[74-911]

After settling into this 13 year old house we recently moved into, I am working on increasing the energy efficiency. There are 2 problems with the hot water system (apparently designed by the village idiot).

House is approx. 3200 ft2, 3 1/2 baths, kitchen and laundry room. The 3 full baths are all on one end of the house, the kitchen, 1/2 bath and laundry room on the other end. There are 2 - 50 gal water heaters.

The problem: BOTH water heaters are on the very far end of the house in the attic above the bed rooms. Common cold water input and both hot outputs go into the same line. Almost instant hot water in the full baths. Don't hold your breath waiting for hot water in the kitchen, 1/2 bath or laundry room. It is beyond my comprehension why it was done this way. There is plenty of room to have installed the 2nd heater in the other end of the house to feed the kitchen, laundry room and the water lines and gas feed are already there???.

For the no hot water issue in the kitchen, etc., I have ordered a Laing recirculating pump with timer which should pretty much solve the hot water issue in the far end of the house at a minimum cost energy wise.

The other issue is there is no way my wife and I would ever need 100 gallons of hot water. In reality a single 40 gallon heater would probably do. My idea is to turn off the cold water inlet valve to one of the heaters then turn the setting to pilot. If the family hordes arrive and we need massive amounts of hot water, all I would have to do is open the inlet valve and turn the heater back on.

What say ye? Anyone have any experience with Laing recirculating pumps? Anyone see any issues with shutting down one of the hot water heaters in the manner described ?

TIA