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Our hot water heater is on the opposite end of the house from the kitchen. When I want to wash up in the kitchen, I have to let it run for seems like forever till it gets hots. i used to keep old milk jugs around the catch the water for outside plants or wait until the dishwasher is on which brings hot water, but that is getting to be a pain. Is there a solution I haven't thought of? Seems like such a waste and we are in a drought.
FWIW, I have the same dilemma. The kitchen is the furthest point from the water heater.
Narf, The principle of inline heater is definitely the way to go but, not that particular item. It's a tank, which means it's designed to keep a constant temp- energy hog.
Recirculating systems (George) are also quite the energy hog- if it is done as a retrofit. That's because the pipe isn't insulated throughout the system. So as it recirculates it leaches off the heat.
It's footprint is 9"X10"X2". Though it does require a dedicated circuit, which could be a deterrent because of the location of the breaker panel. But, overall I think it's a great alternative to the dilemma.
Do you have access to the pipes and if so are they insulated? This is easy DIY if the pipes are exposed. You'll retain the hot water in the pipe for longer period when you shut it off, if it's a short time you'll still have hot/warm water in the pipe. You'll get hotter water faster because you have less heat loss between the heater and the faucet.
I also have the RedyTemp mentioned by Don above. YOu don't need access to any pipes, these guys are trying to make things much too complicated. It goes under the sink at the farthest from the W/H, and it's a two minute operation, it you really take your time. A 10 year old can hook it up in minutes. It comes with the extra hoses you need. The only real difficult part is that you do need an electrical outlet under the sink to plug it into, so if you don't do electrical, you will need to have it done.
If you have a tank style water heater we recommend the Grundfo UP15 as posted ealier, the pump is placed on the outlet side of the water heater and the comfort bar is placed in the cabinet under the sink. You can also purchase additional bars and place them under other sinks as well.It is not limited to one area of the home, plus it keeps any noise that the pump may produce to the heater area not in the cabinet.
If you have a tankless water heater you will need to contact the manufacturer of the unit to see what they recommend so it does not void warranty. Most will agree with this one:
http://www.gothotwater.com/D%27MAND/default.asp
(http://www.gothotwater.com/Company/default.asp - broken link)
Last edited by ESPLUMBING; 03-27-2011 at 07:22 AM..
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