Patent ID: 7308906

Claim:
A system for the distribution of water in a high rise building having multiple serviced floors each floor having one or more suites serviced with domestic hot and cold water, the system comprising: a domestic hot water heater; a domestic hot water riser, fluidly connected to the hot water heater, in which hydrostatic pressure varies with elevation; a domestic hot water supply main extending from the domestic hot water riser at each serviced floor to each of one or more suites in series for servicing domestic fixtures at the suites; a domestic hot water return riser for returning the domestic hot water from the domestic hot water supply main to the hot water heater and establishing circulation therethrough; a return line between a last suite of the one or more suites in series and the domestic hot water return riser, a bleed valve along the return line between the last suite and the domestic hot water return riser for maintaining a minimum continual flow of hot water in the domestic hot water supply main for substantially immediately servicing the domestic fixtures with domestic hot water upon demand; and one or more hot water pressure reducing valves between the domestic hot water supply main and the domestic use fixtures of each of the one or more suites of each floor at which the hydrostatic pressure in the hot water supply main is above a hot water pressure threshold.