The quest to get instant hot water out of the faucet or shower is a common one. It might not be as universal as something like the search for the meaning of life, but the possibility of instant hot water has crossed the mind of just about everyone who has watched water run down the drain while waiting for it to heat up.
It’s an inconvenience, obviously, when you must wait for the water you need. It can even make you feel a little guilty when you see how much water is wasted, although probably not guilty enough to step into an ice-cold shower in the morning.
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Fortunately, there are some solutions to the longstanding problem of waiting and wasting. Four ways to get instant hot water at the faucet are a recirculating system, a demand system and point-of-use water heaters in both tank and tankless forms.
Why Does It Take So Long to Get Hot Water to My Faucet?
To better understand ways to get instant hot water, let’s start with why it can take so long for the water coming out of the faucet to be heated. While a water heater’s age and efficiency can be a factor, along with the level of insulation of a home’s pipes, the biggest reason is pretty simple: The cold water sitting in the pipes must be flushed out before the hot water can get to the faucet.
After leaving the hot water heater, the heated water must travel through a system of pipes to get to the faucet. In front of that heated water is the water that has been chilling in the cold pipes since the last request for hot water.
In some cases, the trip from the water heater to the faucet is a long one. For example, think about a common two-story home in Texas. If the water heater is installed in the attic, the upstairs faucets and showers might not need long for water to turn hot at the faucet. But for the kitchen and bathroom faucets and showers downstairs, it can take a minute or two for the water to get where it’s needed. It can take even longer during the winter because the first gallon or two of water is cooled as it travels through the very cold pipes.
So, What Are the Options to Get Hot Water Faster?
Each homeowner’s needs are different, so the options are not one size fits all. But here are four ways to get instant water at the faucet.
1. Recirculating Hot Water Systems
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With the traditional tank water heater, turning the knob at the faucet starts the process of hot water making its trip through the pipes. But what if the water in the pipes is already heated when the request is made?
In that case, hot water is at the faucet instantly. A recirculation system connects the farthest point of a plumbing system back to a water heater with a plumbing line that becomes a dedicated loop of hot water. Hot water is always circulating through the system, so it is available at every faucet immediately, as shown in this illustration by InterNACHI, a manufacturer of recirculating hot water system equipment.
The greatest benefit of the system is immediate hot water at every faucet and showerhead, which saves time and reduces the amount of wasted water. Water recirculation systems are often activated by a thermostat, which turns on the system when the water cools below a certain temperature.
They can also be activated by a timer, which can turn off the system for times when the home is empty or hot water isn’t needed, saving money on utility bills.
2. Demand Hot Water Systems
When building a new home, a buyer might ask that the plumbing system be designed with the recirculation system that requires a dedicated loop of hot water. But can you have a recirculating system if your house isn’t plumbed for it?
The recirculation system described above could require significant changes to existing plumbing. A demand system, however, works much like a recirculating system and can be retrofitted into existing homes.
With a demand hot water system, a pump is attached to hot and cold water lines under the kitchen or bath fixture that is farthest from the water heater. At the press of a button, the cool water that normally runs down the drain is recirculated back to the water heater through the cold water line and water from the hot water heater is brought to the faucet.
When the temperature of the water at the farthest fixture gets heated to the right temperature, the pump stops because the water lines are filled with water.
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3. Point-of-Use Tank Water Heaters
A point-of-use water heater is exactly as its name suggests, providing a water heating source very close to where a sink, shower or bathtub is located. Point-of-use water heaters are often used to heat water at a fixture that is a long way from the home’s tank water heater. They can also be used to heat water at a spot where immediate hot water is most needed or convenient. Point-of-use water heaters can be integrated into an existing plumbing system.
A tank point-of-use water heater is like the traditional whole-home tank water heater, but the water tank is smaller. Tank point-of-use water heaters come in sizes from 2.5 gallons to 20 gallons, depending on the level of demand for hot water. They are excellent at providing instant hot water because they eliminate the distance the water needs to travel to fixtures. The instant hot water saves time, water and money.
4. Point-of-Use Tankless Water Heaters
Just like the whole-home tankless water heater, this water heater only operates when there is a demand for hot water. While tank water heaters store heated water to be sent to a faucet upon request, a tankless water heater starts working after the request is made.
When a hot water tap is turned, cold water travels through a pipe into the tankless water heater, which then heats the water with an electric element or gas burner.
Tank water heaters are measured by storage capacity, whereas tankless water heaters are measured by the gallons of water they can heat per minute. (Most tankless point-of-use water heaters are rated at between 2.0 and 2.5 gallons per minute. Here’s a handy estimate of the flow rate needed for showers, sinks, washing machines, etc.)
As with a point-of-use water heater that includes a tank, a tankless point-of-use water heater can provide nearly instant hot water because of its location near the fixture that needs the hot water. It should be noted, however, that tankless water heaters cannot provide heated water as quickly as a tank water heater because there is a delay of a few seconds before water from a tankless water heater reaches the target temperature. Also, most tankless point-of-use water heaters are electric, which heats water slower than a gas flame. The tankless point-of-use-water heater shown here is less than 11 inches wide, six inches high and 2.75 inches thick, so it can be mounted in tight quarters beneath nearly any sink.
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Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Kitchens