• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Your H2Home

For All Your Home Water And Plumbing Needs

  • HOME
  • Water Heaters
    • Tankless Water Heaters
      • Product Reviews
        • Stiebel Eltron 36 Plus Tempra Review [2021]
        • The Ecosmart ECO 27 Is Popular, But Is It Worth It? Read The Review!
        • The 3 Best Takagi Tankless Water Heaters | Our Can’t Miss Picks
        • What’s the Best Rheem Tankless Water Heater? Wrong Question
        • How to Pick the Best Rinnai Tankless Water Heater for You
        • Is the RL75 worth it? Here’s Our Review to Help Decide!
        • Want to Know If the RUC98iN Is Worth It? Read On to Find Out!
      • Buyer’s Guides
        • A Tankless Water Heater Showdown | Rinnai vs Rheem!
        • The 5 Best Electric Tankless Water Heaters for Endless Hot Water
        • Enjoy Endless Hot Water | The 5 Best Whole House Tankless Water Heaters
        • Which is the Best Propane Tankless Water Heater for You?
        • What Is the Best Tankless Water Heater for an RV?
        • Enjoy Endless Hot Water with a Portable Tankless Water Heater
        • Enjoy Endless Hot Water | Best Point of Use Small Tankless Water Heaters
      • Info Guides
        • How to Size A Tankless Water Heater | Our Buying Guide
        • Tankless Water Heater Pros and Cons | What You Need to Know
        • We Compared Gas vs Electric Tankless Water Heaters | The Result?
        • Descaling a Tankless Water Heater Is Important But It’s Also Easy
        • Before Your Tankless Water Heater Installation You Need to Read This!
        • How Much Does It Cost to Install a Tankless Water Heater?
        • Does Hard Water Affect Tankless Water Heaters? Do You Need a Softener?
        • Condensing vs Non Condensing Tankless Water Heaters
        • Yes, You Can Use A Tankless Water Heater In A Cold Climate!
        • No Electricity? No Problem! Tips On How To Use Your Water Heater In A Blackout
      • Tankless Water Heater Accessories
        • What Kind of Venting Kit Does Your Tankless Water Heater Need?
        • Make Your Own Condensate Neutralizer Capsule
        • Keep Your Tankless Running With A Tankless Water Heater Flush Kit
        • Does A Tankless Water Heater Need A Filter? Yes, It Does!
        • Sorry, But Tankless Water Heaters Don’t Give You Instant Hot Water
    • Boilers/Tank Storage
      • What Type Of Heater Do You Need For Hydronic Floor Heating?
      • What Kind Of Thermostat Is Best For Your Radiant Floor Heating System?
      • Why Is Your Water Heater Overheating And How You Can Fix It
      • How To Tell If Your Water Heater Is Going Bad And When To Replace It
  • Well Water
    • Info Guides
      • Worried About Pathogens in Your Well Water? Test for Coliform Bacteria First
      • Got Coliform? Time To Shock Your Well To Get Rid Of Bacteria
      • Is Well Water Worth it? The City vs Well Water Debate
      • With A Few Pointers You Can Have A Tankless Water Heater With A Well
      • How To Know If Your Well Is Running Dry: The Warning Signs
      • How Long Does A Well Pump Last? Here Is The Average Lifespan
  • Water Quality
    • How To Remineralize Water From RO Systems The Easy Way
    • Is RO Water Safe To Drink? Here Are The Pros And Cons
    • Chlorine Side Effects In Drinking Water | How Much Is Too Much?
    • Never Suffer From Chloramine In Tap Water Again! Here’s How To Remove It
    • Testing For Arsenic In Well Water Is Quick, Easy And Cheap
    • Is Drinking Well Water Healthy? Is It Safe?
    • How Safe Are Plastic Water Bottles? Are There Side Effects?
    • Plastic Water Bottle Alternatives: How To Replace Bottled Water
  • Water Filters
    • Are Shower Head Filters Worth It? Should You Use One?
    • Tired Of Dry Skin and Hair? Try The Best Shower Head Filter!
    • Removing Arsenic From Your Drinking Water Is Simple With These Filter Systems
    • Looking To Remove Coliform From Your Well? Use The Best Filters
    • Removing Iron From Well Water: The Best Whole House Filters
    • Are Charcoal Filters Safe? Are There Side Effects?
    • Do Brita Filters Work? The Truth About How Effective They Are
    • Do You Need A Water Softener? What Are The Alternatives?
    • Aquasana vs Berkey Water Filters: Who Wins?
    • Want To Remove Fluoride? Use The Best Filters To Get Rid Of It
    • Is Zero Water More Effective Than Brita? Our Full Comparison
  • Hydronic Heating
  • About
Home » Water Pumps » The Pros and Cons of Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pumps

The Pros and Cons of Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pumps

instant hot water pump

Nothing in life is ever cut and dry. There are always going to be some advantages and disadvantages.

Take a hot water recirculation pump.

You want instant hot water when you turn on the faucet. At the same time, you may feel like it saves water and money, but does it really?

How much do the best ones cost? Is the installation expensive?

You’ve got questions and I’ve got the answers.

In this article I will highlight everything you need to know about recirculation pumps. There are several options to getting instant hot water so you need to understand which one will fit your needs best and if it is even worth it to buy one.

Read More!

If you need to see in depth reviews of the best pumps then be sure to check out the detailed buyer guide for recirculating pumps. If you don’t have time to read it I listed the best models right below.

Watts Premier Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump System with Built-In Timer
Grundfos 99452459 (old part number 595916) UP15-10SU7P/LC Instant Hot Water Comfort Recirculation System 9H with NEW Digital Timer
Laing LHB08100092 AutoCirc Recirculation Pump with Timer
Grundfos 98420224 UP 10-16 A PM BU/LC Comfort PM AutoAdapt Recirculation Pump
Watts Premier Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump System with Built-In Timer
Grundfos 595916 Comfort System Digital Timer
Laing LHB08100092 AutoCirc Recirculation Pump
Grundfos 98420224 10-16 A PM BU/LC Comfort PM AutoAdapt
-
$192.10
$286.00
$445.72
$310.00
Check It Out On Amazon
Check It Out On Amazon
Check It Out On Amazon
Check It Out On Amazon
Watts Premier Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump System with Built-In Timer
Watts Premier Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump System with Built-In Timer
$192.10
Check It Out On Amazon
Grundfos 99452459 (old part number 595916) UP15-10SU7P/LC Instant Hot Water Comfort Recirculation System 9H with NEW Digital Timer
Grundfos 595916 Comfort System Digital Timer
$286.00
Check It Out On Amazon
Laing LHB08100092 AutoCirc Recirculation Pump with Timer
Laing LHB08100092 AutoCirc Recirculation Pump
-
$445.72
Check It Out On Amazon
Grundfos 98420224 UP 10-16 A PM BU/LC Comfort PM AutoAdapt Recirculation Pump
Grundfos 98420224 10-16 A PM BU/LC Comfort PM AutoAdapt
$310.00
Check It Out On Amazon


Table of Contents

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Recirculating Pumps
  • How Does a Hot Water Recirculation Pump Work?
  • Do Recirculating Pumps Save Money?
  • Types of Recirculating Pumps
  • Installation Costs for Recirculation Pumps
  • Should You Buy a Recirculating Pump System?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Recirculating Pumps

Pros

  • Instant hot water to any fixture
  • Wastes less water since there is no wait
  • Easy to DIY install and operate
  • Can be found easily on Amazon at great prices
  • Work with timers to not run when there is nobody home
  • Small and compact and fit under a sink

Cons

  • Some models make the cold water lukewarm
  • Require a power source near the installation
  • Low output in cold climates
  • If you require hot water for a time when the timer is not set, you won’t have instant hot water

How Does a Hot Water Recirculation Pump Work?

Think about how things go when you don’t have a pump.

Your tank heats your water to the temperature that you like. But, it doesn’t pump the water to your faucet until you turn it on. So, that water sitting in your pipes from the tank to your faucet ends up cooling to the ambient temperature.

Now, you turn on the hot water and wait for the heated water to finally arrive. In some cases over a minute, which then washes all that water down the drain.

With a recirculation pump, the idea is that there is a flow of continuous hot water through the pipe so there is no wait for hot water. It is already hot at the point of arrival.

How does this work? Different units work differently, but the idea is that the pump keeps the hot water moving through the pipe where it either ends up back to the boiler with a dedicated line or there is a system in which the hot water runs through the cold water pipes.

I’ll go over the way different ones work in a bit.

condensing vs non condensing tankless water heaters

Do Recirculating Pumps Save Money?

This isn’t an easy question to answer. They definitely can save money, but it depends on what kind of pump and how it is used.

How much water do we waste by waiting for the hot water? Let’s say it takes a minute for your water to arrive at the tap or shower. If you are using low flow fixtures, you just dumped at least 1.5 gallons down the drain with the shower and 2 gallons at the kitchen sink.

Add that up over a year and you can see how much water is wasted.

So, if you waste say, 10 gallons of water per day, that adds up to at least 3,650 to 5,000 gallons per year. And that is a very conservative estimate.

But, that only adds up to about 8 or 12 dollars per year.

So, they won’t save you much money unless you have a huge family, in an enormous house with the furthest fixture more than 100 feet from the water source.

If you just hate the thought of wasting water and not counting the cost, then the good news is that it does save water.

What About the Electricity to Run the Pump?

This is where what kind of pump you get really matters. If you have the traditional one that is basically pumping water all the time, then you are actually costing yourself money in the long run. They don’t typically use a lot of electricity as they are very small pumps, but they certainly are not saving money.

The basic answer is no they won’t save you money.

I still think they are worth it, but first, let’s talk about the different kinds because this will make a big difference.

Types of Recirculating Pumps

There are essentially two different kinds of recirculation pumps that you will likely to be looking into.

Traditional Full Recirculating and Under Sink Recirculating Pump Comfort System.

Both have their pros and cons, but understanding each of them will help you decide which one is going to be right for you.

Read More!

Do you have a tankless water heater or are thinking of getting one? Then read this article about tankless water heaters and recirculating pumps to learn more about it!

Traditional Full Recirculating

For many years this is what you likely would have gotten if you were looking to get instant hot water to your fixtures. In fact, many hotels around the world use this system for the convenience and comfort of their guests.

This pump be placed over the boiler will circulate the hot water from the tank to your faucet. At the furthest point from the boiler, you’ll need a dedicated hot water line that runs back to the tank, creating a perfect hot water loop.

Now, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have hot water circulating 24 hours a day through that line. Almost all recirculating pumps these days will have a timer on it so it only starts the recirculating at the hours when you’re likely to need the instant hot water.

What makes this a not so attractive option for people is that it requires some additional plumbing to bring that loop together. You’ll need a plumber to run a considerable length of pipe and hook everything up. This can add a lot to the installation costs.

Under Sink Recirculating Pump Comfort System

This is the most likely option that many of you will be looking at. In fact, from this point on I will only be referring to this type of pump as the other is not a great option for most people.

The way this one works is that the pump is installed under your skin, or at least close to the point of use. Instead of needing a dedicated line that loops back to the boiler, this one has a sort of connector that runs between the hot and cold water lines at the outlet. It has a toggle that will open up when the pump is running that allows the hot water to pass through to the cold water line when the faucet is not open. Then the water cycles back to the boiler through the cold water line.

These types all work on timers, too so it is only on when you are home so it isn’t pumping water through the lines when nobody needs it.

The downside to this version is that since hot water is entering the cold water line, then when you want cold water, you have to let the water run a bit to flush out the warm water.

Check It Out

Watch out for units that have the sensor valve inside the pump. If it fails you need to buy a whole new pump. Other models like this one from Watts have it outside so it can be quickly and easily replaced.

Tankless Water Heaters with Recirculating Pump

A sort of third option is to have a tankless water heater that comes preinstalled with a recirculating pump or is at least ready for one to be added.

If you aren’t familiar with a tankless water heater you can read up on the pros and cons of owning one to see if it is right for you.

This is a great option to have as you are not only heating water only when you need it, but it provides endless hot water that arrives at your preferred temperature instantly.

For many people having a tank boiler system is grossly inefficient and would rather have a tankless that provides endless hot water. One of the downsides is the wait for the water to heat which is solved by the recirculation pump.

They are not a great idea for everybody so make sure you click the link I provided to the article and read it carefully before deciding to go for a tankless.

hot water circulation pump installation

Installation Costs for Recirculation Pumps

How much does it cost to install a recirculation pump? It can end up costing as low as zero dollars if you get an under sink recirculating pump and install it yourself.

This is a big reason why I suggest this type of pump over the traditional over boiler ones that require a plumber to run a dedicated line. Unless you can do that yourself it can cost quite a bit to hire a plumber. And even if you do it yourself, you are going to have to pay for a long length of piping and material.

An under sink one can be installed in a matter of minutes. The only thing you may need to pay for is a power source if you don’t have any outlet near your point of use.

The unit you get will likely contain all the hoses and connectors so you won’t be out of pocket by needing to buy all that stuff separately.

Should You Buy a Recirculating Pump System?

If you are like me, then you hate the thought of wasting water.

So, even if you don’t really need the comfort of having instantaneous hot water, the idea that you aren’t dumping water needlessly down the drain is reason enough for buying a recirculating pump.

For everybody else who needs some creature comforts, then having hot water as soon as you open a fixture is the height of comfort and once you have it will never want to go back to washing hands in cold water to avoid wasting water.

No, they won’t really save you any money in the short or long term. And, they do need to be put on a timer to keep them from running all day and night. Which can be inconvenient when you want hot water at a not predetermined time.

The cost of a recirculation pump is not that much and installation is easy enough to do it yourself, so it is an easily afforded luxury that at the same time will make your house less wasteful of our precious natural resource.

Related posts:

  1. Tankless Water Heater Pros and Cons | What You Need to Know
  2. Is RO Water Safe To Drink? Here Are The Pros And Cons
  3. Stop Wasting Water and Buy the Best Hot Water Recirculating Pump | Our Top Reviews!
  4. Sorry, But Tankless Water Heaters Don’t Give You Instant Hot Water

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

Tankless Water Heaters

Enjoy Endless Hot Water | The 5 Best Whole House Tankless Water Heaters

What is a Combi Boiler?

Hydronic Heating

How Long Does Hydronic Heating Take to Heat Up

Radiant Heat and Forced Hot Air

Differences Between Radiant Heat and Forced Hot Air

Tankless Water Heater

Types of Hydronic Heating Systems

Footer

YourH2Home is your go to site to get the most up to date information on all your water system needs.

Our guides are objective and thorough to help you make an informed decision before you make a purchase.

Search the site

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

AMAZON.COM DISCLOSURE

YourH2Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to [(amazon.com, amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com)

© Copyright 2018 YourH2Home · All Rights Reserved ·