TL;DR
A recirculation pump is a small circulator that keeps hot water moving between the water heater and distant fixtures so the tap runs hot in seconds instead of wasting gallons down the drain. Dedicated-loop systems add a return line; retrofit versions use a thermostatic crossover valve under the farthest sink to send cooled water back through the cold line.
What it means
A recirculation pump is a small circulator that keeps hot water moving between the water heater and distant fixtures so the tap runs hot in seconds instead of wasting gallons down the drain. Dedicated-loop systems add a return line; retrofit versions use a thermostatic crossover valve under the farthest sink to send cooled water back through the cold line. Timers, demand buttons, or smart controls limit run hours, since constant circulation costs standby heat losses.
Where it sits in the glossary
Recirculation pump is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
License: CC-BY-4.0 — quote freely with attribution to ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.