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