| Things that make our lives more convenient | | | | |
| usually are not good for our environment and | | | | With such a system your plumbing system is |
| things good for the planet are detrimental to | | | | like a giant radiator and you are radiating |
| our comfort. For example, water saving | | | | heat out of your hot water piping, which your |
| shower heads do not make for great showers. | | | | water heater must replace, burning gas or |
| Gas efficient cars don't go as fast. Water | | | | electricity which in turn is creating more |
| saving toilets don't flush as well as the old | | | | greenhouse gases. |
| inefficient ones. Even energy efficient | | | | |
| light bulbs don't seem to put out as much | | | | There are however, some types of hot water |
| light. | | | | delivery systems that provide you with the |
| | | | convenience of faster hot water and yet don't |
| It's a rare thing to find a product that | | | | run any water down the drain in doing so. |
| provides us with a convenience and at the | | | | These systems are known as hot water demand |
| same time produces benefits to the planet and | | | | systems. They consist of a small pump that |
| our environment. | | | | goes under a sink. When you "demand" hot |
| | | | water by pressing a button, the pump turns |
| Here's one; instant hot water. | | | | on, pumping water rapidly to your sink, and |
| | | | returning the cooled off hot water from the |
| When you do not have to run water down the | | | | hot water piping back to the inlet of the |
| drain waiting for hot water to arrive, then | | | | water heater, forming a big loop. |
| you save water. (I don't know anyone who | | | | |
| jumps into the shower before the water gets | | | | When the hot water arrives at the fixture, |
| warm.) Any water saved is water that did not | | | | the pump shuts off so that hot water does not |
| have to be pumped, purified, re-pumped, and | | | | go into the cold water piping. You get fast |
| eventually run down the sewer to a processing | | | | hot water, and no water gets run down the |
| plant, etc. All of that pumping, purifying, | | | | drain. Studies have shown savings are |
| chlorinating, filtering, etc. uses energy and | | | | possible of over 10,000 gallons of water per |
| costs money. Most of the electricity used | | | | year for a typical family of 4. The pumps |
| for the pumping and processing is produced by | | | | typically use less than $2.00 per year in |
| burning gas, oil, coal and other fuels which | | | | electricity. |
| ads green house gasses to our atmosphere. | | | | |
| | | | Demand type hot water systems are especially |
| So how can we get instant, or nearly instant | | | | nice for tankless hot water heaters. Tankless |
| hot water without harming the environment? | | | | water heaters take longer to get you hot |
| Traditional hot water circulating systems | | | | water and so they waste more water. Be |
| don't qualify, since even though they provide | | | | careful though, not all brands of demand hot |
| you with nearly instantaneous hot water, they | | | | water pumps will work with tankless water |
| used a huge amount of energy. The | | | | heaters. Check with the manufacturer of the |
| electricity to run the pump is fairly small | | | | system to be sure it pumps at least ¾ |
| and inconsequential compared to the energy | | | | gallons per minute, which is enough to turn |
| consumed by the water heater when used with a | | | | on any of the tankless units. |
| traditional circulating system. | | | | |