On May 18, 12:27*pm, Cindy Hamilton >
wrote:
> On May 18, 12:24*pm, keith > wrote:
>
>
>
> > On May 18, 10:30*am, "Bob F" > wrote:
>
> > > Bob F wrote:
> > > > Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> > > >>> ...and that water in the return line never gets hot? ...or it never
> > > >>> cools off? You're FOS
>
> > > >> Well, look at it this way:
>
> > > >> The water in the return line is probably close to room temperature..
> > > >> He only
> > > >> has to heat it from room temperature to his target temperature. *If
> > > >> he was pulling in cold water from underground, his heater would have
> > > >> a lot more work to do. *Yes, there are losses when he's done using
> > > >> hot water, but probably not as great as the usage from heating up
> > > >> all of that
> > > >> 40 F water.
>
> > > > Very good point. I hadn't even thought of that aspect. It probably
> > > > doubles the savings I get.
>
> > > > It is nice to see others here that can really think.
>
> > > I guess we can always add that during the heating season, those losses heat the
> > > house, cutting down furnace usage. Since I don't have A/C, no losses there.
>
> > You're losing the heat and heating the house.
>
> I don't think Bob F ever said what his setup is like, but if his
> plumbing runs
> through the basement, the heating is negligible in practical terms.
> Yes,
> from a purely physics standpoint it's there, but it's like cooking a
> pot of
> soup with a candle.

He was claiming that the waste heat helped in the Winter. ...can't
have it both ways.

Someone in the thread was pointing out heat loss in pipes. Well, it's
doubled, at minimum, if the hot water is recirculated back to the
water heater. ...can't have it both ways.

Yes, the losses may be insignificant (where "insignificant" is up to
the bill payer), but it *is* there. I won't buy CFLs because any
savings is insignificant.