"Bob" wrote in message
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I am thinking about installing a return pipe on my hot water feed to the
kitchen to reduce the amount of cold water that is wasted before the hot
water has reached the sink.


Don't recall all the details but a house I used to own had a re-circulating
system (to the baths, aprox 40 feet) that worked great but used no pump. If
I remember correctly it used a 3/4 in pipe up through the attic as a feed
and a 1/2 in pipe as a return under the house. The 1/2 return connected to
bottom of tank at the drain valve. I assume the 1/2 line was used as a
restriction.

The house was built in 1952 and the builder installed this setup when it was
built. We lived there aprox 35 years and never had any problems with it, had
instant hot water at the tub and bath room sinks when the valve was opened.
I would not have liked it, had we had small children. RM~


PS, It was a natural gas fired water tank.