DerbyDad03 wrote in news:c6bf74f6-abd6-4f62-
:

True or False?

A hot water recirculating pump won't decrease the amount of time it
takes to get hot water to a fixture, it will only eliminate the
waste
caused by the water running down the drain.

True, right?

(Another Ask This Old House inspired question)

A friend of mine has a setup exactly like the one installed in Ask
TOH but with some extras. It is important to understand that it is
NOT a recirculationg pump one would normally think of. It does
recirculate the wayer, but NOT directly back to the water heater,
but vack into the plumbing system of the house. A few years back IIRC
onASkTOH, a recirculating pump was installed for a tank type hot
water heater. That system did send water back to the heater's tank.
(Someone correct me on this if I am wrong)

My friend's contractor gave him this expplanation on using the
system:

The button (and remote button inthe next bathroom) is there for you
to push IN ANTICIPATION of hot water. It causes water to flow thru
the water heater, thus causing the heat exchanger to begin heating
water and then moving toward the point of demand. The cold water it
is displacing is sent back into the house's plumbing system and not
down the drain. My friend's pump is set to shut off when the pump
input water temp is at the desired temperature. He also had an
indicator light (not sure where) put in to indicate pump activity.
(He had a failure of something in the heater such that the heat never
came on and the pump ran on and on, but since it was hidden behind
towels and such, he never heard it running).

The system does save money, but mostly on gas to heat the water, and
less on water coming into the house and then down the drain.