Hot Water Circulation Problem in Del Mar, CA

Jan 14, 2014

One room’s hot, one room’s not: You may have an issue with your water heater’s recirculation pump

A local yacht club manager reported that it was taking up to 20 minutes for the bathroom showers to get hot, but the water in the kitchen in the bar was almost immediately getting extremely hot.

Many times when this happens, the cause is a recirculation pump problem. This type of pump is designed to provide hot water throughout a home much faster than a typical traditional hot water system can deliver. However, these pumps can often develop issues. Here are some of the most common.

Recirculation pumps are susceptible to corrosion. In many instances, erosion takes place within the elbows and bends of the pipe. This makes the walls of the pipe thinner and thinner until it ruptures.

If you have a power outage, you may hear strange noises due to air getting into the system. A recirculation pump is constantly under pressure, and you may need to open the air escape valve until the noise is eliminated.

These pumps also typically have a low flow rate because they often have small motors. This can result in decreased water pressure.

Call Arnett’s Water Systems today if you have any issues with your water heater’s recirculation pump.