TacoGenie 1/40 HP Hot Water Recirculating Pump with Undersink Kit

A:  You are spot on. Without sounding dramatic, the smart plug will add artificial intelligence. Eventually it should learn your behavior, making manual activation unnecessary. But I would do that. As you have obviously done your homework, I would suggest you purchase the Taco SPE instead. It will come with the smart plug. And because it utilizes a pump with the new ECM motor it will use left than half the amount of electricity. I think it will be a very value. As demand has been high and supply limited, Home Depot is not offering it yet. But they will be shortly.

A:  Yes, you can connect the pump to PEX (Plastic) pipe but you will need 2 shark bite fittings to go from your PEX to the copper T’s supplied in the pump kit. You may be able to find shark bite T’s that will replace the supplied copper T’s, take them to HD and the plumbing dept can help you find the correct fittings. These pumps work excellent, I have them in my business, home and parents home. As for the remote if HD doesn’t have it you can always reach out to Taco and ask them where to purchase one.

A:  The kit I bought is ONLY set up for copper pipe. Call the factory about the remote. I used a different switch instead of the doorbell button they provided. For remote push buttons you can simply parallel them. Daisy chain style.

A:  They make a remote for this, not sure if HD has it in stock, if not you can reach out to the manufacturer and ask where to buy.

A:  You have two options and one consideration. Option 1: Go to the bathroom and push the button when you want the water to recirculate. Consideration: There may be cold water still in the line at the kitchen and you may not get the warm water as soon as you get it in the bathroom. Option 2: Install a second switch in the kitchen and connect it to the wire harness in the bathroom.

A:  If you put the cross connection valve at the furthest fixture the pump will bring hot water there and return the cold water through the cold line. Once hot water reaches that valve it will lock up and close.This will have brought hot water down the line to the tee where the hot water goes to the kitchen. If that does not solve the problem in the kitchen, because that spur is also long; you can add as second valve, sold separately under that fixture. Then then the pump comes on the hot water will follow the path of least resistance and take hot water to that valve. When it closes it travel the next path of least resistance and go to the second valve. I recently I installed a similar system in a customers home. Because of the layout I ended up using three valves.

A:  You do not need a new system. I have seen this movie before and as a plumber I have solved this problem before. Unfortunately I am not at your house so I cannot tell you the location of the problem and many plumbers will be challenged to find it. Allow me to explain. Water does not move in one direction through a pipe. Water can move both ways. Water moves to pressure drop. When you open the hose bib you are creating a pressure drop. You would think that cold water would come out as the hose bib is connected to a cold water pipe. However the pressure drop you are creating is so large, that coupled with the idiosyncrasies of how your house was plumbed, it can’t satisfy it. As the result the path of least resistance is for hot water to migrate backwards, through a pipe and out the hose. The solution is a properly placed check valve. Typically, but not always, this valve would be placed at the point of cross connection; meaning the point where cold water is connected to the hot water system. Let me also add that it is not uncommon for this phenomena to happen with just one fixture. I had a customer who had this occur every time they filled the tub, but nowhere else. When they went to fill the tub the water would start to run cold even though there was plenty of hot water in the tank. So same problem as yours but in reverse. What made it worse was the original plumber did install a check valve. But they installed it in the wrong place. So a fresh set of eyes is what it took. I have also been on jobs where the problem did not exist day one. It just started happening 10 years after the house was built. What changed? Doesn’t matter. The cure for the symptom is still the same. A check valve. Chris 978 651 3301

A:  ONe way valve