The Thanksgiving No Hot Water Story

This is a story of No Hot Water. Over the last few days we had very little hot water. Our hot water system in the home has been a constant thorn in our sides, as it's entirely inadequate, and just, well, lame. We have a stainless steel tank which is heated by the same boiler which supplies our driveway melt system.

Shown here is a Taco 007-F5 circulator pump, priced at $78 or so at Amazon.com. In town, we have a plumbing place that has TV ads stating they'll be sure to sell you the right part. I go there, tell them I need a Taco 007-F5, even have it written down. The counter guy says they don't make those anymore, and I need the Taco 00R instead. Fine. I fork out $124 and change, and home I go. Install it, still no hot water. Argh. I was suspecting it was the zone valve anyway. The pump I took out was covered in crusty glycol crud anyhow, and it's been in there for 7 years, so I have no regrets changing it out.

Well, fine. I go to Home Depot and get a replacement zone valve, just like the one shown here from Amazon.com. I wasn't going back to the plumbing place. Forget that. Oh, and what do I see also at Home Depot? The Taco 007-F5 pump for $89 that plumbing guy says they don't manufacture anymore. Argh. The zone valve set me back $104 but hey, the house is back to having hot water, and I have more pump than I needed, but you know what? A hot shower sure beats a cold one!