Recirc line without the pump

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

Have recently purchased a 60 yr old ranch style house with the water heater 40-50 ft away from the bathroom. It takes forever to get any hot water to fill the tub. Other than installing a pump, is there another method of running a recirc line without the pump installation? I’ve been told that there might be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[GuestParticipant]

A recirc line without a circulator is a gravity recirculation line. The moving force is the elevation of the hot water vs the cold. It takes large tube sizes to permit gravity flow. These large tubes or pipes must be insulated as they lose a great deal of heat from the large surface area. The flow is slow and uninsulated lines may lose the heat before it gets to the tap. Designing a gravity recirculation loop is as much art as labor.

[johnwsParticipant]

Further to Harold’s reply, there is a product on the market from Nibco that works as a passive recirculating system. Check out their website http://www.nibco.com/newproducts/justright/
Insulate the supply line but leave the return line uninsulated.
Good luck.

[fourth yearParticipant]

If you look at the Just Right drawing, you will see that the key item is that the hot water pipes must always proceed upwards until the return line connection, and from there they must always proceed downwards. There is nothing magical about it. It is a gravity system and is ruled by the same laws of physics. Hot water will rise and cool water will drop. If there are any down turns on the hot water supply to avoid beams, etc, then the system will not work without a pump.

[GuestParticipant]

As Johnws points out, the Nibco device assists a gravity flow recirculation system by injecting water into the direction of flow each time the water in the house is used. A well-designed gravity recirculation system will be improved with the device and a poorly designed system may become more useful.

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Do you yank Plumbers have such a thing as “Heat Trace Wire” this is fitted between the insulation from the HWS along the main line & wired into the HW circuit, thus extending the HW outlet.

[GuestParticipant]

Check this site;

http://www.chilipepperapp.com/

[GuestParticipant]

quote:

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Originally posted by Barry Jaenan:
Have recently purchased a 60 yr old ranch style house with the water heater 40-50 ft away from the bathroom. It takes forever to get any hot water to fill the tub. Other than installing a pump, is there another method of running a recirc line without the pump installation? I’ve been told that there might be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Check this site http://www.chilipepperapp.com/

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