Do you know anyone who waits a long time to get hot water somewhere in their house?
- Where is the wait the longest?
- How long is the wait?
- How much water runs down the drain?
- Where is the wait the shortest?
- How far is the water heater from the furthest fixture?
Every day, across the United States, millions of gallons of water and millions of BTUs of energy are lost in our hot-water systems through a combination of structural and behavioral waste.
What happened? 1970 - Today
- Median US home increased from 1600 to 2400 square feet
- Distance to the furthest fixture increased from 30 to 80 feet
- Number of hot water fixtures increased from 6 to 12
- Fixture flow rates reduced from 7.5 gpm to less than 2.5 gpm
--> Greater distance and more fixtures = bigger diameter pipe
- Pipe area increased by 3, velocity reduced by 3
- Fixture flow rate reduced by 3, velocity reduced by 3
- Distance increased by at least 2, time increased by 2
Result = 18 times as long to get hot water
Water and energy are wasted while waiting! How much energy is used and water runs down the drain while waiting for the hot water to arrive?