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How much hot-water waiting time is worth avoiding?
Recirculation can get hot water to a tap sooner, but keeping a loop warm also loses heat from the pipes. How much do pipe length and insulation change that balance in practice?
I’m also curious whether demand-activated circulation usually saves enough energy and water to justify the wait for the pump to respond, compared with continuous circulation. Does it need a dedicated return line, or can a crossover valve work well in some layouts without sending cooled water through the cold line?
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