Dave Miller wrote:
Mike wrote:

Hello -
I'm new to this group. There is a lot of good advice about flushing
and/or draining hot water heaters and I'm wondering if I need to do
this. It takes a long time (and a lot of wasted water) to get hot
water to the 2nd floor of my home (hot water heater is 2 levels below
in the basement). Would this situation improve if I were to flush
and/or drain the hot water heater? We've lived in this house for 3
years and I've never done it. The house is 28 years old, but the hot
water heater (a gas model) doesn't look nearly that old.
Thanks for any advice....
Mike


Someone recommended this to me. I haven't pulled the trigger yet but I think
I will.

www.ho****erlobster.com/

Dave



No doubt it will work *somewhat* better than nothing, but think
carefully about a few things first:

1. How much energy you will waste keeping the water in those pipes warm
all the time. Do the calculations for the additional heat loss from all
that uninsulated piping (For almost all of 24 hours every day.) and
you'll be shocked, just shocked, at the number of BTUs that adds up to,
all of which has to be supplied by whatever energy source you are paying
for to fuel your water heater.

2. If you want to draw a glass of "cold water", you'll have to run (and
waste) water while you wait for the warm water to empty out of the cold
water pipes.

3. 80 degree F water is likely gonna feel too cold to step under in a
shower, you'll still have to wait a while for the hotter water to reach
the shower. And, if you decide to try and shorten that wait by adjusting
the user adjustable set point higher in temperature you'll waste even
more energy every day.

*******

IMHO the device seems like a poor solution for a minor nuisance problem.

If I felt that waiting for warm water in my home was that big a problem,
I'd do it the right way by installing a thermosyphon system
incorporating a separate return pipe, with good insulation on both pipes.

Just my .02.

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."