Water Heaters - hot water recirculation preferences

I want to retrofit a recirc system into a 30 year old house on a slab. I just started researching the different options and seem to be getting conflicting opinions on the best way to go; e.g. pump under the sink farthest from H/W heater or pump at the H/W heater and valve at the fathest sink. Running a return line is obviously out of the question. The systems I'm considering are the Grundfos Comfort, Watts Premier, and Autocirc1. Has anyone used any of these, or another that I'm not aware, and have any strong preferences/opinions? Cost isn't a huge issue, but I don't believe things are necessarily better just because they cost more and don't want to spend more than I have to. Ease of installation isn't really an issue either. I'm fairly handy with a wrench and do my own electrical as well. I'm just trying to find out if there is a particular system or method that professionals consider best. Thanks.

Check the links in the post below. Go to the answer by Doug Aleshire. I have not heard of a system like you are referring to since it is a REcirculating system so it has to have a return line to operate properly. Good luck.

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=254359

The systems that use circulating pumps at the water heater (Watts and Grundhos) use a thermostatically controlled valve at the far end to dump cooling water from the hot water supply line to the cold water supply line, so I considered it a recirc system. Sorry if I misspoke.

I'd already checked the link you suggested, as well as the archives, and couldn't find the answer I'm looking for. I'm looking for someone who has knowledge of, or experience with, the different types of retrofit systems and might have an opinion on which type works better, those in which the pump is placed at the heater or those in which the pump is placed at the farthest point from the heater. There seem to be pros and cons to both. And if I can determine which type of system is best, I'd like to know who has the best brand, i.e, most reliable and trouble free. Thanks.

I have been in this house for 10 years. I am on a well, and have two hot water tanks set up to work in parallel. I am getting a sediment discharge in my hot water, only from my upstairs faucets and showers. The hot water tanks were extremly dirty and it took several drainings and flushings to clear most of the debris. Apparently, I have a recirculating system, as I notice copper pipes entering the drain valves at the bottom of the tank. I see no pumps anywhere on the system, nor have I heard anything "pumping" since I have been in this house. The recirculating pipes branch off in two opposite directions to either side of the house. The recirculating system seems to work fairly well on one side of the house (although lately nowhere as good as in the past). I see no positive results on the other side of the house, where I traced that circulating line. Indeed that side of the house, be it upstairs or downstairs, never showed any benefits of instant hot water.



The recirculating lines are very hot for about 10-15 feet as they join the bottom of the hot water tanks. I see no check valve anywhere. I suspect I am getting backflow up the recirculating pipes with hot water off the bottom of the tanks. Is it possible that sediment off the bottom of the tank could be pushed up to my second floor faucets via the recirculating lines causing the sediment discharge? The upstairs faucets in the master bathroom with the fastest hot water, discharge the most debris. However, in a second upstairs bathroom there is discharge from one sink faucet and the bathtub faucet (the instant hot water, if installed in both faucets works poorly, if at all). Interestingly, I see no discharge from the second sink faucet in that bathroom. A third bathroom upstairs discharges in a similar fashion to this latter bathroom, but the instant hot water appears to work (this is on the same side of the house as the master bathroom, and must feed off the same branch of that end of the recirculator. The other bathroom, that works poorly, if at all, is at the far end of the house and has a long (25-50 foot) horizontal run to the water heater. I don't see how that could work properly on a gravity based system ? In summary, how do I stop this sediment discharge, and secondarily, how do I fix my recirculating system on the other side of the house? Thank you