If you are a longtime reader of our column you know that we love the chance to review a new product or service. This time it's an invention that offers a new twist to an old idea. The idea is instant hot water at the tap and the new element is that it is not a point-of-use water heater. And, it is not a conventional recirculating system either. It is a simple, inexpensive plumbing fixture called the Chilipepper hot water appliance which contains a pump and timer and provides instant hot water. Best of all, it is designed for easy do-it-yourself installation. If you can install an in-line water filter, you can handle this. You'll need a pair of pliers, an electric screwdriver/drill and about half an hour.

This appliance has two benefits. First, water waste is reduced. Believe it or not, an average family of four wastes nearly 10,000 gallons of water each year waiting for hot water at the shower, the kitchen faucet and bathroom sinks. Second, by simply pressing a button and waiting a few seconds before turning on your faucet you can have instant hot water _ directly from your water heater - the moment you turn on your faucet or shower valve. No more cold water tests that chill every bone in your hand.

This is its inventor's first attempt at solving the problem of water waste and chilly hot water. It has an ancestor - the Hot Water On-Demand (HWOD) system. When we were first shown the original HWOD system we thought it was a point-of-use water heater, but the system actually was very different. It used a computer chip, a small but powerful pump and a series of check valves to move the cold water sitting in a hot water line back to the water heater through the cold water line - without spilling a drop. And even though the HWOD system was more energy-efficient than a conventional recirculating system, and even though its cost was one-fifth of the price of a conventional recirculating system, it was still relatively pricey, and somewhat complicated to install. Although it could be conveniently located in either the kitchen sink cabinet or bathroom vanity cabinet, it had the disadvantage of having to be soldered into place. There were a couple of other drawbacks: The thermostatic controls didn't always work effectively and a system repair could take weeks (there were no local dealers to make an in-home repair).

Anyway, the HWOD system saved water and added convenience - warm water at the tap, without the wasted energy of a fancy, expensive recirculating system. And it did this without the expense of a point-of-use water heater.

Even though we were impressed with the HWOD fixture's operation, we told the inventor that the $400 price tag had to be brought below $200, and that the complex installation had to be completely eliminated. We even made suggestions how we thought this could be accomplished. Well, three years later he proved that he had been listening. About a month ago we got a call. "Hey guys, we finally did it." No more soldering, no more computer chip to fail, no more check valves to seize up, and best of all, if the system fails, it can be removed in 15 minutes and mailed in for repair, It weighs only 4 pounds.

Now instead of a complicated plumbing fixture that requires computer chips, check valves and soldering, their new appliance is simply a timer-driven pump that operates at the press of a button (an optional wireless remote control is available). And all the works are encased in a small, compact plastic housing that hangs on a single screw. Disconnect the water lines from your faucet and screw them into the appliance. Then, add two new lines from the appliance to the faucet. All fittings are threaded. No soldering or special wrenches are required. A pair of pliers is all that is needed. Use an electric drill to make a small hole in the face of your bathroom cabinet to mount the control button. This appliance sounds like a bath fan, so don't be surprised if you hear a little noise. Remember, the pump runs for just a few seconds and only when you want cold water displaced.