Free checklist
Hot water recirculation pump annual maintenance checklist
The annual recirculation pump service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IPC / UPC plumbing codes, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The plumbing service tech on the annual, able to isolate the pump at the flanges to service the check valve and read the loop cold and hot.
When in the schedule
Once a year, the pass that isolates the pump to actually inspect the check valve and cartridge and to walk the return legs, rather than assuming the loop is balanced because one gauge near the heater looks right.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Pump and check valve
- 2 photos
Pump isolated and check valve inspected
Isolation flange valves closed, check valve opened and its disc, spring and seat inspected or replaced, cartridge or impeller checked on cartridge circulators, pump reassembled and bled of air.
- 1 photo
Motor current and bearings checked
Amp draw read against the nameplate, bearings running quiet and cool, no overheating at the motor that points at a dead-headed or airbound pump.
Controls
- 1 photo
Aquastat calibration and timer schedule verified
Aquastat setpoint and differential checked against a measured line temperature and adjusted, timer schedule confirmed for occupied hours, pump proven to cycle on and off at the intended temperatures.
Loop balance and delivered temperature
- 2 photos
Isolation valves operable and return legs proven hot
Isolation and any balancing valves operable and set, return temperature checked at the ends of the risers or legs, each leg confirmed carrying hot water so no branch is running cold or airbound.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Check valve never pulled because isolating the pump is awkward, so a valve stuck part-open keeps letting the loop short-circuit and the far legs stay lukewarm all year.
- Aquastat differential drifted so the pump either runs continuously and wastes energy or cuts out too early and never satisfies the far risers.
- One return riser balanced closed or airbound, so it reads cold while the pump and the near legs look fine and the complaint keeps coming from the same rooms.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 6 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this hot water recirculation pump annual checklist cover?
- 4 items across 3 sections, covering pump and check valve, controls, loop balance and delivered temperature. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The plumbing service tech on the annual, able to isolate the pump at the flanges to service the check valve and read the loop cold and hot.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, the pass that isolates the pump to actually inspect the check valve and cartridge and to walk the return legs, rather than assuming the loop is balanced because one gauge near the heater looks right.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 4 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a hot water recirculation pump annual inspection?
- Check valve never pulled because isolating the pump is awkward, so a valve stuck part-open keeps letting the loop short-circuit and the far legs stay lukewarm all year. Aquastat differential drifted so the pump either runs continuously and wastes energy or cuts out too early and never satisfies the far risers. One return riser balanced closed or airbound, so it reads cold while the pump and the near legs look fine and the complaint keeps coming from the same rooms.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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