Mike,
I know the gun laws are different in NJ, but I doubt the laws of physics are any different there than they are here
It is not an argument, but fact. Do this:
1. Get four 5 gal. buckets, two ladders,one 8' section of 1/2" inside diameter tubing and one 15' section.
2. Fill two buckets with water. Place each on the top step of each ladder. Place both empty buckets on the floor.
3. On the short section of tubing, place one end in the first full bucket and the other end in the first empty bucket.
4. On the long tubing, place one end in the second full bucket loop it to the floor then up and over the second step from the top then back down into the second empty bucket.
5. Now you and a friend start a siphon on each tube simultaneously.
6. Which bucket will fill up first? They will fill at almost the same time. The only difference is due to the LENGTH of the longer tube, not the fact that the water has to go down, then up then down again!
The rate the water will flow is directly proportional to the square of the difference in heights of the top bucket and the bottom bucket. In the case of a "Closed Circulation loop" as you call it the difference is ZERO since the surface of the water is constant and the line to the pump is
closed.
Think of it this way: The inlet pressure going to the pump depends on the difference between the height of the tank and the height of the pump. This pressure is POSITIVE, or in other words, it will "help" the pump out. The pressure the pump has to overcome to rise from the pump to the tank is NEGATIVE, or in other words it works against the pump. Add the two and you come out with zero no matter where the pump is placed. It could be 6" or it could be 60", it doesn't matter.
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You have to figure head pressure for each 90 or 45 as well as the head pressure for each foot of a horizontal run. Depending on the type of pipe you have it will add head pressure to it.
You are correct there.
Now in your house example, here is the fallacy:
There is a fixed pressure coming in from the water main to your water heater. This pressure is fixed, and lets say it is positive as in my example above. Let's suppose that your water heater is at ground level. The outlet pressure at the basement will be greater than the pressure on the ground floor, and greater still than the pressure on the second floor (one floor above the water heater.) This is an entirely different situation than the "closed circulation loop" mentioned above.
If you still don't believe me, call any pump manufacturer and they will confirm what I am saying.
Ernie