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NCGC

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I need help with a hot water heater system in a new construction. We are going with a 50 gallon heat pump water heater with a tank booster and a recirculating pump. The plumbing company is putting in the return hot water lines for the pump but expects me to provide the water heater, pump, and tank booster. They are finishing the rough plumbing on Monday.

I am a GC and this is my own house. I have never done a house with a pump before.

What all do I need for the plumbing company to do it correctly? parts/valves, etc.

What pump would you recommend? I would like a "dumb" pump that I can control with a smart outlet so that I can have more programming control over its timing and duration. I have been looking at the taco pumps with integral flow check valve.

Planning to go with a Cash Acme tank booster on a 50 gallon A.O. Smith hybrid water heater.

I read somewhere that heat pump water heaters don't work well with circulating pumps and would run all the time, but somewhere else, I read they work fine together as long as the correct valve(s) are used so that the hot water lines don't turn in to a giant radiator.
 

WorthFlorida

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Heat pump....They are extremely efficient and basically a heat pump (an air conditioner) mounted on top and its primary purpose it to keep the water at temperature. As with most electric water heaters it is set to 120 degrees. When water is not in use the heat pump takes the heat from the ambient air and will run most of the time heating and maintaining the water at the set temperature. When water demand exceeds the heat pump capacity, the electric elements are turned on as a normal electric water heater. The heat pump alone cannot meet the recovery rate needed for most uses. There is no reason why you cannot use a recirculating pump. When you set up the water heater, do not set it to Heat Pump only. As other have stated on this forum, the HP does run most of the time but uses less power than electric elements alone.

Recirculators. There are a few other brands and I have no experience with any of them but this type has all the bells. Only runs the pump when water use is detected and checks the water temperature to recirculate the water or not. WiFi too.
https://www.smartrecirculationcontrol.com/

A tank booster usually you set the water temperature to 140 degrees and use the mixing valve to cool it back down to 120 or less. If you are a big hot water user, these really help. These are a simple device so if there are bads one, doubtful.
 
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Dana

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What pump would you recommend? I would like a "dumb" pump that I can control with a smart outlet so that I can have more programming control over its timing and duration. I have been looking at the taco pumps with integral flow check valve.

Why re-invent the wheel with a "roll your own" controls and a programmable outlet?

Many models come with Wi-fi on board, eg: Rheem Platinum Series.

I read somewhere that heat pump water heaters don't work well with circulating pumps and would run all the time, but somewhere else, I read they work fine together as long as the correct valve(s) are used so that the hot water lines don't turn in to a giant radiator.

Insulating both the supply & return plumbing to the code minimum R3 or better reduces the distribution heat loss to where it's reasonable, and it won't run ALL the time.
 

NCGC

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Why re-invent the wheel with a "roll your own" controls and a programmable outlet?

Many models come with Wi-fi on board, eg: Rheem Platinum Series.


I plan to use the controls of the water heater, but I am looking for a "dumb" recirculating pump. I would like to be able to control when the pump comes on and for how long. I know a lot of pumps have timers or are "smart", but I would prefer a simple pump without any extra points of possible failure. I plan to control that pump with a smart outlet that would allow me to easily set the run times and duration.
 
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