Customer Reviews

LAING Autocirc Pump with Timer and Cord

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Installed this pump in three steps. First, installed a 115-volt outlet under the sink that was farthest from the water heater, a distance of about 50 feet. There were three other sinks and two showers all hooked to the hot water pipe that ran between this farthest sink and the water heater. Second, I insulated the hot water pipes leading from the water heater to this farthest sink. Most of these hot water pipes were located in a suspended ceiling. If the pipes were in a wall, I ignored trying to insulate them, figuring the wall was enough insulation. Third, I installed the pump under the sink. I set the timer to operate whenever I plan on using hot water in any of the sinks (i.e., 0600-2400). I have had the pump installed for about a year and appreciate it every day. When the water at the sink cools to 85 degrees, the pump cycles "on." When the water temperature reaches 95 degrees at the sink, the pump cycles "off." The water from the hot water side gets pumped to the cold water side so that the cold water is about 90 degrees, but that water cools rapidly. When the cold water faucet is turned "on," the cooler water quickly gets to the faucet. This pump is perfect for my needs.

I've had this Laing hot water re-circulator for four years. Our water heater is over 100' from our kitchen and it took forever to get hot water to do the dishes. Now it's almost instantaneous. We save $ money on our water bill and, coupled with a water heater timer, we save on electricity too.

Does exactly what it is advertised to do. We don't have to wait 4 minutes for warm water in the Master bath anymore. The only drawback is that some "warmish" water does come out when you turn on the cold water.. but that is documented and normal. Easy installation.

We live on the third floor and for five years we have waited two minutes for hot water. No longer. We installed this pump yesterday and now we're kicking ourselves for not buying one sooner. We have hot water in just a few seconds. We are also pleasantly surprised that the pump is completely silent; I expected it to at least make a soft hum, but it does not.

The pump is easy to install, but it was admittedly a hassle to have an outlet installed. We hired an electrician and, while it went smoothly, it was another $300 in addition to the cost of the pump. However, we considered one of the pumps that goes on the water heater, but it wouldn't work for our setup (the water heater is connected with braised copper pipe, not flexible tube).

Saves water and keeps warm to hot water at your sink and tub faucets. This very small pump is installed at the faucet farthest from the hot water heater and keeps warm to hot water almost instantly available at the faucet. It dumps the cooled warm water back into the cold water line. Very easy to install. Once you have one, you won't want to be without one.

This unit is perfect for my current house. In a previous house I was able to install a 10 gallon water heater under the bathroom but this was impossible in this house.
I had looked at the Watts unit HD also sells but I would have had to install it at the water heater where 3/4 copper lines are sweated in. Aside from this being a pain in the butt, it would also neck down thus restricting the main hot water feed to 1/2 inch. I also read several reviews regarding the plastic temperature control unit at the far end failing every six months or so and requiring replacement for 30 bucks.
Installation of this unit was a snap. I needed to buy some braided water lines to go from the unit to the water lines and locate an electrical outlet in the vanity beneath the sink. If you already have a nearby power outlet you can install it in 30 minutes or less.

Operation: Just select the times you want hot water instantly available in 1/2 hour increments. Set it on timer and forget about it. Switch also has ON and OFF for hot water not on the programmed schedule.

Pros: My wife doesn't have to wash her face with cold water, saves gallons, quiet motor, easy install, high quality.

Cons: Some warm water at the cold water tap depending when you hit it. I could avoid this if I were able to install an extra copper line from the farthest sink to the water heater so the incoming cold would not be affected.

OK - I originally posted a 5 star review on this product but have deleted it and substituting this 4 star review. After having this pump under a lavatory sink in our master bath - fartherest away from our water heater - three issues became apparent. 1. The "hot" water comes to the sink at 91 deg F - the warmest setting on the Autocirc pump. It takes several minutes of running the hot water water to become "hot" - as the truly hot water is still at the water heater. 2. The cold water at my lavatory was always warm when first turning it on. Maybe not a big issue, but for some reason it really bugged me! 3. I had an issue with a knocking noise when the LAING Autocirc pump was running and another significant cold water use in the house was on. It's like the pump was "fighting" against the cold water flow. Repeated calls to LAING went unanswered - poor product support in my opinion.

Now for the good news. I solved the above problems by re-installing my LAING Autocirc pump in my garage near the water heater. I ran a dedicated water return line through my attic and back to the drain of the water heater (via a "T" at the drain). If you are not willing to tackle this, any qualified plumber can easily do this for you. The return line is a PEX insulated line. The pump is now very close to where the water enters the bottom of the water heater. The pump is still set at 91 F - the maximum setting. The advantage of this location: The pump runs until it sees 91 F. This means the line from the discharge of the water heater to my master bath lavatory (where I have a "T") is well above 91 F. When we turn on the water in either lavatory or the master bath shower, the water is now HOT - not just warm! By the way, I do not use the timer on the pump. I let it run all the time. Of course it shuts down when the water temp gets to 91 F, but then restarts. I calculated the cost of this pump running continuously - about $12 per year. Leaving the pump on - especially in winter months - eliminates the chance of freezing in the attic.