 "cold water showers" | 2009-11-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: AIFUWYD4YHPQH |
| This recirculation pump works just as purposed .If you have plenty of room to work and moderate plumbing skills you can install it yourself .The timer is a bit confusing so I only give it 4 stars. |
| |
 "Good but Bad" | 2009-10-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1A9M5OZJVVX7M |
We bought this pump to get hot water to our master bath. It is the farthest faucet from the water heater and used to take 3-4 minutes of running the faucet to get hot water. Being here in California and with the constant threat of drought, we thought we would save tons of water by using this pump and valve. Well...not so fast. Since this pump uses your cold water line to recirculate the hot water it sounded like a good idea. However, you have to have just the right type of faucets to be able to use this setup. More specifically, the valves used in both of our bath/showers are not compatible with the recirculating valve that is installed with the pump. The result is scalding hot water that you CAN NOT stop. You start off with a nice warm shower and the water keeps getting warmer and warmer and warmer. So you keep turning the shower faucet more towards cold, and more, and more. Finally you turn the faucet completely to cold. STILL scalding hot water comes pouring out. Wait 3-4 minutes and it seems to finally respond. Meanwhile a ton of water is wasted.
Another drawback is that the cold water at the tap now is luke warm when the pump is on. You have to run the water for 3-4 minutes to purge the hot water from the cold water lines until you can get a nice glass of cold water. Now I am wondering if the toilets and icemaker in the fridge are getting warm water too (not good). If so, fridge has to work harder and toilets might start growing stuff.
I do plan to keep this pump. It is a valid concept. Although I plan to install a PEX line (do a google search) that goes from the farthest point (master bath) all the way out to the garage (where the water heater is) and attach that line to the hose bibb on the low side of the water heater. Then I will be able to remove that valve that causes the water to recirculate through the cold water lines.
Then I should have what I wanted in the first place. |
| |
| "using valve without pump increase enrgy use significantlt" | 2009-10-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: ADN6EX0Y7ZQNJ |
| If only using the valve without the pump and timer, the hot water will be constanty circulating. This will increase energy usage significantly, since the water heater will constantly be on to heat the return water which will always be colder than the water in the hot water tank. |
| |
 "No problems for me..." | 2009-09-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2GT2P3ONIYHKK |
| I bought this product a few years ago, and have had NONE of the problems mentioned by other reviewers. I know that it has saved thousands of gallons of cold water that would have gone down the drain in the shower. Our water bill here in California is outrageous, and we've been in a drought now for several years, so saving water is definitely a high priority. I've never had a problem with the timer mechanism or the sensor. We had our hot water heater replaced in the spring, and the plumber re-installed the pump on the new heater and said it was really a good idea to have it. So...I'm very happy with my pump. |
| |
| "Do the math before you buy!" | 2009-08-29 |
| - Reviewed By daveinsf |
Let me start by saying that I didn't buy this product. I was on the verge of doing so, and I have no doubt that it's a good product and that it does what it says it will do. The other reviews establish that pretty well.
If you're buying this system for the convenience of having on-demand hot water and not having to wait for it, and money is no object, then go ahead and buy it, you'll probably like it.
But if, like me, you're concerned about saving money, and are considering buying this system to save money on your water bill... well, do the math.
I went and used a pitcher to measure exactly how much water is wasted every time I open the tap and let it run down the drain while I wait for the hot water to arrive. In my case, that came out to almost exactly 6 liters, or about 1.6 gallons. I then multiplied that by the number of times per week, typically, that somebody in the house needs to waste that 1.6 gallons while waiting for hot water, and multiplied that result by 52 weeks, which gave me the number of gallons wasted in an entire year.
I then looked at my water bill, and computed the cost (for both water and wastewater services) for all of that "wasted" water.
In my case, it came to $12.29 per year. Total.
Now I'm all in favor of doing what's right for the environment... but it just doesn't make sense to spend $200, plus another $35 every year or two to replace the sensor valve (which apparently only lasts a year or two before it needs replacing) - all so that I can save $12 per year on water. If the sensor valves fail every two years as has been reported by other reviewers, that means that the system would NEVER pay for itself, even after many years. Even if the sensor valve doesn't fail, it's still a 15+ year payback, if the pump even lasts that long.
If you have a big household, or have lots of people taking showers at different times of the day (and having to wait for hot water each time), or if your water is much more expensive than mine, the numbers might work out differently. But I urge you to figure it out before you spend your money and are disappointed in the savings. |
| |
| "Works as advertised" | 2009-08-13 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1WXP126PJCXXO |
An easy install and works as they advertise. I tried one valve with no pump to test that theory but did not work in this house.
I have a pump and 2 valves. One in kitchen and one in master bath. They are on sepeate lines and away from each other. They both now get HW as soon as you turn on the faucet.
I have Moen single handle faucets and they work fine.
I Highly recomend this product.
All the reviews were helpful. |
| |
Expedited Available
