Demand hot water systems are designed to pump the hot water from your water heater to your fixtures without running any of that precious water down the drain at high speed so you get your hot water faster.
How they work
Demand hot water system pumps connect to the hot and cold water lines under the sink at the furthest point from your water heater. When you want your hot water you press a button and the pump begins operation. It pumps the water from the water heater through the hot water piping to the pump and hence the fixture, and the cooled off hot water that was in the hot water piping flows back to the water heater through the cold water line. The pump shuts off when it senses an increase in temperature, at which point the hot water is only 2 or 3 seconds from the faucet.
Federal regulations require faucets these days to be limited to 1-1/2 gallons per minute. If the pump can move 3 gallons per minute, you get your water twice as fast as running the faucet full blast. No water ever gets run down the drain.
Demand systems use very little electricity, costing typically between $1.00 and $2.00 per year to operate because they run for a few seconds when activated. Studies have shown water savings of 10,000 gallons per year or more for a typical 4 person family.
Metlund D'Mand System
The Metlund D'MAND system has three different models, the S-50, S-70, and theS-02.
The first model, the S-50 size has the least power and the lowest price at about $339.50 for the S-50T-PF Kit.
Metlund does not recommend it for tankless water heaters. Dimensions are 8" wide, 7½" deep, and 5½" tall. It weighs 6 pounds.
Metlund suggests using the S-50 for runs of up to 50 feet, and it has a 3 year warranty. You have to use full 1/2" fittings to plumb the pump in because there isn't enough pressure to pump a large flow of water through the small restrictions in the shut-off valves under the fixtures.
The next larger model is the S-70T. The website recommends the S-70T for pipe runs shorter than 60 feet when used with a tankless heater and up to 100 feet with a standard water heater. Dimensions are 11" wide, 8" deep, and 6" tall. It weights 7 pounds.
The S-70T motor has 1/25 horsepower, and produces a maximum pressure of 7psi. As with the other models this unit requires full 1/2" piping connections due to the low pressure output.
The largest model, the S-02, has 1/8 horsepower, producing a maximum pressure of about 13 psi. As with the previous models this one requires full 1/2" plumbing connections. Dimensions are 16" wide, 9" deep, and 6½" tall, and weighs 16 pounds.
All three models list a life expectancy of 15 years, and shut off when a temperature increase of 3 to 4 degrees is detected at the pump.
Chilipepper CP6000
The Chilipepper CP6000 is the only model that Chilipepper Sales manufactures. The CP6000 has a 1/3 horsepower motor, and produces a maximum pressure of about 60 psi with a maximum flow of about 4 gallons per minute.
The reason for the high power and pressure capability is so the CP6000 can be plumbed with hoses just like the faucets. It can be installed without shutting off the water to the house. Just turn off the shut-off valves under the sink and hook up some hoses.
The CP6000 is 7-1/2" long x 4-1/8" wide x 3-1/2" tall making it substantially smaller than the smallest of the Metlund units. It is also lighter at about 4 pounds.
To reduce cost and size, while providing big power the CP6000 uses a brush type motor. The brushes will last about 500 hours of operation. If you use your pump 5 times a day 365 days per year, and it runs 1 minute each time (typical), then you will accumulate about 30 hours per year. So you could expect your pump to last about 16 years before needing to replace the brushes and lip seal.
The CP6000 has a knob to set the temperature sensitivity. Shut off can be set for a temperature rise of 3 to 12 degrees, allowing you to fine tune the arrival of the hot water to your liking.
The CP6000 runs for a maximum of 3 minutes. If it doesn't detect an increase in temperature within 3 minutes it turns itself off. To determine how many feet of pipe this would service, we need to figure out how far the water would be pumped in 3 minutes.
Lets assume the home is plumbed with 3/4" type L copper pipe. It takes 40 feet of 3/4" tubing to hold one gallon. At 3 gallons per minute the pump would reach about 120 feet of pipe. Rarely is a house plumbed with just 3/4" pipe, usually most of the plumbing is 1/2 " dia.
With 1/2" pipe, it would take 83 feet to hold one gallon of water. Pumping at 3 gpm, about 250 feet would be covered. Few homes have a fixture over 120 feet from the water heater.
The CP6000 has a 5 year pro-rated warranty, and an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee. It can be returned for a full refund no questions asked.
The CP6000 retails for $179.99 on the Chilipepper Website.
Two FAST hot water demand systems compared: Metlund VS Chilipepper
For more information about all kinds of water heaters: Water Heaters Instant hot water systems. http://www.htwtr.com
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