Gravity recirculation with a long and low run

DanHolohan

doubt it, Ron.

Unknown

My sister's fiancee has a Levitt ranch home

with the boiler in the garage . Hot water is made by a coil . He hates the 1/2 minute wait for the hot water to hit the shower . When my sister moves there I know she won't put up with that situation at all . I can guarantee an indirect in their future also .

The boiler coil is about 6 feet lower and about 60 feet away from where the recirc pipe would connect to the domestic hot , which is in the 2nd floor bathroom . Would a single pipe without any circulator work to gravity feed this far ? Would a 1/2 inch pex pipe or maybe smaller size do the trick ? Should the recirc pipe be dropped to the floor , then back up to the coil inlet ? The domestic piping to the boiler is 3/4 . There would also be a swing check on the recirc pipe to stop hot and cold mingling , and the pipe would be insulated . I've told him about other options - bronze circ at the coil , and the recirc package that can fit under a sink . He just wants to know if this could work with no pump at all . Thanks for any help .

lchmb

ok

I agree with Dan but I am curious, what is a Levitt house? These houses sound like built up nightmare's the way you talk. Are they on slab's?

Uni R

Recirculation

Every arrangement has a cost. Gravity costs you heat loss in the summer because you can't fully insulate the drop and you have to do the piping to get a loop. A 60' run with a 6' drop does not look encouraging especially when it could easily be trapped thermally somewhere in the horizontal portion.


Why not just get one of those little pump-back units and put it near the shower. Maybe even have it motion triggered? Seems simplest.


BTW, I love your installs!