I would consider doing the hot water runs with pipe insulation. It's cheap, and it will conserve at least some of the heat energy. If you're planning to do a hot water circulator for instant-on hot, then this sort of insulation becomes even more important. (And it also guarantees that you're not just doing a simple star-shaped topology any more.)
Good idea. Do you have a brand/model of hot water pump that you recommend? I assume the instant availability of hot water makes up for whatever energy they consume?
EDIT: Just did some Googling on the hot water recirculation pumps. It looks like some of them don't even require a line back to the water heater, rather, they just bleed the room temperature (formerly hot) water from the hot water line into the cold water line. Any opinions on which of these options is better? Is one option more energy-efficient than the other?
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