Circulating hot water vs two hot water heaters
 

We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks

In article ,
wrote:

We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks

You might want to check code on this. Circulating hot water
is a huge energy waster, and it is illegal in many states.
One option for the kitchen/utility area is an instant hot
water heater under-sink. These are popular in Europe, and
they do a pretty good job. Otherwise, check out electric
storage water heaters. They are super insulated. The idea
is that you get off-peak metering and heat the water at
night. The insulation keeps it warm during the day, and
it takes only a little power to keep the temperature topped
off.

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

"John A. Weeks III" wrote in message
...
In article ,
wrote:

We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks

You might want to check code on this. Circulating hot water
is a huge energy waster, and it is illegal in many states.
One option for the kitchen/utility area is an instant hot
water heater under-sink. These are popular in Europe, and
they do a pretty good job. Otherwise, check out electric
storage water heaters. They are super insulated. The idea
is that you get off-peak metering and heat the water at
night. The insulation keeps it warm during the day, and
it takes only a little power to keep the temperature topped
off.

and yet, here, the local gov't subsidizes use of circulators. of course,
they save an incredible amount of water, we live in the middle of a desert
and have a 7 year drought going on.

regards,
charlie
phx, az

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

Bought a house in Texas with one. Turned it off and it saved over $30
per month in electric bills. Have an electric water heater. Haven't
turned it on since. 2400 sq ft house.

Gary

wrote:
We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks

How does this compare with the system that continuously circulates and
also, to having two tanks?


On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 23:59:25 -0500, mid787 wrote:

wrote:
We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks
I have a 2800 sq. ft 2-story home. I have the Laing auto-circ. You
install it under the sink in the furthest sink from the hot water tank.
I have had this since i built my house about 8 years ago. You can find
the Laing auto-circ on ebay for less that $250.00.


I had my plumber do it after I built my house. Just make you put an
electric outlet under your sink inside your vanity cabinet.

On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 11:38:43 -0700, someone wrote:

and yet, here, the local gov't subsidizes use of circulators. of course,
they save an incredible amount of water, we live in the middle of a desert
and have a 7 year drought going on.

Waste one or waste the other. In a desert where water is precious,
certainly they don't want people running the water down the drain.
But for more normal situations, I doubt the savings is "incredible".
If I ran my bathroom faucet for a minute to get the hot water to come
up, it wouldn't half fill a 5 gallon bucket. Sure there is a savings
and if you multiply anything by millions of people you get a big
number.

So the water company likes the circulators - but what does the power
company think of those millions of small heating loops running 24/7
during air-conditioning season - the waste of electricity is
incredible, LOL.


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

On Tue, 01 Mar 2005 16:11:57 GMT, someone wrote:

We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system.

Oh jeez for the same money, DEFINITELY get two water heaters. More
capacity, doing dishes (where was the washer again?) doesn't effect
the shower, no constant small heating loop fired by your water heater
(that's what the circulating loop becomes) running 24/7 to use energy
(well, in heating season its helping you out with heat, but if you
have an A/C season....) I think normally this will use more than the
standby loss on the 2nd heater.

In any case, 2200 s.f. seems like a pretty small house to have the two
ends so far away that one heater in the middle wouldn't do the trick.
My house is 83 feet long and the heater (there actually are two, but
they are together in series) is more or less in the middle and its not
that big a deal to get hot water.

But if you have to choose, for the same $, get the 2 heaters.


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

"v" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Mar 2005 11:38:43 -0700, someone wrote:

and yet, here, the local gov't subsidizes use of circulators. of course,
they save an incredible amount of water, we live in the middle of a desert
and have a 7 year drought going on.

Waste one or waste the other. In a desert where water is precious,
certainly they don't want people running the water down the drain.
But for more normal situations, I doubt the savings is "incredible".
If I ran my bathroom faucet for a minute to get the hot water to come
up, it wouldn't half fill a 5 gallon bucket. Sure there is a savings
and if you multiply anything by millions of people you get a big
number.

So the water company likes the circulators - but what does the power
company think of those millions of small heating loops running 24/7
during air-conditioning season - the waste of electricity is
incredible, LOL.

they love them. we have a big nuke to power them. most houses in this area
are built on a concrete slab directly on the ground, with underslab pipes.
most of the heat goes down, not up.


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

wrote in message
...
We are building a house that is about 2200 sq ft. The kitchen and
utility room are at one end and the bedroom/bathrooms are at the
other. We want to consider either installing two hot water
heaters(one in each end) or a circulating hot water system. We would
appreciate receiving any advice and experience to help us in this
choice. We are told by our builder that the original cost is about
the same. Thanks

2200 sq ft. seems pretty small to be concerned about needing
two heaters or a recirculator. In any case, one drawback to
two heaters is the space needed for the second heater. The
circulator is a tiny little pump that doesn't take up any extra
space, whereas a second heater has a pretty big footprint.

--Neil