In this type of installation there is a thermostatic valve that connects the hot water line to the cold water line underneath the sink that is located furthest from the water heater, a pump is installed on the outlet of the water heater, a flow meter is installed on the inlet of the water heater and the Smart Thermostatic Control 32 is installed at the water heater.
When the controller senses hot water drawn anywhere in the house it turns the pump on, pushing hot water out the hot water line and forcing the cold water in the line through the thermostatic valve and into the cold water line. This is effectively using the cold water line as the recirculation loop.
Once hot water reaches the thermostatic valve, the valve closes preventing further flow through the valve.
Our controller senses when the flow stops and turns the pump off rather than allowing the pump to deadhead against closed valves like all other similar systems. You can see a video of the installation on YouTube.
This is a great solution for an existing home that does not have a dedicated recirculation loop or when installing a return line is just not feasible. To know how many thermostatic valves you need for your home see our tip “How Many Crossover Valves Do I Need?”
