[rsetterlund]

I have stayed in TV and with family on FL. What I want to know is how does one avoid wasting a lot of water waiting for the water to get hot in the shower? Water is expensive but I do not like cold showers. One thing that I was thinking of doing is adding an on demand water heater for the bathrooms, especially for the master bath. Has anyone else done this or have they come up with another solution? We are going to be purchasing a home in a couple of months and would like to know how to solve this problem.

[zcaveman]

The last time this post went up someone suggested that you run the tap in the sink to get the water hot. Since the spigot is smaller, you will waste less water. I tried it and it works on the tub that is in the guest bathroom furthest from the water heater.

[Barefoot]

Have you checked out the post on tankless water heaters?

[Russ_Boston]

While Z is correct in the speed to become hot let's analyze the physics (or would this be geometry?) of it all. If you have, let's say, 34 feet of pipe between your shower and the hot water tank you need to empty (waste) that 34 feet of 'coolish' water before getting the hot stuff. What I had recommend was to brush your teeth in the sink using the hot water that is 'coolish' and thus not wasting it too much. Or use it to fill a glass to take some meds, or use it too fill the dog bowl, whatever you can use the first 34 feet of 'coolish' water for.

A tankless hot water system will make NO difference in how those 34 feet of pipe to the shower are handled. Unless of course you installed the tank (or tankless) closer to the shower.

[Niels]

I don't know what the solution is to this problem but my wife and I also noticed this when we visited The Villages. We stayed in one of the cottages during our lifestyle preview. It took so long to get hot water that initially I thought something was wrong with the hot water heater. I even checked the heater and it seemed to be working fine and was actually set above the recommended factory settting. The water heater was at the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms which contributed to the problem.

[graciegirl]

We have a Camellia in Hadley and our bedroom abuts the heater so it is pretty quick. Now I imagine over on the guest side, it would take a longer time to get hot water.

[chacam]

You could install a recirc pump and have immediate hot water at the farthest reaches of your home. But there probably would be a small increase in energy costs to do this (electric and gas), but no wasted water.

We find that water here in TV is really inexpensive compared to our prevoius home, about 1/3 as expensive.

[thegreenerside]

stand outside for a few minutes in this hot humid air and then go in and take a cold shower. Energy problem solved. I often help Al Gore with his energy problems.

[rsetterlund]

I was thinking of a tankless electric hot water heater installed close to the master bathroom. Does anyone know where the water pipes are installed? Are they run through the attic, hopefully not through the concrete slab. If they are in the attic then I could get a plumber and electrician to install the unit.

It is true that if the hot water pipe runs for 34 feet there will be 34 feet of cool water. But it will also take some water to heat up the cool pipe.

[Russ_Boston]

34 was just a guesstimate figuring 1/2 the length of the house with garage on average + bends of the pipe. Yours could be shorter or longer.

[chuckinca]

34 feet of 3/4" copper water pipe contains less than a gallon of water. The one gallon of cold water is in front of the hot water coming from the heater when you open the hot valve in the shower.

[WLAN56]

As I mentioned in the other thread on hot water to the bathroom; most shower's now have a control valve in them to provide hot water slowly at first so we older people and the young ones don't burn ourselves. It is a mixer valve which will not let hot water through instantly. So first, you have to get hot water from the tank to the valve and then you have to wait until the valve lets the temp build up to where you set it. Have you noticed that if you get in the shower right after someone else, you still have to wait a little bit for the hot water and this is not because it has cooled off that quickly. Check the Delta website.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by rsetterlund

I was thinking of a tankless electric hot water heater installed close to the master bathroom. Does anyone know where the water pipes are installed? Are they run through the attic, hopefully not through the concrete slab. If they are in the attic then I could get a plumber and electrician to install the unit.

It is true that if the hot water pipe runs for 34 feet there will be 34 feet of cool water. But it will also take some water to heat up the cool pipe.

All pipes are underground and they are PVC.

[Russ_Boston]

Wlan - That is why we recommended running the hot only from the sink first. This clears the hot water line much faster than the shower combo valve.

[chuckinca]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

All pipes are underground and they are PVC.

PVC Pipe is not good for hot water use - it loses strength at higher temperatures. At 120 degrees it has about half the strength it has at 70 degrees.