Ray, In Search of Some Hot Water

RAY: The water heater is in the basement. All of the hot water faucets are connected to the same pipe that goes to the first floor, second floor, third, so they're in series.

Let's say there were let's say 12 floors in the hotel, and I left the hot water faucet dripping in the bathroom of the 12th floor, then the pipe would constantly be full of hot water because it's supplying that 12th floor bathroom.

If the water ran down the drain at least it would do so and supply hot water to everyone else. But in fact they're more clever than that. And they don't have the water dripping and going down the drain. They have tapped into that pipe right at the very top. With a little pump they take that water that would ordinarily go down the drain and they pump it back to the hot water heater, so the water is constantly circulating and never more than a couple of feet away, no matter what floor you're on.

Do we have a winner?

TOM: You bet we do. It's Raven Deerwater. Wow, that's a name for you. From Mendocino, California. And for having her answer selected at random from among all the correct answers that we got, Raven will get a $26 gift certificate to the Shameless Commerce Division of Car Talk.com where she can pick up one of our brand new Car Talk baseball jerseys.

[ Car Talk Puzzler ]