TomCat1958
New Member
Hi:
I purchased this home last year and am trying to understand how the hot water system works. The house is quite large (5,500 sq, feet.).
I have not yet determined if one heater supplies one part of the house and the second heater to another part
Two water heaters that are are installed with cold water supplies to each. The hot water discharge lines are not connected that I can see. There is a line that runs from the right heater discharge to the left heater inlet. The valve in the line is closed.
What is the purpose of this cross connect? It is only my wife and I so does it make sense to close the cold water supply to the left heater and only operate off of the one heater (allowing hot water from the right heater to supply the left heater tank and users? Is there any risk and/or benefit to this operating mode?
The right heater has a recirculation pump that discharges into the cold water supply of the right heater. (see 2nd photo) The other day I discovered that the recirc pump was forced on and the timer bypassed. After enabling the timer it appears the electricity use has dropped by 15-20 kWhr per day. The hot water lines appear to be running in the slab as the master bath floor has been warm. (particularly nice in the winter) . Other than the pipe work at the heaters I see little other pipe work in the attic.
I have not determined if the recirculation system is recirculating the entire system or just the users on the right heater. Is it possible the recirculation pump is recirculating the entire hot water network? Or more likely (or only possible as shown) that it is only recirculating to users supplied by the right heater?
Any help explaining how this system is supposed to work or recommendations how to operate it would be greatly appreciated.
I purchased this home last year and am trying to understand how the hot water system works. The house is quite large (5,500 sq, feet.).
I have not yet determined if one heater supplies one part of the house and the second heater to another part
Two water heaters that are are installed with cold water supplies to each. The hot water discharge lines are not connected that I can see. There is a line that runs from the right heater discharge to the left heater inlet. The valve in the line is closed.
What is the purpose of this cross connect? It is only my wife and I so does it make sense to close the cold water supply to the left heater and only operate off of the one heater (allowing hot water from the right heater to supply the left heater tank and users? Is there any risk and/or benefit to this operating mode?
The right heater has a recirculation pump that discharges into the cold water supply of the right heater. (see 2nd photo) The other day I discovered that the recirc pump was forced on and the timer bypassed. After enabling the timer it appears the electricity use has dropped by 15-20 kWhr per day. The hot water lines appear to be running in the slab as the master bath floor has been warm. (particularly nice in the winter) . Other than the pipe work at the heaters I see little other pipe work in the attic.
I have not determined if the recirculation system is recirculating the entire system or just the users on the right heater. Is it possible the recirculation pump is recirculating the entire hot water network? Or more likely (or only possible as shown) that it is only recirculating to users supplied by the right heater?
Any help explaining how this system is supposed to work or recommendations how to operate it would be greatly appreciated.
