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