Wasted water!
 

Is there any solution to having to wait for warm water. I'm used to a water heater with a hot water recirculator which gave me hot water in seconds. These on demand heaters waste way too much water besides the fact that you have to wait several minutes to wash your face. Take the time waiting and multiple it times thousand of homes and we are wasting an enormous amount of water.

Fill a container while waiting for hot water to arrive, use it to water tubs and plants.
Works for us.

It won't save water, but you can reduce the wait time by more than half by turning on the sink faucet and the shower at the same time.

That is what I do.

There is a method of recirculating the hot water to keep it hot at the shower or faucet. It is slightly different depending if you have a tank or tankless heater.

If you are a DIY type google Hot Water Recirculating, it is not hard. If you are not a DIY type, any good plumber can do it for a few hundred dollars (just a guess, I did my own and it was around $300 total and an hour or two).

We have built 4 homes before. Two had basements with water tank heaters with recirculating hot water. Please explain how to recirculate hot water with a on demand heater and plumbing below the concrete floor. Thanks

We're in the same situation. It might not work with a tankless heater or may void the warranty. Seems like people are using a type of recirculator that installs under the farthest sink and pushes water from the hot line into the cold line. A lot different than the actual loop recirculator. If I had room in the garage, I'd almost consider getting a tank heater just to get a real recirculating pump.

We were going to build a house but ended up buying a 95% finished home. We are living in a rental for the time being. When we tried to spec a build they didn't want to furnish a tank heater and wouldn't begin to talk recirculate.

This topic has been discussed numerous times. On the Search bar above, type "Grundflos and Watts" to see suggestions for a solution. We've had a Watts recirculating pump for several years.

Just a quick question, do you have an on demand water heater?

Even with our electric water heater it takes a long time to get hot water to a sink or shower. We turn the shower on, go do something and come back for the shower. Anyone we have asked has the same situation. It is like they put a mile of piping under the slab so the water to travel before it gets to you.

Bunny huggers, Environmental and consumer groups are always preaching to us on saving water,
but yet they allow these homes to be built and wastewater by the gallons in TV.

Talk about putting the cart before the horse :0000000000luvmyhors

Husband says, "No," it is a conventional heater with a thermostat. He is a retired electrician and installed the pump timer at the shower so that the pump is turned on only when it is time to take a shower.

That’s odd. When we built our house they installed a recirculating tankless water heater and plumbed in the return line. We went through design in December 2020 so maybe things have changed.

We never know. What is a 95% finished home? I would guess 5% means the buyer chooses the color of the interior paint. Changes? I would guess most anything can be changed so long if it is legal and on code-IF YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT.

That is what a recirculating hot water system solves. It keeps the water at the faucet or shower hot, if it cools down it recirculates it through the heater until the water is hot again. No water is wasted and it is always hot when you turn on the shower or faucet.

Any good plumber can install it as an after market upgrade. I expect it is less expensive to do it at build time, but either will work.

Running the shower for one minute uses about 2.5 gallons of water and costs about 2 cents, including the sewer charge. I agree that it is wasted water, but the cost is very minimal.

A container? I could fill half a tub of water waiting for the hot water if I didn't have our Watts hot water recirculating pump.That may be a bit of hyperbole.

We have our Watts on a timer too and our hall bathroom and kitchen are connected to the Watts pump. Our timer turns the pump on at 6:00 am and turns off at 10:00 pm. Those are the two water sources farthest from the hot water heater in the garage. Must say though, if you want cold water to drink from the tap, you will wait to clear the line of the hot water.

From what I’ve read this still isn’t for a on demand. Thanks

A check valve (cross over valve) is installed under the master bath sink. A timer is on the recirculating pump can be set in 15 min increments. Amazon.comThe hot water travels thru hot line loops thru to the cold and returns back on cold one to tankless heater. When shower or sink faucet is operated the check valve prevents back flow of cold water to hot water pipe.

A recirculator may save some water cost, but I wonder how much energy you use keeping the circulating water hot because you will lose heat to the ground and air that surrounds the pipes as the water circulates. Cost wise, I'll bet it's a wash in the end.

Elementary, my dear watson
 

The troglodyte

Water
 

I turn on the shower, then undress and lay out clothes. It is hot when I get in.

I brush my teeth with cold water. I can wash my face with cold, or wash my face in the kitchen sink.

I guess accept water down the drain before it gets hot in the shower. The water goes into the sewer, then to the sewage treatment plant, then either goes into the ocean or becomes non-drinking water, e.g., waters crops, etc.

My water bill has not been that much lower when I travel for a month and so do not use the shower or sink.

Everyone can decide what is "worth it" to them - For me, it would be a nice luxury to have hot water very quickly after turning on bathroom taps. However, I do not think it would be worth my spending hundreds of dollars.

Wasted water?
 

How is the water “wasted” if it returns to the Earth’s ecosystem? It isn’t shunted off into outer space. The only waste is the minimal utility fee. That said, waiting is a pain.

This pump works with tankless water heaters. Amazon.com
The warranty on the tankless water heater is reduced if you use a recirculating pump.

What do you need?
 

My wife is in a wheelchair, and I wash her back with hot towels every morning, it's more to relax her muscle than to clean. I used to run the water forever just to get it warm enough. Now I have a large bowl I sit it in the microwave for 5 minutes, I put in the towels and snap on the lid. The towels stay really hot for 15 minutes or more. So, depending on how much water you need this could be a solution.

That's what I do. 2 gallons per shower. Dump it on my robellini. Lol bathrob optional.

Instant How Water
 

Yes, there is a product on the market called Hot Water Lobster.
Hot Water Lobster Intant Hot Water Valve Home Page
It's an instant hot water valve.

I live looonnnggg showers
 

The on demand tankless water heaters save energy/gas at the waste of a little water. Hauling large buckets or tubs of “cold water” isn’t worth my time or within my capabilities.

I step into the shower a little early to get a refreshing cold shower- they say it helps with cardiovascular issues, mental clarity and motivation. Then sit on my shower bench for a very long shower- could be 20-30 minutes enjoying the hot water and the massaging shower spray. I meditate on how grateful to God I am that I have a continuous hot water heater so I can enjoy long showers even when my dishwasher and washing machine are going!!!

And there are soooooo many more dire problems in the world - I am glad i view the water heater as a GREAT THING and provides me moments of peace away from the craziness!!!

Life is too short to stress about the little things - and life is soooooooo wonderful here in The Villages.

Lowes sells a hot water tank recirculation for a little over $100 bucks that sits on top of your water heater and has to be plumbed in. Works like a charm.

Don't get a circulating pump that attaches to the hotter tank because they cost too much to run even with a timer. Run the hotter from a sink close to where you want hotter first (guest bathroom or kitchen sink). They sell under sink circulators with timers and on/off switch.

An AOC recommendation is to fill a container with hot water and keep it in the refrig until you need some. Then just take it out, pour what you need and keep the rest until later when you need some more.

Villagers don't care
 

Villagers don't care about how much water they waste. I submitted a thread about all the sprinklers I have seen shooting water out onto the streets, running in the heat of the day, etc. and my concern for the amount of water being wasted. I was heartily lambasted and trolled by an overwhelming number of responses from Villagers who couldn't care less about the environment.

Why would you want to recirculare lheated water in a "on demand" system? Seems (to me) that that would be counter productive.

Hot water
 

I have a recirculation system with a timer on my tankless system. Ask your plumber.

Absolutely. Call Mike Scott Plumbing. They'll put in a hot water recirculating pump on the water tank and it works like a dream all the way to the back of the house! I paid $495 about 6 months ago.

If there is a cost, it is worth every penny for the convenience of instant hot water where and when I want it.

Hello,
I installed an electric heater under my sink. I bought 12 KW steibel eltron heater. A smaller unit will not work due to water flow rate ( I tried an 9 KW Rheem and it burned out in 2 months trying to keep up.
The 12 KW unit needs 6 gate wire on a dedicated circuit from the breaker box. I had an electrician run the wire through the attic for me ($300). I bought 80 ft of the wire on line for $300. The heater was about $300. Plumbing fittings ~ $75. I don't use either hot water shut off under the sink (one was for faucet and one was for DW). I teed off the cold (I bought shark bite 1/4 turn shut off). One branch to the heater, the other to the faucet. Then teed off the out line from the heater; one branch to the faucet, the other to the DW.

Looks like it is not a Watts........

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