Re: Controlling Hot Water Recirculation Pumps

[Larry <invalid@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

David White wrote:
> Hello. I just bought a new home that has a recirculation pump located
> near the hot water heater. I am new to all this so I have some questions:
>
> (a) I have looked online and see some of these pumps have timers
> attached so they operate only during expected usage times (not between
> midnight and 5am). Mine does not have one that I can see. Are these
> always attached directly to the pump body or can the timer be located
> elsewhere? If elsewhere, where might this be?
>
> (b) I have read that some of these systems incorporate a temperature
> switch somewhere that shuts off the pump when a pre-set temp is reached
> at some point in the line. What are the signs that mine has such a switch?
>
> (c) Even with a timer as in (a) above it seems potentially very wasteful
> and hard on the pump for it to run continuously as we are not big hot
> water users generally. So is there some simple way - ideally using X-10,
> Active Home, CMA-11 (I think that's it), and simple macros (no running
> computer needed) which I already use - to control this pump mechanism at
> a more granular level?
>
> Thanks,
>
> David

Our Buderus boiler (which also makes hot water) does this automatically.
  The computer runs the pump for user controlled intervals at user
defined intervals of our choosing.  I believe it is set to run for 3
minutes every half hour from 6:30 am until 11 pm.

The pump is located behind the furnace on the wall with an auxilliary
switch which allows the pump to be shut off permanently.  I would expect
the pump to be located somewhere near the water heater with the timer
close by.

--

Larry
rapp at lmr dot com