If you demand a lot of hot water with minimal waiting on your hot water heater, a hot water recirculation system may be the solution for you. The system consists of a small pump mounted near the bottom of your water heater along with a swing check valve and return line from your farthest fixture. The cost of operating such a system can be minimized using new energy efficient pumps and incorporating a timer and/or thermostat to program the system to turn off when it detects ample hot water or during times of day when the demand for hot water is reduced.