Water recirculation system

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mhr

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I've been lurking this forum for a while but finally decided to register becuase I had a question of my own.

I'll be sure to search the forum on the subject but wanted to get the question out there..

I recently had my contractor install a Grundfos comfort pump to create a hot water circulation system. He also installed a direct return line (rather than using the cold water line). He simply tied the return line using a T connector where the hot water exits the hot water heater. Water is still taking 30-50 seconds to get hot at each fixture.

Question is, shouldn't the return line go to the drain line on the hot water heater? It seems like the "hot" water is simply pumping in a loop OUTSIDE of the hot water heater?? I thought the idea was for the loop to route THROUGH the hot water heater in order to keep the entire loop HOT?

Thanks for your advice!

Mike
 

hj

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Well, if he used the Comfort pump to make a conventional circulation system he wasted some of your money. The way he did it circulates the "convected" hot water rising out of the tank. He should have either connected it to the drain valve or the cold water pipe into the tank. Either way works the same. His way only works if there is enough heat in the convected water to overcome the cooler water in the return line. That would seldom happen, so the circulated water would always be cooling off causing your hot water delay, although it is probably less than it would be without the line. I am not sure if your "contractor" was actually a plumber, given what you have described, and I am also not sure if he installed a check valve before connecting the line to the heater, but if not it can also cause symptoms, but not as severe as if he had connected it properly and left the check valve out.
 
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hj

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Not all of it, because it appears he has most of a functional system installed. He wasted money on the Comfort system because it costs more than a simple pump, which is all he needed.
 

mhr

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Thanks for the great explanation and confirming my suspicions! Actually it was ME who wasted the money since I went to my local plumbing supply and bought the pump. I said "comfort" but it is actually just the pump that came in the box (UP10-16B5/TLC).

I did buy some kind of valve with it, I believe it is a check valve since it has a directional arrow on it. I just went and looked at the pump and the pipes around it are not even hot. I'm sure they would get hot if I turn on the hot water at a fixture someplace and wait a bit.

Good news is he will change this for me at no charge. It sounds like the best place for the return is to T into the drain. Does it matter if the check valve inserts before or after the pump before hitting the WH drain? Should there be some kind of air gap as well for the line? It sounds like there is air in the line when I turn on hot water at the fixture.

Thanks again for your advice!! You are correct in that he is not a plumber. He is a very good contractor, very reliable and very skilled. But NOT a plumber. He can sweat pipes but this is obviously beyond his skill.
 

Terry

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The return line can either go into the top of the tank where the cold line enters, or into the drain location.
The drain location is more work, but I like installing them there; it turns over the tank better, and I don't worry about a disappearing dip tube.
I use a spring check valve, pointed toward the heater.
 

mhr

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Can't thank you both enough! If I have any issues with my contractor I'll have a licensed plumber come out and do the work.

Great forum you have here!
 

hj

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Some plumbers do not know how to install a correct circulation system, so I am not sure what your chances are with a "contractor" who is not a plumber.
 
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