Hot water recirc alternatives

[PaulStafford]

It seems like a common approach is to plumb a T into the hot line (near point of use like shower or kitchen faucet) that returns to the low pressure side (say the fresh water tank fill pipe) with a normally-closed solenoid and an electrical timer. This periodically renews the hot water in the supply line to the point of use, so you don't waste water waiting for it to be hot. Clever...



However, unless the timer runs fairly often (< 10 min), the hot water in the line has time to cool off, and reduces the effectiveness. Sometimes you get lucky (its just run), and sometimes it's been 10-30 min...Also, its possible the timer kicks off just after you turn on the tap, and you have no pressure till its run its cycle.



An alternative is to simply wire a push button to the solenoid. Before you need hot water, push the button for 5 seconds - then the supply line has really hot water, every time. Positives: saves water like the other methods, ensures really hot water at every use, reduces water pump usage, and much simpler to wire than than an asymmetric timer. Negatives: slight annoyance having to push a button for 5 seconds first.



Love to hear feedback on this approach

[Mile Marker 42]

I looked into this on my coach, but never got around to it. https://tweetys.com/aqua-view-smc001...RoCDSsQAvD_BwE

[Ol Bill]

Recirculating works great at home. Just set it, and forget it.......should work great on the road too! keep us posted

[Mark_K5LXP]

Problem with an automatic or timed recirculation system is you're heating water more often. If you're on shore power with an electric water heater than this is inconsequential but boondocking running on propane you're burning through fuel to keep the pipes hot. You'd get to hear your water pump grumble from time to time which may or may not be annoying.

Ideally, the hot water feeds to all the fixtures would be in series and you would only need one return circuit from the farthest fixture to serve all of them. But that's not how mine's plumbed, so it would require a return from each fixture. I personally like the timed button, just bump it, wait and it's ready. But that wouldn't be a cheap or easy refit. I've seen a manual valve on some Winnebago units, looks like a sink shutoff valve you manually turn, wait, and turn off again. Called "eco hot". Not "foolproof" but cheap/easy and can sell it as a feature.

Recycling cold water while boondocking is an option but less convenient, so I'm trying to decide what fixtures, and what method might be the best way to go myself.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[hilgert]

We put in this almost 4 years ago (two weeks after picking up the coach new), and never looked back. Instant hot water at every faucet and in the shower. I go an extra sensor valve so I could do the galley loop and the 1/2 bath/full bath/shower loop (just one pump can serve multiple loops).

Watts Premier Instant Hot Water Recirculating Pump System

I removed the timer pins...the pump runs constantly (uses little energy). We had the same system in several prior stick-and-brick homes.

This works with hookups or when boon docking...and it's real a hot water saver when boon docking.

[ScottsJourney]

I used the aqua-view shower miser in my RV. It has worked great for the last several years. It saves on the water until it's hot.

[Vintage465]

Please see the post below.....This is a post I did sometime back. Sorry the pics are sideways. I used the bathroom light switch(never use it, it's just "on" all the time) that is on the outside of the bathroom to switch the pump on and off as I want it. I turn it on 30 seconds before i want to shower. Then turn it off and there is instant hot water at the shower. About 3 seconds to get hot water to the basin.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f282/hot...mp-546175.html