Slow Getting Hot Water
 

I'm looking for suggestions. I've been in the Villages for 9 years and am frustrated about the time it takes for hot water to reach my showers, and sinks. We have an outdoor gas tankless water heater. It takes a minimum of 5 minutes sometimes longer . Having to wait that long is an extreme waist of water. I Believe one of the main causes of this problem is all the water pipes are run under the concrete slab and not properly insulated...Suggestions....Please!!

Install a recirculating pump. A good one costs about $200.

:ho: https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ght=water+slow

I don't think the recirculating pumps are recommended for TANKLESS water heaters, please check this out very carefully as the re-circulation may cause the TANKLESS water heater to run an excessive amount of time.

Nine years of waiting?:)

I don't think insulated pipes would help as the time period between the use of the hot water would let the water in the pipe cool.
Five minutes of running water does seem like a long time. I think my time is about a minute if my recirculating pump is off. Maybe the system is not operating correctly and takes to long to heat the water. Maybe some others who have the tankless system will give us some times.
I think you have to install a conventual hot water tank and a recirculating pump.

Suggestion
 

There is a radio show 96.5 FM and at 7:00 AM Saturday they have a home repair show on. I've called in, it is not too difficult to get through. You will surely be able to get professional advice.

Others have mentioned a recirculater pump. You state your concern is wasted water. My view, I would ask if a recirculator pump saves money as it does use electricity to circulate the water and I believe it puts extra wear on your hot water heater.
For us our electric hot water heater is in the garage close to the shower so our wait for a shower is minimal.

My truly simple solution. You turn your shower control to hot only. You turn the water on while you take your clothes off by the time you are ready to step in the water is running hot or will soon be.

It sounds like something is wrong with your water heater. If you turn on a faucet with full hot water (no cold mixing), there is no way that it should take anywhere near 5 minutes for water to travel from the water heater to the faucet. I get hot water to a shower in less than a minute from a water heater located about 40 feet away.

My guess is a recirculation pump does not save money. As you noted it use electricity. It would also cause the water heater to come on a little more offen. The reason for the pump in my opinion is convince.

I have a hot water heater in the garage, came standard with the house. Takes something less than a minute to get hot water anywhere in the house.

Well, when you’re water heater like mind is at one end of the house and shower at the other and it goes through 1/2 pipe takes time. Mine about 90 seconds, but I save water by cutting off shower while I lather up. Actually i’m The quit water conserver. IMO my style was built a44 backwards, the master bed room should of bee up front close to a/c and water heater. I have same problem with air reaching the back bed room with one little duct and 70 foot from the a/c unit.

Update: I timed mind from the longest Faust, took 38 seconds and shower at back of house took 52 seconds. Seems longer when waiting on it.

I put in a Watts recirculator pump in about 5 years ago. It only lasted about 18 months. It cost about $200 plus my time to install, that's over $10 a month. I have never replaced it, I'll just wait for the hot water, 90 seconds.

Tankless hot water?
 

I too have the tankless instant hot water system. Everyone in neighborehood knows of the proble. Takes forever to get hot water. 3-5 min not uncommon.
Problem is multifold.
1 tankless heater is at far end of garage, adding 15-20 feet of extra pipe to get hot water thru.
2 tankless heater is capped at 120 degrees. (This can be adjusted from instructions i found.)
3 lack of insulation on the hot water piping. (If you turn off hot water, it cools down very rapidly).

Only help i can see for this problem is.
1 relocate instant tankless heater. Not going to happen.
2 put mini 110v heaters at desired locations to assist.
3 increase hot water temperature per instructions.