Save Water, Energy & Time with an Instant Hot Water System

Economical, easy-to-install recirculation systems from Metlund and Laing are smart conservation devices — and you’ll never wait for hot water again! Long waits for hot water are more than just irritating - they cost money and waste water and energy. The average family can easily run 10,000 gallons or more down the drain every year. There's a simple and inexpensive way to solve this problem in your existing home or avoid it in your new home: an instant hot water system.

These ingenious little devices provide:

• the convenience of nearly instant hot water throughout the house
• substantial water and energy savings year over year
• easy installation with most existing plumbing systems
• silent, maintenance-free operation

Got questions?

The problem of course is that water heated by your water heater sits in the line between the heater and the tap(s) where it cools off. Let's call this "previously hot" water. When you turn on the tap you need to flush out this previously hot water to get to the fresh hot stuff. With low-flow faucets and long plumbing runs, this can take a long time - and waste a lot of water. And it can cause problems for your appliances too - forcing washers and dishwashers to use more time and energy heating their own water (or worse, run with water not hot enough to clean). An instant hot water system - or hot water recirculation system - flushes the previously hot water back into the hot water tank (rather than you running it down the drain) so you have freshly heated water waiting for you when you turn on the faucet - instant hot water. Most instant hot water systems use the same basic approach - a special pump flushes previously hot water from the hot water line, sending it back to the heater through the cold water line.

Differences between systems

Differences lie in how the systems are activated and how fast they work. The Laing AutoCirc1 performs a flush whenever it senses the water temperature has fallen below a certain level; the Metland D'MAND systems are, as the name implies, "on demand" - a high-speed flush is triggered by either button or motion sensor. With the Metlund and Laing AutoCirc1 systems, the pump installs at the most remote fixture (at the end of the plumbing run).

How much do instant hot water systems save?

Water savings for a household of four occupants varies from about 900 gallons to about 3000 gallons per point of use, per year (DOE study). Point of use is a single location at a home, for example a faucet where hot water is available. The water savings in a home with four points of use, on the average, would be 3,600 to 12,000 gallons per year. So, conservatively, if your home saved only 20 gallons of water each day (7,300 gallons per year) then in one year you could save between $100 and $200, considering water, energy and sewage charges.

Usage considerations

Once installed, these systems are quiet, dependable and maintenance-free. Laing provides a 2 year warranty on their units (from the manufacture date or 1 year from the purchase date, whichever is greater) while Metlund provides a 5-year warranty. The Metlund systems are activated by users and so household members need to adapt their habits a bit (basically you just learn to hit the button as you walk into the bathroom).

Physical placement

The pump units are located at the last fixture on your plumbing run (for example under a sink). If you are not sure of the layout of your plumbing, try following the pipes from the heater if that is possible - or call a professional plumber.

Plumbing requirements

These systems work with most typical residential plumbing configurations. However, there are a few considerations. First, if you have a tankless hot water heater, you must go with the largest Metlund system, the S-02. This is the only system that can work fast enough to keep up with your tankless heater. Second, if you have determined that your home has more than one plumbing run (a branched system) you will required multiple units (one for each branch).