I suspect that my electric water heater, which is located in the basement of my home, is losing heat due to convection or thermo-siphon in the hot water supply line.

I would appreciate some recommendations on constructing a heat trap from copper pipe or other common materials to eliminate or reduce this problem.

My system does not have a hot water loop, and there are no leaking faucets.

Thanks

Hi Iplay...

What makes you think the loss is significant enough for you to notice it as an issue? Or are you just concerned about heat loss?

Most of the time you only need to insulate the first 10 feet of hot water piping coming out a water heater to reduce heat loss of any significance.

You could also install a heat trap if you wanted too... some water heater dielectric nipples have heat traps installed in them already (see picture)... what brand is your heater and how old is your heater..

Otherwise you could pipe a heat trap... (see picture). The instructions on the side of your water heater should also show a good diagram of a heat trap.. as long as heat trap nipples weren't included with the heater.

Answer my questions if you can... let us know if you have more questions.

MARK

My water heater was made by Bradford White and is a 50 gal. electric unit. A label on the top of the unit does indicate that heat traps were installed in the unit at the factory and it appears that they are still in place.

The hot water supply line is insulated for 3 feet after the tank connection, but I can't install more without opening the drywall in the basement ceiling.

My concern about heat loss has to do with temperature measurements that I have made where the hot water line attaches to the unit and measurements that I made about 3 feet away from the tank. A typical value at the tank top is 120 degrees with the 3 ft. measurement being 110 degrees.

I would have expected that the difference would be greater after several hours of no water flow and the ambient temperature of the room being 60 degrees.

When I close the valve on the hot water line at the tank, the temperature at the 3 ft. point drops almost to room temperature.

However, I can find no leaks or leaking faucets, and the water meter at the street is indicating 0 flow.

Hot water heat trap nipple may have failed or be the trap could be stuck.

You could try to replace it and see if that makes the difference.

Is the heat trap nipple a more effective solution than the loop in your illustration, or are they about the same in stopping heat loss?

About the same thing really...

Thanks for the information and advice. It seems simple enough to to plumb a heat trap using 3/4 in copper pipe and a few fittings.

The plumber that installed the unit did not use unions, so I have the cut or unsolder the line to check / replace the heat trap nipple.

Is the heat trap nipple a more effective solution than the loop in your illustration, or are they about the same in stopping heat loss?

The only difference being that heat trap nipples, can, and do fail where as the loop can't. Sort of like a natural vent outlasting a AAV,(Air Admittance Vent). Natural beats mechanical any day! Why? No parts to wear out or go bad. Regards, Tom

I agree speedball.

Now, I don't think that the actuall cost of heating the water is going to be noticeably different with or without the heat trap. Maybe a couple bucks a month.