Originally Posted By: cpatterson1 This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
This is officially dubbed my week of unfamiliarity. Has anyone experience with checking a roof mounted solar hot water heater? Anything special I should know? AND
How about a Hot water Recirculation pump - is this test to turn it on - and see if hot water works OR is there more?
My new motto is....the more I know the more I find out I don't know.
Originally Posted By: away This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Cheryl,
I can't help you on the solar systems, if I come across one I defer it to someone who knows about them. I only know they use the sun to heat the water. 
As for a recirc pump, one way to see if it is operating is to check for hot water at the furthest faucet from the water heater, if it is hot or relatively warm and heats up quickly chances are the pump is operational. This can be tricky if the pump is on a timer or if homeowner had just run the hot water at all the faucets right before you check.
Keep in mind that some brands are thermostatically controlled and may not have cooled enough to trigger the pump to run.
I think that check valves need to be installed on systems that have a return line (as opposed to the ones that use the cold water line to recirculate water back to the WH). At least I think I remember reading that somewhere here.
I would also see if there were shut off valves before and after the pump so that replacement or repair can be done without having to first turn off the water to the home and/or drain the lines.
And of course check the wiring for proper protection and installation as well as the plumbing connections.
Originally Posted By: bking This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
On my recirc. system the return loop is sometimes 5-6 feet from the faucet so it is normal on some to not have instant hot water.
Also it should have check valves and this creates a need for a thermal expansion tank. My pump is on a timer and not used much. The plumber forgot the exp. tank and I had a tub faucet that was leaking and the TPR was dripping on a small under sink water heater. I installed an expansion tank and all was ok.
Originally Posted By: whandley This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Cheryl;
Most of the domestic water heater circulating pumps I run into are made by Grundfos... It's a great pump system. Generates quite a bit of heat during normal operation. Check the casing for temperature. You should also be able to sense a slight vibration difference between on/off settings.
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