Review of the Grundfos Comfort System Hot Water Recirculation Pump
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2020
- We had a home water heater installed on 2 September, 2020, and added this Grundfos Comfort System to recirculate the hot water. We are very happy with the performance and the smart-home modification I made to it. We had the type UP15-10SU7P/TLC installed.
Great analysis. Thanks
Dan,hello, WE LIVE IN NORTH NJ, YEARS AHO, I FOUNF THIS IN A SUPPLY HOUSE FOR MY TRADE GRUNDSOS it only came with the pump & 1 bypass fitting,I had to buy my hoses, so I USED IT IN MY LAV ON THE 2ND FLOOR,SO BASIN,TUB & shower, so I wrote GRUNDFOSS, they sent me the second bypass,so I installed it on the 1st floor lav,so the kitchen also gained from that,,,, nowadays the mbox comes with pump,bypass& 2 hoses, gee no wonder, from complaints I guess, I set my timer,off @ 3am -6 am, works like a champ. I could also connect an AQUASTAT, IN SERIES. WITH THE PUMPSTRAPPED ONTO PIPING, SO IT WOULD STOP ON THAT,INSTEAD OF TIMER, 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Awesome video, we took this a step further. You can set your Alexa routing so that any alarm set will trigger the pump. We use a tankless and it takes about 2:15 to get the system all the way up to temperature. The effect is by the time you acknowledge the alarm and get to the shower, it is ready to go. Have fun with that if you try it. We also have our bathroom timer fans set to trigger it as well. We turn the fan on in the evening when our kids are prepping for bed and the shower is hot by the time they go to use it.
All the home automation options nowadays are making life soooo much easier on us! Thanks for the tips and ideas!
@@danschaller1628 with the automation intelligence we can avoid a lot of CO2 emissions.
Normally people use the toilet 🚽 half an hour before showers 🚿, I re-route the pipes with electric valves and Alexa so the toilet 🚽 is filled with the cold water standing in the hot water pipes. Once the toilet 🚽 receives hot water, the pipes are re-routed to their normal configuration. Then you have instant hot water at the shower. No pump ⚙️ needed.
I read the idea from a gentleman in Australia 🇦🇺. Using Alexa to make the system more effective was my addition to his idea.
@@danschaller1628you need just 1 mixing valve in the farthest sink
Like how its piped in with no unions.
Dan Schaller ordering Alexa around !!!!!!!!!!! SMART !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
I have a Grundfos recirculating pump that was installed in 2005. It was original construction so I have the dedicated line. It must make a difference because I have instantaneous hot water so I don’t have to “preheat” it. I have an analog timer that is sooooo outdated. I am surprised Grundfos doesn’t have a phone app to control the system. I too run the system with a smart plug (Kasa). I don’t have the auto shut-off so I may look into the Wyze. As far as electricity usage goes, Grundfos claims it uses the same amount of electricity as a 25 watt light bulb (yes it’s more than most LED bulbs but far less electricity usage than some people realize although I would never let it run all the time).
But aren’t you wasting a fortune by having your water heater constantly be warming up cold water that the pump is sending back to the water heater?
@@westfield90 Without being an expert, I would suggest that it is a small consideration since it isn’t exactly “cold” water being sent back to the water heater, it’s just colder than the valve’s minimum temp to stay closed. It would therefore take less energy to reheat than the actually cold new water from the municipal supply or a well.
@@jaw982
Does the recirculation pump increase the hot water pressure and flow ?
@@ajarivas72 not that I can tell. I have turned it on and off when the shower or sink was running and I don’t sense any flow or pressure fluctuations.
@@danschaller1628 thanks a lot for your answer.
My setup looks exactly just like yours. I also timed mine and it takes around 40 seconds without pump and 30+ seconds with pump in a low flow shower head where the valve is not installed, only saving a mere 10 seconds. i run the pump about 15 to 30 minutes before i shower. doesnt seem to make much of a difference. what am i doing wrong? do i need to install a second valve in the master bathroom where i take a shower?
If you live in an older home with multiple remodels, and you are not certain which fixture is the furthest from the water heater.... can you guess? Or, can you place multiple sensors?
Thank you for the video. Since hot water recirculates into the cold water pipe, once you open the cold faucet, isn't the hot water comes out of it and you need to wait for cold water to start flowing out? Or it happens quickly?
Never really noticed an issue with it. The cold was always quick and seemingly uninterrupted by the recirc pump.
HI Dan, great video. I have a question - that little comfort valve that is under the sink. Can i get multiple valves and put them in every bathroom and just use one device attached to the tank?
That’s a good question. I really don’t know the answer but don’t see the need if you place the valve at the furthest sink away from your water heater.
I'm thinking of getting one of these. Do you feel the same about it today as you did when you posted this video? Also, are you saying you have to run the pump for 15 minutes before getting in the shower, in order to get hot water from the shower in 30 seconds? If so, I get that it saves water (compared to just letting the shower run until it warms up), but it seems self-defeating in terms reducing startup time. Maybe I'm missing something.
My wife and I are still happy with this recirculation system. I see your concern about having to wait 15 minutes. However, we are very comfortable with using a voice command while still laying in bed to activate the pump and after finally crawling out of bed, using the bathroom, and brushing my teeth, the timing works well to save some water. It just really annoys me to stand there for minutes with the water running down the drain waiting for the hot water. I have talked with other people with this same pump and have heard everything from they leave it running nonstop, and the example they use the standard timer and have it start well before they wake in the morning and let it run for hours. If you don't want to wait for however long yours will take to hit that "sweet spot" of time for near instant hot water, I'd use some of these other ideas instead of the voice control that I use. One last thought...not sure if it really matters but I have thoughts that running the pump for many hours, or all the time, unnecessarily wastes electricity.
@@danschaller1628 Thanks for the reply. I think our needs are generally predictable enough that we can set the timer to run the pump for a couple of hours in the morning and evening and that will cover most of out use. We'll just have to experiment. On another note, I've heard that when the hot water line is primed, the cold water line is now warm-hot, since it's been returning the hot water to the water heater, and now you have to wait for cold water to fill the line if you want any. Any comments on that phenomenon?
Howdy Dan.. do you know if Joey had to remove water heater Heat Traps for this installation?
For myself, I'm pretty sure I would have to deal with those, and all comments so far are leaning toward, 'won't work with heaters that have heat traps installed :-(
Don’t recall ever seeing heat traps on the old water heater. No sign of them now.
@@danschaller1628 Hmm.. thanks Dan.. Happy Christmas!
@@steven.h0629
Does the recirculation pump increase the hot water pressure and flow ?
@@ajarivas72 No, this system design only works while all outlets (faucets) are closed.
@@steven.h0629 Thank you for your kind replay. I appreciate it.
Can I use this pump for Tankless water system
Im planning to install pump without return line
Do i need to add any extra valves or piping? Great video
NO new return line used with this pump but it does come with a valve that I installed under the sink to recirculate the water.
Do you know if i should drain water heater? Thank you for yor reply
@@josesosa1628 I’m not a plumber but I’d say no. Of course it can’t hurt to drain it to give it a cleaning if installing the pump.
I installed pump ofer the weekend the question now is should i leave it on all day or on schedule i have it on wyze plug so far thank you for your opinion
That cord isn't combustible?
So since you don’t need a dedicated line, does the hot side push the cold back to the heater from the valve?
It does recirculate it back to the water heater through the cold water lines. Check out the official Grundfos video depicting the operation at czcams.com/video/Jd0IsylW4Cc/video.html
Any pump issues if it runs continuously for say an hour or more a day?
We moved out of the home over a year ago. So, I don't know if there are any new issues. We ran it multiple times a day and never had any problems with it. Our new home came with a recirculating instant hot water heater. However, if I ever live in a home presenting the same long wait time for hot water with a tank water heater, I would install another Grundfos recirc pump. I was definitely happy with our experience with it.
Are those water pumps hot to the touch?
It was warm when operating.
Why use the expensive thermo-valve? Why not instead let the pump sit at the far between hot and cold and let it pump for a few minutes right before you need hot water? I added a check valve for good measure. I used a cheap shower fan timer with 1 minute resolution. Clicking on 2 minutes once is enough to get the hot water from the hot water tank to the shower end.
Gonna give the Alexa tip a try. Starting it by voice when jumping out of bed sounds cool (or hot, haha).
The valve came with the pump so I wasn't aware of its individual price, and never had problems with it so didn't need to buy a replacement. Always interesting to see different mods!
Considering maybe a timer switch in my bath remodel to turn it on.
dont buy the auto adapt version, nothing but nightmares, it has 2 sensors and they dont work for crap, i've been tryingto get grundfost to help me for two years and nothing, they say i have a defective unit which it's not. when this pump fails i'll buy a 100% pump and control it with an external timer. i also tested how long it takes to prime the lines, i ended up running the pump longer because after 10 minutes the lines cool down so much that when the pump reactivates it feeds colder water back into the water heater, which the water heater senses, then the water heater fires up. by running the pump longer it warms up the return lines more so when it shuts off, it takes longer to cool off that water, so when the pump triggers again, there's less of a chance of the water heater having to re-heat the cold return water. it's a tricky process but i'd rather run a 10watt pump over my 500watt heat pump or 5000 watt electric element.
I can't wrap my brain around a system without a return line to hot tank.
Watch this video and notice the diagram of the hot/cold water pipes and how it circulates. czcams.com/video/Jd0IsylW4Cc/video.html
And no expansion tank ,no clearance to combustibles.
I’m currently a apprentice and I’m trying to figure out if you are able to put the pump on the hot water supply ? To me it just makes sense you need a return line and tie into the hot water tank (recruit inlet) and have the pump there ? Hope that makes sense and someone can help me out.
@@evandelzotto443 dedicated loop is the correct way, if you put a pump on the hot side the velocity of the water changes, I have seen hammering, balancing valves fail,and smells from hot contaminate the cold. Dedicated loop return can be throttled down and wont increase velocity of water leading to corrosive damage.
Master plumber
no thermal expansion tank installed???
Yes there is one installed but it’s just out of view on the right area on top of the heater. You can see the pipe heading vertical to it.
Does the pump need to be plugged into an outlet on a dedicated circuit?
Just a regular outlet with constant power.
What is the model number????
We had the type UP15-10SU7P/TLC installed.
Get rid of the PVC piping on your relief valve. Use copper.
Looks like cpvc which is rated for hot water.
So the box says ‘saves money’. So you are saving money by not wasting water for waiting for it to get warm. But aren’t you wasting a fortune in your gas by having the water heater constantly be heating the water. Clearly I’m missing something.
Good point and very relevant if one leaves the pump on constantly. I'm running the pump an average of 30-60 minutes each day and have seen no real spike in the use of electricity or propane (power for the pump and propane for the water heater). I changed the duration of my voice activated outlet (pump time) from 15 min to 30 minutes since it gives me a bigger window of time to make it to the shower after I activate it.
@@danschaller1628
Does the recirculation pump increase the hot water pressure and flow ?
No expansion tank.
It's just out of view on the right top area. No unions required when put together with copper pipes.