Don't mean to hijack an old thread, but what would be the recommendation for one of these systems for a new-build single-family ranch home?
We are in the Northern US and on a well, so our source-water is fairly cold, and the house is a ranch - so the footprint of the house is somewhat large, which makes the distance from the water heater to the farthest bathroom quite a ways...
I am not too worried about using electricity to power the pump - since we are on a well, waiting forever for the hot water to get to the faucet results in wasted electricity by running the well pump too much for water going down the drain. I'm assuming that will be a wash, or a minimal increase in electric costs at worst - and the convenience of not having to wait will make up for any extra electricity charges.
In the past, I have used a retro-fit version of one of these from a company called Laing - in which the pump was on the water heater, and then there was a valve under the farthest sink to moved hot water that is cooling to the cold water line. This worked fairly well, and I didn't notice a major increase in my electric bill, but the main problem was that, since the valve moved warm water into the cold water line, the cold water was always kind-of lukewarm rather than cold - not good when you actually want cold water.
So, because of my past experience, I want to use a system with a dedicated return line to the water heater. I was thinking of something like this:
SmartPlus® Hot Water Recirculation | Taco Comfort Solutions
But I am very open to other suggestions.
Thanks very much!