| Do you have to stand naked and shivering | | | | the same length. |
| waiting for the shower to get hot? | | | | In the winter it will take longer than |
| Why does it take so darned long to get | | | | in the summer, since the ambient |
| hot water to the fixture? | | | | temperature will be lower. The colder |
| There are a number of variables involved | | | | the ambient temperature the more heat |
| in getting the hot water from your water | | | | the pipe will suck out of the water and |
| heater to your fixtures. Obviously | | | | so the longer it will take. |
| the distance from the water heater to | | | | Insulating the pipes does help a little. |
| the fixtures is a major factor in how | | | | Â In the old days you could get shower |
| long it takes to get hot water. Another | | | | heads that would permit flows of over 7 |
| important factor is what kind of pipe is | | | | gallons per minuteâ¦but now days |
| used in your plumbing system? Is it | | | | everything is low flow. Most showers |
| galvanized iron pipe, copper pipe, | | | | now are limited to 2 gallons per minute |
| copper tubing, plastic pipe or maybe | | | | and many faucets are below 1 gallon per |
| some kind of plastic tubing? | | | | minute. This adds significantly to |
| Since the material that the pipe is made | | | | the time it takes to get hot water. |
| out of can absorb heat from the water it | | | | There are ways to speed up the delivery |
| is important as well. Other factors | | | | of hot water to your fixtures. Use a |
| include whether or not the pipes are | | | | pump. A number of manufacturers offer |
| insulated, the ambient temperature | | | | various types of hot water pumping |
| around the piping, and the speed of the | | | | systems designed to provide speedy hot |
| water through the pipe. | | | | water to your fixtures. |
| One last thing to consider is what type | | | | The oldest style system just uses a pump |
| of water heater you have. If you have | | | | to circulate hot water in a loop, |
| a storage type water heater where there | | | | through the hot water piping and back to |
| is a big tank full of hot water just | | | | the water heater. With that type of |
| waiting to fill the pipes, you will get | | | | system you have nearly instant hot |
| it much faster than if you have a | | | | water. However, the circulating hot |
| tankless water heater. The tankless | | | | water loses a lot of heat energy so it's |
| heater has to first heat the water, | | | | expensive to run. Another problem is |
| before it can send it to you, increasing | | | | that usually running a pipe from the |
| how long it takes. | | | | last fixture back to the water heater is |
| A gallon of water will fill 63 feet of | | | | very expensive. |
|  ½ inch galvanized iron pipe, 36 | | | | Another option is a demand type hot |
| feet of  ¾ inch galvanized pipe, or | | | | water system. With a demand type |
| 20 feet of 1 inch galvanized pipe. | | | | system the cold water piping is used as |
| In the case of type K copper pipe, a | | | | the return line back to the water |
| gallon of water will fill 88 feet of | | | | heater. When you want hot water you |
| ½ inch pipe, and 44 feet of ¾ inch | | | | "demand" it by pressing a button. The |
| pipe. | | | | pump turns on and circulates the water |
| This means that if you run your faucet | | | | through the piping until hot water |
| at 2 gallons per minute, and you have 1 | | | | reaches the pump. When the hot water |
| inch galvanized pipe, the water will | | | | reaches the pump it shuts off to prevent |
| travel 41 feet per minute. However, | | | | filling the cold water lines with hot |
| if you have ½ inch type K copper | | | | water. Now you have instant hot water |
| pipe, the water will travel 176 feet per | | | | when you turn on the tap or shower, and |
| minute, quite a difference. | | | | you did not wastefully run water down |
| So the smaller the diameter of the pipe, | | | | the drain while you waited. With the |
| the faster the hot water will reach the | | | | right pump, the hot water can get to the |
| fixture, given the same flow rate. | | | | fixture twice as fast as normal too. |
| Since galvanized pipe has a much thicker | | | | If you have to wait for lengthy periods |
| wall than the copper pipe and is much | | | | to get your hot water, then by using a |
| heavier, it will absorb more heat energy | | | | hot water pumping system you will save |
| from the hot water as the water flows | | | | time, water and energy. Some such |
| through it. So if you have galvanized | | | | systems claim water saving of up to |
| pipe it will take longer for you to get | | | | 10,000 gallons a year for a family of |
| hot water than if you had copper pipe of | | | | four. |