ᐅ A circulating pump for hot water: yes or no?

Created on: 7 Nov 2019 12:27
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Golfi90
Hello everyone!

Our plumber asked us if we would like to have a circulation pump installed in our hot water system.

The heating system is located in the attic.

- Is this considered standard practice nowadays? Or is it no longer necessary?

- What are the electricity costs and resulting gas costs for running such a pump?

- How much water can I actually save by installing it, and is the benefit really significant?

The additional cost for this would be 300€.

- Is it worth it or not?

I’m always excited about these kinds of “features” in the house. My wife is more skeptical because she doesn’t see much added value, and she thinks we should invest the 300€ elsewhere.

What do you think?
Mycraft7 Nov 2019 13:21
No, the woman is wrong. The 300 are very well invested. Because then you have instant hot water not only in the shower but also at all other taps.

After all, you don’t only shower but also need hot water for other tasks. Letting the water run for a minute or so every time until it gets warm is neither comfortable nor practical.
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nordanney
7 Nov 2019 13:27
A small addition regarding usage: In our previous house, we also had a circulation pump. However, it was not controlled by a timer. The electrician simply installed a few extra wiring lines and switches in the kitchen and bathrooms.
So, you enter the bathroom, turn on the switch, undress, jump into the shower, and get hot water immediately. I believe the circulation pump would turn off automatically after some time of no use. I found this to be a very convenient solution.
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haydee
7 Nov 2019 13:29
We don’t have any. The water temperature is basically the same. Although the bathroom upstairs has very short distances.
In that case, the tablet would have to be stored right in the shower.
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Zaba12
7 Nov 2019 13:29
The question is whether it's a circulation pipe for 300€ or something like a heating tape that keeps the pipe warm from the outside, since something like that also exists!
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guckuck2
7 Nov 2019 13:33
I would save the money on "smart" pumps or switches. It’s not worth it. Such a pump uses a maximum of 10W. Even if it runs continuously, that only amounts to about 25€ (around 27 USD) per year in electricity costs. Completely negligible.

Our circulation pump is connected to the heat pump and can be controlled via a timer. It is off from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and runs continuously at other times.
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Bookstar
7 Nov 2019 13:48
guckuck2 schrieb:

I wouldn’t spend money on "smart" pumps or switches. It’s not worth it. Such a pump uses a maximum of 10W. Even if it runs continuously, that only amounts to about $25 in electricity costs per year. Completely negligible.

Our circulation pump is connected to the heat pump and can be controlled by a timer. It is off from 10 PM to 6 AM and runs otherwise.

The issue is not the pump’s electricity consumption, but the heat loss from the circulation pipe!