[faithfulfrank]

There are at least 4 different makes of these recirculating pumps....Watts, Grundfos, Laing, etc. They work by circulating your hot water line so there is always hot water closer to your faucet(s).

This is solved a number of ways. You would not have this problem if the plumber who did the initial plumbing just added a return loop....would have cost next to nothing at the time. Sad.

You can also do this without a pump. There are thermostatic valves that just easily install without a plumber underneath the farthest sink from your faucet. "Hot water lobster" is one such type. There are also less expensive ones. They may not work quite as well as the pump type, but it is an easy DIY install without needing a $200 pump. I do believe the pump type is better.

In my Florida home, I noticed that my kitchen faucet seemed to take a long time, but the other ones seemed fine. I got a great deal, ($50) for a new 4 gallon superinsulated electric water heater that plugged into a 110 outlet. I installed it underneath the kitchen sink. We have a big corner sink base, so there was plenty of room. We now have instant hot water for the kitchen, and the wife is quite happy. Our master bath is pretty close to the hot water tank, so that is fine, and the guest bath is hardly ever used, so for me it was not worth installing a recirculating pump.

A return loop or a recirculating pump is definately one of the things folks that are building a new home should insist on. Sadly, many folks do not do their homework before having a house built.

Frank.