by the time I need the water hot, it is right there. I don't see how there would be a difference in delivery speed between tankless and tank type. The system uses an occupancy sensor to command an asymmetrical pilot relay to turn on for 2 minutes, and then hold off for 20 minutes to reduce the amount of circulation time. If motion continues in the bathroom, the pump comes back for 2 minutes. Otherwise the relay turns off until the bathroom re-occupies.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@steveloux4709 having local control trigger it is a nice touch. I've done a couple systems with thermostatic control, so it only runs the pump until the return line is hot. but they still relied on a timer instead of occupancy to decide whether to run the pump. but as far as tank v. tankless, with a tank, the water is hot as soon as it starts coming out of the tank. a tankless has to fire off the burners, or god forbid the electric boiler elements, and start heating the water before it can come out hot. the advantages a RInnai has are if you use a lot of hot water, you can produce it continuously, with no recovery time; or if you on;y use hot water every few days, you're not losing heat from the tank in between uses. most hot water circulating systems either run full time, or run at set times when use is expected, which essentially negates the second advantage.

[@trevortully7179]

Put return line should be tied into the cold at the top. Put spring check on cold

[@robertu]

We use shower heaters (small electric on demand water heaters) at every location that we need hot water at, as our houses are plumbed with a single line for cold water only. It only takes a couple of seconds of flow for the water to be at temp.

[@DerfOrNuffin]

That bill tho

[@robertu]

@@DerfOrNuffin What bill? They're cheap to run. Every bathroom has it own unit that feeds the shower and sometimes the sink. It doesn't circulate through the house, it literally only goes a couple of feet to the shower head.

[@AaronJCourtney]

​@@robertu I have two Eemax point of use heaters as well. 9500W per heater ain't cheap.

[@robertu]

@@AaronJCourtney I'm running Toshiba DSK38ES5. They're 3800W and more than enough to get the water to desired temp within seconds.

[@1768ify]

These recirc’s could be triggered by the room light switch, or a motion sensor in the room. Why not go all out?

[@fisherbrown903]

awsome video mr wakefield

[@arthurmiller8336]

Will work with tankless water heaters to?????...

[@Justwaterheaters]

Those new pumps are like 600 used to be 250

[@andrealaphilippe5926]

Could you do a video on recirculating pump on heat pump water heaters? It’s not as easy as a regular tank because the way it operates. I’ve only seen one company do a pump that starts recirculating based on an in line flow sensor so the water in the HPWH stays hot all the time instead of losing heat in the process.

[@yohoyolo]

Just a heads up, cords aren't included in AZ anymore with the recirc pumps from grundfos

[@RogerWakefield]

Really? Do you know why?

[@yohoyolo]

@RogerWakefield unsure, but it's definitely a pain in the ass haha 😆 I heard it was us and 2 other states they stopped putting em on for.

[@aphla5]

Can you please test the one n done no wax sealer for the toilet? I wave no if it works it could save so much time

[@nobrakebrett]

Nice.

[@RogerWakefield]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

​@@RogerWakefieldwhat can I do if I do not have hot water in the house

[@CF-wj5hc]

What I want is a temp sensor on the pump and a flow sensor. Turn on the tap for a second or two and it triggers the pump to run if the temp is below a set point and shuts off when the temp reaches that point. Then it doesn't run when hot water is flowing, no button, no phone, no timer, simple and no waste. Plenty out there that have timers and buttons already, some tank less even have the pump built in. Timers aren't practical for families with changing schedules to waste circulating hot water when not in use.

[@float32]

When I use a hot water return, do they refund the heating cost at end of month or biweekly?

[@BeccaHetrick]

Who? Why would they?

[@jeffreyplumber1975]

great question ! youll get automatic deposit daily

[@steveloux4709]

The savings is in the water bill, and in some areas where drought is a problem, the water bill can be quite steep past the base line useage. As far as your critique on the expense of circulating hot water, I have not seen any impact to our gas bill. We went from tank to tankless and began circulating on occupancy only in a 2 minutes on/20 minutes hold off pattern as long as occupancy is detected. Works great, and beyond the capital expense of installing the line and the pump, it has had no financial down side.

[@matthewholsomback5442]

Question is will it work on a trailer/mobile home system

[@RogerWakefield]

If there is a dedicated return line

[@grzegorzkakareko8449]

There are two versions of this pump 29 and 55, is 29 version enough for a normal single family house?

[@RogerWakefield]

Depends on the size of the house and how much hot water you use.

[@grzegorzkakareko8449]

@@RogerWakefield Any chance for more info? the house is 3010sft, there isn't much difference in max flow between those two models?

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

Hi my name is Mark ostrowski can you please give me a advice about a hot water heater

[@BeccaHetrick]

So it just recirculates the water? ALL of the water? How does it know if someone's showering or washing dishes? Wouldn't want dirty water going back into the water heater...

[@sethhovey8227]

Well it doesnt recirculate the drainage..

[@RogerWakefield]

Only the water lines...not the drainage

[@CoolStuff..]

Cool

[@hunterwheeler9898]

Goat

[@zebpankey7486]

True. With this $600 pump you’ll “save water” for the 10-20 seconds you would be waiting for it to heat up, if you didn’t have it… but what about the energy cost to reheat that “saved water” for continuously running your gas or electric water heater for say a 2 hour time window every morning and evening? Also, how much faster will your water heaters potential life span be diminished by continuously running for 4 hours per day, everyday? Moral of the story, I don’t think this will save you money, but it will save you that 10-20 seconds 😉 just playing devil’s advocate here 😂 all love Roger ❤

[@wendull811]

10 gallons a day per person. Average home is 4 people. That is a savings of 14,600 gallons a year. Average price for water on the super high end is $3.00 per 1,000 gallons. That is a savings of $43.80 a year in water. The recirculating pump cost $500. So it will take 11.4 years to pay off the pump not including install and extra for heating. I can wait for the hot water thanks.

[@deechicago25]

Hulks brother lol

[@RogerWakefield]

😂😂

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

What can I do if I don't have a hot water in the house

[@RogerWakefield]

Your home doesn't have a water heater? Where are you located? If it doesn't I would start first by installing one..

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

@RogerWakefield I live alone I don't know anything about plumbing

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

@RogerWakefield I'm from Chicago IL

[@MarkOstrowski-p9o]

@RogerWakefield my Hot water heater went out

[@shawncrawford9319]

They payed him a lot for this. 💰

[@shellcracker18]

Always do. Man said cpvc was awesome

[@shaundonovan2193]

I'll just wait for the water to warm...

[@Kingcobraplumbing]

Bruh just get a tankless water heater and have endless hot water. Just wait 1 minute to heat up initially

[@jonhart8185]

That's not what they're talking about here. However, some tankless do have Recirc built in.

[@insall57]

But if its returning hot water, your not wasting hot anymore, now your waisting gas constantly heating the water heater, only way youll really save money is if you cut your shower shorter

[@Plumberslashwaterbender]

you can run the return line to the cold water heater supply side and use less gas to heat the water because it’s coming in to the tank hotter

[@genuismensa]

As much as I like Bluetooth, I am not liking how companies support their apps. If I build a house and put in those pumps, what is the average lifespan of those units? If a new bluetooth standard comes out or a new phone app, can we still use it on the old device? Likely not lol. Then you add in WIFI enabled devices and its even worse because they need security patching on top of the lifecycle of the app. OEM's do better. Make it a little dongle we can swap out if we need to upgrade. Stop making things that we build into our homes like furnaces and hot water heaters with BT/WIFI!! It doesn't need it. Make smart controllers that I don't feel bad when I need to upgrade the 40 dollar board instead.

[@cattameme]

I would like to know how to illegally turn my hot water back on when it gets shut off.

[@RogerWakefield]

Why is it getting shut off?

[@cattameme]

@@RogerWakefield its' not, but I think that information would be very valuable to me.

[@BeccaHetrick]

Who shut off your water heater? WHY?? You mean they shut off your electricity or gas??

[@BeccaHetrick]

You're a milennial, aren't you?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ZyxXyz-o4t]

It doesn't really ever get shut off. The Japanese people just steal it from under your nose and run it directly into their hot springs. Watch out for the Japanese, they are slick and love their hot springs.