Is Your Hot Water Taking Too Long?

When you turn on the hot water to wash your dishes or your hands, you want hot water now — not in five minutes. And as the cold water goes straight down the drain as you wait, you may as well be literally pouring money in after it. So how can you get the hot water you need the moment you need it, and stop wasting time and water while you’re at it?

Hot Water Recirculating Pump.

As you may know, your pipes are always full of water. That’s why water instantly flows from your faucet when you turn it on. Unfortunately, this also means that if your faucet is quite far from your hot water tank, you can have several metres of cold water sitting in the pipe. A hot water recirculation pump has a sensor by the tap (or other water fixture) that is the furthest from your hot water tank. It uses a thermostat to detect the temperature of the water in the hot line, and if it gets too cold, the pump refills the line with new hot water fresh from your heater. The unused, cool water that was sitting in the hotline is either redirected back to the hot water tank or into the cold water line.

Sophisticated hot water recirculating pumps come with timers, so that the recirculating pump only runs at the times when you need quick access to hot water. Perhaps, 7AM-8AM when people are showering and then from 5PM to 7PM when you’re cooking and washing dishes.

Point of Use Hot Water Heater.

Depending on the layout of your home, you may find that you only wait for hot water at one fixture. In this case, it may be more affordable and energy efficient to use a point of use hot water heater. This is a miniature hot water tank that holds about holds about 15L (4 gallons). It is installed very close to the affected fixture, so that as soon as you turn on the hot water, there are 15L immediately available.

Service Your Hot Water Tank.

We recently wrote about when it’s time to replace your old hot water tank. But the TLDR is hot water tanks only last about 10 years. If your tank is quite old or it’s been a while since you had it inspected, having a reputable Calgary plumber take a look is a good idea. It’s possible there’s a relatively simple fix — like the tank has filled with sediment. Our friendly Calgary plumbers will spot any problems, let you know what repairs and maintenance we recommend, or whether it’s time to consider a new tank — or tankless — water heater entirely.

Nobody wants to wait over a minute for hot water. Our plumbers can help by installing great technologies, like hot water recirculating pumps or point of use hot water heaters. But little things like adding insulation to your hot line (check if you have access in your crawl space!) can also go a long way. During your next renovation that exposes your plumbing, remember to take the extra step of adding insulation to your hot water line. It’ll increase the efficiency of your plumbing system, speed up hot water delivery, and require little maintenance.

Need help getting hot water to your tap when you want it? Our Calgary plumbers have the expertise to get the job done right. Give Plumbing Paramedics a call today.