Instead of wasting energy by having hot water flow through the system continuously, some water heaters have an integral display on the front of the unit that allows homeowners to program the recirculation system to operate at specified times.

Nature-based solutions are conservation, restoration, and improved land and ocean management activities that increase carbon storage in areas such as forests, wetlands, peatlands, marine areas, and grasslands around the world. These solutions provide additional benefits to preserve the natural world, such as conserving wildlife habitats, protecting biodiversity, improving water quality, and reducing flood risk. All of these benefits can enhance well-being and improve the ability of communities to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

But once the outlet was shut off, the remaining warm water in the pipes did not return to the water heater for reheating. Instead, it stayed in the pipes and eventually turned cold. When the outlet was next turned on, this resting cold water exited the pipes first, ahead of the incoming hot water from the water heater.

One type of recirculation system — and the focus of this blog — is a closed-loop, pump-assisted, hot-water recirculation system.

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The projects under the Right Now Climate Fund are selected based on the magnitude and tangibility of benefit to the environment and their potential positive impact on local communities and livelihoods. Further investments in projects will be announced in coming months.

A hot-water recirculation system delivers hot water to a faucet, shower or appliance in seconds, eliminating the usual water-wasting wait. The system does so by recirculating the water that remained in the pipes and eventually turned cold, back to the water heater, through either the cold-water line or a dedicated return line.

Some recirculation pumps can serve as a separate, add-on component that uses a dedicated pipe loop for hot-water recirculation.

Whether you choose to install an external recirculation pump or go with a fully integrated system, the benefits for both are clear. A hot-water recirculation pump eliminates the need to wait for hot water by recirculating the water through your plumbing system, keeping hot water flowing and ready for the moment someone turns on the faucet or shower.

In 2019, Amazon created the Right Now Climate Fund (RNCF), a $100 million initiative supporting climate resilience and nature conservation in communities around the world. This fund finances nature-based solutions that complement Amazon’s broader operational decarbonisation and sustainability efforts.

Five years in, the Right Now Climate Fund helps communities become more climate resilient and enhances biodiversity across Europe through nature-based investments.

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Come back to this page in the future for more updates on Right Now Climate Fund projects. Learn more about Amazon’s efforts on nature-based solutions here.

Not only is this inconvenient (and downright uncomfortable if you’re standing in the shower), but a typical American home annually wastes thousands of gallons of perfectly usable potable water down the drain, thanks to lengthy wait times at hot-water outlets in the bath and kitchen.

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So what’s the solution? Is it possible to get truly “instantaneous” hot water? Yes, with a hot-water recirculation system that delivers hot water with virtually no wait time.

Nature-based solutions are conservation, restoration, and improved land and ocean management activities that increase carbon storage in areas such as forests, wetlands, peatlands, marine areas, and grasslands around the world. These solutions provide additional benefits to preserve the natural world, such as conserving wildlife habitats, protecting biodiversity, improving water quality, and reducing flood risk. All of these benefits can enhance well-being and improve the ability of communities to adapt and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The most efficient “traditional” recirculation method would use a combination of both a temperature sensor and a timer to activate the system.

It’s safe to say we’ve all experienced the inconvenience of having to wait for hot water to arrive at the faucet or shower — most of us every morning. You’ve probably grown accustomed to waiting several seconds or even a minute or two, depending on the distance to your bathroom or kitchen from your water heater in your basement, garage or utility closet on the opposite side of the house. The longer that distance, the longer the wait, the bigger the annoyance.

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In 2021, Amazon dedicated €20 million from the Right Now Climate Fund to nature-based projects across Europe and we are excited to show how we’re partnering with local organisations to put these resources to good use across the continent.

Hot-water recirculation dramatically reduces water waste. With time and temperature sensors, hot-water recirculation pumps can control when the recirculation kicks on, ensuring that energy is not constantly being wasted.

Some hot-water recirculation pumps are built into the water heater itself. An integrated recirculation pump is ideal if your home lacks a dedicated return line, and you want to avoid the cost of adding one.

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A recirculation pump can operate 24/7. But the energy savings would be nonexistent if the external circulator were always on and continuously recirculating hot water.

Another option is to purchase a “crossover kit” that is sold with the water heater and acts as a substitute for a return line.

In 2019, Amazon created the Right Now Climate Fund (RNCF), a $100 million initiative supporting climate resilience and nature conservation in communities around the world. This fund finances nature-based solutions that complement Amazon’s broader operational decarbonisation and sustainability efforts.

So why does the water coming from your “hot”-water faucet or shower run cold at first before finally turning hot? When that outlet was last turned on, hot water flowed through the pipes, right?

Five years in, the Right Now Climate Fund helps communities become more climate resilient and enhances biodiversity across Europe through nature-based investments.

Beyond Europe, the Right Now Climate Fund has invested in a range of projects across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as an Agroforestry and Restoration Accelerator in Brazil, and a $10 million project to help family forest owners sequester carbon across the Appalachian region of the USA.

In 2021, Amazon dedicated €20 million from the Right Now Climate Fund to nature-based projects across Europe and we are excited to show how we’re partnering with local organisations to put these resources to good use across the continent.