Go with the Flow

The circulation pump in a heating system is the device that makes possible the accustomed luxury of having hot water at the turn of the tap. Unavoidable heat losses in the plumbing system and the constant operation of the circulation pump lead to profligate waste of energy, however. In fact, according to Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, the pump consumes as much energy as lighting or the fridge in most households, and a pan-European drive is now underway to find ways of saving costs for what is one of the most ignored electrical devices in the home. To cut power consumption we need to lag all pipes well and reduce the amount of time that the pump operates to only when hot water is actually required.

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www.national.com/pf/LM/LM2907.html#Datasheet
www.eci.ox.ac.uk/lowercf/eusave_circulation.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring_(UK
www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/