Structured Plumbing

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A greater water savings can be realized by downsizing the diameter of the pipes and reducing the number of runs using the structured plumbing approach. With today’s more water-efficient fixtures and appliances, we no longer need three- quarter-inch runs or even half-inch runs to each outlet.  is not only saves on your plumbing materials, it also saves water over the life of the home.

The structured plumbing design uses twig lines that typically extend no further than ten feet from the main trunk, with the exception of large volume  fixtures at garden tubs, clothes washers or sinks in a kitchen island that run the water line through a concrete slab.  is type of system uses less pipe and can be installed faster, saving money on your base bids. Since water stays hot longer in the larger main trunk line, only the water in the twig lines is lost down the drain when hot water is already in the main loop.

The best strategy for reducing water wasted down the drain waiting for hot water delivery is a structured plumbing system con- trolled by an on-demand pump.  is can use a closed hot water circulation loop with a dedicated return line to the water heater or use the cold water line to return water until hot water is delivered to the open  fixture.

Even if your home design is plumbed through using a standard plumbing branch and twig run, you can still install an on-demand recirculation pump at the fixture farthest from the water heater. If your plumbing is designed such that you have numerous wet locations in different directions some distance from the water heater, you may need to install multiple demand pumps at the furthest fixture on each run.  e pumps are operated by a wireless door- bell button or light switch that is activated only when hot water is needed at that location. Other wet areas along the same line may also have activation switches to run the same pump at the end of the line.  e pump contains a temperature sensor and will recirculate the cold water back through the line until the set temperature is reached. When you hear the pump cut o , you can open the faucet
and have hot water at the location without any water wasted down the drain. Soon you will learn to  ip the switch or push the button if you are preparing to use hot water, just as you  ip the light switch when you enter the room. By the time you undress to shower or get the dinner ingredients out of the fridge, you will have hot water delivery.

Resist suggestions to install a motion sensor on these demand pumps.  ink about how o en you go in the bathroom or kitchen and do not need hot water. If you have motion sensors installed, the pump will run every time, using energy even when you don’t need it. And don’t even think about installing a continuously operating circulating system, even if you intend to put it on a timer. Consider how many minutes you actually use hot water in the morning or evening compared to the number of hours you would set the timer to run constant circulation. Your water usage will vary day to day, even during the work week when you are on a more rigid schedule. And what about weekends? Are you going to set the timer to run from 7 am to 11 pm because you do not know when you might need hot water with everyone in and out of the house all day?  is is very wasteful and expensive to do.

These on-demand hot water systems pay for themselves quickly when the dollars saved in both lower water bills and reduced water- heating costs are combined.  e added convenience of not having to wait standing outside the shower watching water go down the drain is a great plus too. Compared to a constant circulation hot water system or a tankless water heater at each wet location (your only other options if you want hot water fast), these on-demand systems use far less energy since they only operate a few minutes per day instead of constantly. Convenience, water conservation and lower utility cost make this the best option to consider if you can- not design a central core system.

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