Saving water?

[FST4RD]

So I got to thinking... How many millions of liters of water are wasted each year waiting for hot water to come though the hot tap? Like waiting for the shower to warm up or doing the dishs...
Does anyone here save the cold water that comes through from the hot tap until the hot water arrives?
I'm surprised that someone hasn't come up with a water valve that routes the cold water through to a holding tank whilst it's cold, and then when the hot water comes through, the valve senses the water temp change and switches it to going through the tap.

Does this make sense?
I'm looking into something like this, as the new shed that I am building is going to have a 1000L tank attached to the spouting and I'll collect the rain water for the gardens, washing the car etc...

 

[lumos2000]

water is indestructible, you cant wast it. but you can wast clean water by making it dirty.

 

[bojangle]

One simple solution!

An instantaneous water heater! They can range in size from a small unit fitted under each sink, to a large system to supply a few sinks etc.

This does away with the need for ANY stored water in your house and you will always get instant hot water form the tap! It works in the same way as an electric shower.

 

[unkleGsif]

I think, with my professional environmentalist hippie hat on, I am going to have to go away and produce to comparative calculations based on the embedded carbon of clean drinking water, gas, or electric, and the re-treatment of water that is received back at the plant

G

 

[FluffyChicken]

One simple solution!

An instantaneous water heater! They can range in size from a small unit fitted under each sink, to a large system to supply a few sinks etc.

This does away with the need for ANY stored water in your house and you will always get instant hot water form the tap! It works in the same way as an electric shower.

There is no stored water in my house (well bar the central heating loop) as it's a combiboiler. Just position it as close to the most used tapes as you can.

Plus it doesn't take to long and stick the plug in and use the cold then warm water to keep it warm, instead of the 60 degrees it should come out at.


I would think there are systems out there or solution but they all cost more money than the cold water and slight extra electricity costs for just waiting a short while.

 

[KDM]

I'm on a water meter so if it's just me in all day on my own then when I pee I don't flush the loo till I expect someone home just in case i have a few pee's as I am getting older unless of course number 2's are involved.

The cold water that comes through before the hot flushes through I use to fill the kettle and water any plants that I have not yet killed.

 

[cyfa2809]

I am guilty in that i run the hot tap until hot (der!) to then fill the kettle. Saves electric from the kettle though.

 

[unkleGsif]

But you'll scale up your kettle

G

 

[NAILTRAIL96]

What your talking about is secondary circulation, warm water is circulated up to the hot tap all the time and then allowed out as hot when the tap is turned on.
It's a requirement of water regs if your boiler is too far from the last hot water out let.
It's the reason dishwashers and washing machines are now cold fill only and heat there own water.

Bear in mind you shouldn't drink or brush teeth in water from the hot tap.

As for how much is wasted you'd be counting the litres in millions for the UK alone.

 

[technodup]

Does anyone here save the cold water that comes through from the hot tap until the hot water arrives?

To be honest I find it quite strange that someone has actually thought that through. It's definitely not a problem I need to buy a device for.

I have absolutely no interest in storing water, hugging tress or sorting my rubbish into different coloured bins. That's the council's job, which I pay them handsomely to do.