Recent content by Lithnights

Good to know. I typically might have a concern about that but with it being a powder room (low flow as it is) sink, I have to think I could live with that reduced pressure for the rare times it would occur, in order to benefit from the advantage of having it hooked up to the recirculator. Thanks!

Yes I have looked at it from the "it's heating the house" angle but I still have concerns about the efficiency of that heating, and like you said, that only applies during part of the year.. for me, our heat is only on 4 months of the year, and I have to assume that our heat pump is wayyyy more...

I agree with everything you say. My system is a Rinnai and I've spoken to their tech guys multiple times about this. My system works very similarly to what you describe, 98° at the thermal bypass valve and it shuts it down. I have actually stood by for 30 minutes at one point to get an idea of...

In a typical scenario, I would tend to agree that a thermostat would help. But in our situation, we simply don't know when the kitchen sink, or bathroom shower or sinks, will be used. It could be used at 9:00 and 9:30 one day, 11:30 and noon the next, 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. the next etc...

Yes I do have access in the unfinished basement, but not for long since we're finishing it and drywall goes up next week. In fact, we've already changed the way the recirculation works, it now uses a 3/4 line mostly across the basement, then tees off to the kitchen, bath shower and sink and...

Yes that makes sense. That side port would be the powder room, which is used way less than the kitchen sink (straight thru path), and almost never at the same time.

I have PEX throughout my home, all fixtures with homeruns. Most are 3/8", bathtubs and outside spigots are 1/2". Pressure has always been fine. I had a recirculating pump installed and want to use it for my kitchen sink and powder room sink (about 20 feet away from kitchen). All PEX is...

Agree. I already used mastic foil tape to cover up the tiny holes I saw. I can't see any others from that vantage point (looking through the hole where the current grill is) so short of ripping down the wall, I have to assume there aren't any other air gaps.

First off, thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions. As always, I learn a thing or two everytime I post a question. I think what I am going to do is what Hube suggested in posts 11 and 14. By installing a return grill on the floor that links into the existing chase going downstairs to...

For those that are curious, the house in question here is in the Philadelphia area.. southeast PA.

Hey Hube, Maybe I'm confused (not surprised), but isn't this the same solution you advised yesterday Jan. 31? Seems to be the same idea except now you are suggesting to block off the old passage and insulate the old vertical chase (which is what I assumed you meant originally). Agree...

Now that may be even a better idea than the low wall return..IF there is no joist between the current return line and the future hole in the floor. One concern (for either) is that in the future, I'd be limited by what kind of furniture to put there.. i.e. couldn't put a large dresser over or...

Wow, a great idea..I totally can envision what you're talking about and it'd probably only take me an hour or so. The only problem is that the bottom 3 feet or so of the wall is covered by wainscoting I installed 4 years ago. I COULD cut through it and put a low return..I'm just not ready for...

No supply nor return in the hall. That was the original build. Below the room is a kitchen, a wide open eat in kitchen with no place to do the return. That was why the HVAC put it where he did. It was a small closed in kitchen. We busted through a wall that contained the supply (now...

The hallway is basically a 6x8 area with 3 bedrooms and a small bath shooting off of that area. The two bedrooms (other than the one in question) each have a working, undisturbed return; the bath does not, the hall does not. So basically, if this return gets shut, the chances of getting return...