Recirculating Hot Water System questions
We are doing a gut reno. Our plumber wants to replace our existing steel supply and return pipes on our recirculating hot water system with copper pipes and put them in to the walls. Is this a good idea? We have to do some cutting and replacement anyway because we have new radiators and we…
We are doing a gut reno. Our plumber wants to replace our existing steel supply and return pipes on our recirculating hot water system with copper pipes and put them in to the walls. Is this a good idea? We have to do some cutting and replacement anyway because we have new radiators and we have changed locations of walls, etc. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Thanks. I should have mentioned that this is a recirculating hot water system for our heat, not for the hot water. My fear now is that if we put these pipes in the wall maybe there will be a problem down the road and then it will be really hard to get to them? But perhaps with hot water that’s not so much of an issue. I certainly wouldn’t do it with steam pipes. Hard to know what the right thing to do is. It would be nice not to have to see the pipes running up and down. But then I wonder why they built the houses with the pipes exposed? Maybe they had a good reason for this? For us we don’t need the extra BTUs generated by the exposed piping, just the peace of mind knowing they are okay in a wall or not? Thanks again for your notes above!
My understanding about recirculating systems is that they can double the amount of hot water piping installed as they require their own supply and return.
You might instead look at point of use water heaters. This is something I have yet to be able to install in a residence, though I have used one in a commercial application.
They are small (fit under sink) water heaters that provide continuous on-demand hot water. They eliminate the need for hot water piping as they heat the cold water. The trade-off is running a gas line to the unit and venting it, or just installing an electric unit.
Jim Hill
Urban Pioneering Architecture
Copper pipe and fittings work well with circulating hot water systems.