I wasted 300,000 gallons of water

[Ozz]

I’m not a bad person, I let people in line on the highways, I feed the birds and don’t mis-treat animals, but I am guilty of wasting water.
Our kitchen is at one end of the house, the water heater at the other end. When you open the hot water faucet in the kitchen, all the cool, or cold water that has sat in the hot water line has to be purged before the hot water comes out. This wastes water. Add the shower and the master bath and you have serious water waste. Often we turn it on, do something else and come back to the faucet, many times the hot water has been coming out of the faucet for a while. Yes, I did have my lines insulated.
So… after 30 years, I finally fixed that problem with a water circulation pump.
This problem can be solved in many ways, extra pipes for return to the water heater, point of use heaters, ‘always on’ circulation systems and on and on.
I used a ‘Watts’ timer controlled pump with a sensor valve at the far end of the run, at our kitchen. The pump comes on at your pre-set choices or you can elect to run it continuously. It draws just a few watts of electricity, is so quiet you can’t hear it run and will cost you under $175.00. It lists for $225.00 but I got mine for less at Lowe’s, (Also had a coupon)
I may need an extra sensor valve at $53.00 for the master bath, as it is on another loop. Look at an hour for install for the system.
It is nice to turn on the faucet and have hot water at a 3 count.
And it is nice to not waste so much water.

http://tiny.cc/Info
http://tiny.cc/Watts

[capn chris]

Always a project!!! You're amazing. Thought you were moving to TX? New owner will love instant hot water?!!

[BB_TX]

When we had our house built 24 yrs ago, the plan had the kitchen, 2nd and 3rd bedroom, laundry room, and water heater on one side of the house. The master bedroom and bath on the opposite side. The builder suggested adding a 2nd water heater near the master bath just for us. It only required taking a small space from a closet. We still thank him regularly for that suggestion as we always have quick hot water. We especially appreciated it when we still had 2 teenagers at home taking long showers.

[Exnavydiver]

Ozz, our water heater and all the faucets that use hot water are within 8 feet of each other. Bath and kitchen on south wall of house right nest to each other. What we did was disconnect the electricity from the 55 gallon rapid recovery (electric) water. But left the heater in the system. We then put in a Bosch Tankless (gas) water heater right next to the old electric heater. We are on a well, the temp of the water coming out of the well is a constant 41 degrees. The old electric water is now used as a tempering tank and the well water sits in there when not used and will eventually come up to room temp usually around 68 (basement). This way the water only has to be heated 35 degrees instead of 60 degrees. Even though it is only 8 feet from heater to faucet it still takes about twenty to 30 second to get hot water and I think a pump like Ozz is using would really save us some water. Being on a well I don't have a meter but the meter that was effected by this up grade was our electric meter. Our usage went from an average of 160 a month to about 71 a month so now we are saving electricity but still wasting water. We will look into a recirc pump when we get mon in the spring. Thanks Ozz for another project... Dave

[winter texan]

Ozz, you've been so busy making Monty mods that things at home took a back seat. See what happens when you stay home for the winter. Went over to the Island on Sunday and Boomerbang Billy's was hopping. Only 80 degrees today in South Texas.

Ed

[jimcol]

Ozz, I have been thinking of doing the same thing as we waste a lot of water. Your post should serve as a catalyst in making me get it done but I have more important things like holiday parties. If DW reads your post it will probably help me prioritize my work. Remember when the power goes out you have to reset the timer.

[Ozz]

Ed, I have been trying not to think about South Padre... Oh, to be at Boomerang Billy's, parking my bicycle up against the railing, watching the Sandman teaching kids how to build the perfect castle, singing along with Leslie, observing her rapidly getting loaded as she tries to keep up with all the drinks people buy her. Enjoy it for me Ed, it's raining, maybe a little sleet here. I covered Sue's fountain yesterday so the water wouldn't freeze it and break it.
jimcol, a guy has to prioritize his stuff.. parties always should take the head of the line.
I estimated low on my water waste, as Watts' states that you can waste 15,000 a year, I have lived here 30 years, that would be 450,000 gallons. That does not include the energy loss with all the hot water wasted, as often I failed to return quickly to the faucet while waiting for the hot to come out.
An Olympic pool averages 600,000 gallons, so you can put the wasted water in perspective.
Thanks for the reminder about power outages and the timer reset. (We have them all the time here.)
That reminds me of an outage this summer after a bad storm. I try to always be prepared for any emergency, (borders on being a nut-job sometimes) I have two generators to power the house, both with batteries for easy starting, one Honda and one Generac. When the power went out, both batteries were bad, so I had to get my small Honda out to hook up a battery charger to start the big Honda. The more 'stuff' you have, the more can go South on you...

[garyka]

Another thought was what I did on my stick house was put a tank less hot water system in,not that hard to do,if you can replace a hot water tank you can do this job.This Free's up space replacing the old 40 to 50 gal tank.The cost at the time was about $950.00,five years ago.I probable could of gotten away with the smaller unit but I tend to over compensate I'm very happy with it and it should pay for itself plus endless hot water when needed.This doesn't seem feasible for me in the Monty,I did think about it though.

[winter texan]

Ozz, only 84 degrees here today in south Tx (wind @ 30 mph). But suppose to be 30 degrees colder tomorrow. Got to be better than KC. We will be back in shorts on Friday.

[Rondo]

OZZ-- I put a "water lobster" in our master bath (the farthest water run in the house). It fits between the hot and cold lines and has a temp sensor in it and draws the cold water through the line and when the water in the hot water line reaches a specific temp it shuts this draw down. The water from the hot line goes back into the cold line and pressure puts it back into the tank of the heater. The only catch is that you may have some warm water for the first few seconds of cold that you run but it is not HOT just mildly warm and thats no problem to me! Seems to work great and as you said we've saved uncounted gallons of water trying to get hot water to the shower and sinks. I think I got the "lobster" from a company in Michigan or Wisconsin, I'll have to check!

[Trailer Trash 2]

Nice job Idid the same a few years back
Here is how I did mine in 2002

Before I put in a cut off switch


And after I put in the safty switch set to go off at 120 deg.

[Ozz]

Rondo, I saw those point-of-use pumps, I think Chilipepper makes them maybe Grundfus as well. They are nice.
Nice job Don! I love the ball valves.
Interesting story about water heater drain valves. Our original 50 gallon heater was leaking a little at the hose bib drain, Sue noticed it when she got home one afternoon, she bent over to tighten it and it broke off, hot water, (and the 90# pressure behind it) shot out of the heater, blasting her legs with the sediment in the bottom of the heater, she was hurting for a while for sure.
I replaced it withe galvanized pipe and a ball valve. The new heater I installed was changed to iron pipe before filling it as well. Don't trust those drain valves (some plastic) the factory sends out with the new heaters. El-cheapo.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I have never trusted those factory installed drane valves Ozz, I always put on a good type to replace there plastic never shut off all the way again if ever used.
I also put Ball valves on the hot water return for the pump to be able to isolate it in case of any pump failures, so it can be removed and not have to turn off the main supply, if they ever happens.
Sure must have been a shock to have that hot water scalded your wife, I know all about hot liquied burns I have the scars on my arm.