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Heating my tank with my Natural gas Hot Water tank!!!

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
Messages
389
Yes i finally had the opportunity to hook up a loop between my sump and hot water tank... and it works TOO good! im working on the programming to slow it down a bit... using the osc command i am going to slow down the heating. VERY happy with it so far.... i hate electric heaters with a PASSION ...

i am using a grundfus circulation pump. max allowable fluid temp is 230F
two half inch check valves from amazon.. (designed for Campers) they werent labeled for max temp but they are designed for hot water tanks on Campers so i figured i was safe.
i have two quarter turn valves to i can shut it in.
and a 50 foot coil of 1/2 inch PEX pipe in my sump.

here is the pump...
20211231_111129.jpg20211231_111146.jpg




Here the checkvalve down stream of the coil, going back in to the hot water tank.
20211231_111320.jpg

this is the cold inlet to my hot water tank. notice another check valve Above my T (stopping flow of warm water from loop going back into the cold water side of the house....)
20211231_111315.jpg

Here is the loop in the sump.
20211231_111225.jpg

Below: you can see exatcly when i started testing.... on the sump temp and dt temp...
Screenshot from 2021-12-31 11-14-48.png



and finally my attempt to slow it down using the OSC command...
Screenshot from 2021-12-31 11-32-01.png
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
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389
I forgot to add that I am stealing the hot water from the wifes kitchen sink this will serve two purposes it was close, but also shouldn't have to wait very long for hot water if you're at the kitchen sink or the bathroom sink or the washing machine
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
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389
Update: looking at the last 24 hours and the last hour... it looks amazingly stable....
the circ pump is coming on for 4 minutes in total throughout the hour...
Screenshot from 2022-01-01 08-09-04.png
Screenshot from 2022-01-01 08-09-19.png
 

Luigi

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Feb 19, 2021
Messages
337
Wow ..Luke! That's awesome
I do understand that there is a certain
Start up cost?
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
Messages
389
Wow ..Luke! That's awesome
I do understand that there is a certain
Start up cost?
One roll of pex, $40
2 check, and 2 quarter turn valves $45
Another $40 in misc adapters.
I already owned the pump.
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
Messages
389
That's the price of a god heater
What now I've dropped six amps on my power bars in the long-term I figure I'm going to save probably close to 40 or 50% the heat my tank
 

Codie

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
66
Take the hot line off the furthest tap in the house and you basically will have instant hot water all the time lol love this set up might try it out myself down the road once I and if I upgrade my sump
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
Messages
389
Take the hot line off the furthest tap in the house and you basically will have instant hot water all the time lol love this set up might try it out myself down the road once I and if I upgrade my sump
I didn't show it in the diagram just to keep the diagram simple but I pulled it from the wife's kitchen sink so now the bathroom the washing machine and the kitchen sink get instant hot water
 

Codie

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Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
66
I didn't show it in the diagram just to keep the diagram simple but I pulled it from the wife's kitchen sink so now the bathroom the washing machine and the kitchen sink get instant hot water
That’s awesome and No issues with flow in the rest of the house while the circ lines running?
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
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389
That’s awesome and No issues with flow in the rest of the house while the circ lines running?
No issues so far. Except when the wife is washing dishes by hand and using hot water in kitchen sink. the check valve on inlet side of hot water tank makes a very subtle noise that can only be heard in utility room.
 

Niagarafirecorals

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Feb 15, 2021
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154
So I jumped on board with Luke's idea too! IIt's gonna be so nice not have the heaters driving up the hydro bill and the constant replacement costs. I was running 4 x 300w heaters.








 

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Andrew D

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Feb 27, 2021
Messages
126
This is great Luke, I love this sort of innovative problem solving. Pardon my denseness here, but in terms of water flow, you are pulling water from the hot side of the water tank, cycling it through the sump and then returning it to the cold side? Also, would this work on a tankless water heater?

Despite my tank being in the basement I've never had an issue with temp (or maybe I've just never cared enough lol) so I'm asking more for interest than need.
 

Codie

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2021
Messages
66
So until I get a bigger sump what would you guys recommend for heaters I have three right now 2 100 ehiem and a 150 but finding it hard to get them synced up so no matter what I seem to always have one running or two running any suggestions on a single heater for a 90 gallon DT or ideas how to get them working togather
 

Luke_L

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Feb 12, 2021
Messages
389
This is great Luke, I love this sort of innovative problem solving. Pardon my denseness here, but in terms of water flow, you are pulling water from the hot side of the water tank, cycling it through the sump and then returning it to the cold side? Also, would this work on a tankless water heater?

Despite my tank being in the basement I've never had an issue with temp (or maybe I've just never cared enough lol) so I'm asking more for interest than need.
All year round I have issues with heating my tank I keep my AC pretty cold in the summer and I have a large portion of my basement is unfinished and non-insulated
 

Cliff

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Feb 19, 2021
Messages
156
See I’m totally opposite LOL I love redundancies. Even right now I have two heaters hooked up to my main Apex and one back up heater hooked up to my back up Apex that is on another ground fault circuit in my house. Putting everything on one Apex scares me a little 😬.
I love the hot water heat idea though Luke. For years I wanted to do this to my tank; I even ran hot and cold water into my fish room in anticipation of this. You may have just giving me the nudge to get it done!
awesome job guys! I can’t wait to see how it works out for you and maybe copy your design LOL
 
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