Hot water without long-pipe wastage

Q. The bathroom sink is 48 feet from the hot-water heater, which means it takes a long time to get any hot water. What can I do to get the water more quickly and without such waste? J. Edward Barrett New Concord, Ohio

A. A hot-water loop with the water propelled by gravity or a pump may be installed from the hot-water heater to the bathroom, but the structure must allow access to the existing hot-water pipe. If this is impossible, see if there is a way to bypass the old line and install a new pipe loop from the heater to the fixture.

Get in touch with a plumber about such a system, which keeps the hot water circulating from the heater to the fixture at all times. Of course, the loop must be wrapped with adequate pipe insulation so as to minimize heat loss.

If the loop is impractical, consider a demand-type instant tankless hot-water heater which can be installed much closer to the bathroom.

Two manufacturers of such systems are: Chronomite Laboratories Inc., 21011 South Figueroa, Carson, Calif. 90745, and Thorn Gas Appliances, 25 Valley Drive, Suite 110, Greenwich, Conn. 06830.