It’s important to do proper research to find the right system for your home. Below are resources for customers interested in hot water recirculation technology.

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Rainbow Municipal Water District (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities.

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The most accurate method is to buy a pressure gauge from your local hardware store and hook it up to a hose faucet/bib. Check the pressure when all other faucets and water-using appliances are turned off to get a baseline reading. In general, you want the household plumbing to provide between 30 and 80 psi.

The life expectancy of a water pressure regulator is most commonly in the range of 10 to 15 years. However, you may see a regulator malfunction at three years and one still properly functioning at 20 years old if regularly maintained.

With the right tools and instructions, you can adjust the water pressure regulator by yourself instead of calling in a plumber. For more information contact a plumber or search for video tutorials on YouTube.

Hot water recirculation systems work by circulating the water sitting in the hot water line (that has cooled) back to the water heater and replacing it with new fresh hot water from the water heater. This is done in seconds with a pump, eliminating the need to wait for hot water.

With a Hot Water Recirculation System, you can benefit from water savings because there is no need to let water flow down the drain while waiting for it to heat. According to studies from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), the average home wastes more than 3,650 gallons of water per year waiting for hot water to arrive at the point of use.1

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Rainbow Water has high pressure within water mains in certain areas due to the varying terrain of the service area. High water pressures in home plumbing systems may cause leaking water heaters, dripping faucets, dishwasher and washing machine noise and breakdown, or leaking water pipes. Water flowing ata rate more than necessary to satisfy normal fixtures or appliance demands can become damaging, wasteful, and reduce equipment life expectancy in homes. Maintaining a set pressure in the house, usually 50 pounds per square inch (psi), may ensure that home piping and appliances operate under a safe and satisfactory pressure.

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A pressure regulator is a spring-loaded valve that regulates pressure on the downstream (house) side of the valve. Altering the degree of spring compression changes the downstream pressure.

Water pressure regulators or pressure-reducing valves (PRV) are compact valves used to reduce high incoming water pressure from the public water main to provide a lower, more consistent water pressure for distribution to your household plumbing and fixtures.

PRVs have been described as "life-of-mortgage" products because historically, a malfunctioning water pressure reducing valve is not replaced but cleaned or repaired via an inexpensive service kit. Design-wise, it is similar to the kitchen faucet because dirt or foreign matter on the seating area can cause problems. It is no more challenging to repair a water pressure-reducing valve than fixing the kitchen faucet.

While there are a variety of systems available, we recommend On-Demand Systems for residential use. On-Demand Water Recirculating Systems are the most water and energy efficient recirculation systems, and only work when you want hot water. The hot water demand pump is activated instantly by pushing a button which activates the pump for several seconds to pump hot water from the water heater and send the cooled water back to the water heater through the cold water pipes. The pump then automatically shuts off when it detects hot water flowing through it, requiring minimal energy to run the pump since energy use is limited to the initial pumping of the hot water from the water heater. This is the most energy efficient type of system for a home.

What are you waiting for? Waiting for hot water wastes your time, water, and energy. Learn more about how hot water recirculation systems work and start enjoying the comfort of hot water instantly whenever you want it.

In high pressure areas, Rainbow Water installs a pressure regulator on the District-owned side of the water service to protect the District’s water meter. However, given the unique properties and varying needs of each customer’s on-site water system, the customer is responsible for installing and maintaining a PRV on the customer’s side of the meter, preferably as close as possible to the downstream side of the District meter to ensure all the customer’s plumbing is protected. PRV's can be purchased at a home improvement or plumbing supply store and can be installed as a do-it-yourself project or by a qualified plumbing contractor.