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