Originally Posted by
Jonathan Cartwright
How would this affect the temperature of the loop? If you change the flow rate would'nt the water temperature remain the same?
Jonathan
Jonathan,
My thoughts of its operation (I couldn't really tell from the description on that link) was the same as Michael's.
I've never seen that type either. It is also not designed for that use so much (if at all) as for heating system use, but, it is installed there.
However, the way it would work would be like this (as best I can envision it):
The hot water going out into the hot water system piping loses heat the further the hot water travels (i.e., the greater the length of heat sink piping transferring heat from the water to the air, the greater the temperature loss there will be in the water) the more heat it loses. Increase the flow and the cooling water is replaced more quickly with heated water.
Slow the flow down and the hot water will lose heat faster than it is replaced by the circulating hot water.
Of course, though, that means the water heater will be operating more ofter than it would otherwise operate, using more energy to keep the water the same temperature (probably overall reducing the energy in a heating system by maintaining a more constant water temperature, but wasting energy in a hot water circulation system for domestic hot water use only.