Unless your house is 30,000 square feet and the furthest faucet is 100 yards away from the water heater....you're talking 10-15 seconds at the absolute "worst plumbing job ever" case for hot water. Just turn the water on and wait... Recirculating a on demand water heater is about the dumbest thing I see on Reddit from time to time....

If you really see the need then put in as efficient a standing tank water heater as you can then recirc that. It'll be much better for the world and for your gas bill since that on demand uses a hell of a lot more gas when its running all day every couple seconds than a standing tank already insulated and hot. Not to mention you are going to chew thru that "MUch" more expensive on demand heater running it near continuous... to save you waiting a few seconds to get hot water at a sink...

I used red guards decoupling mat under my shower and bathroom tile. It also say "recommended" minimum of 2" but I've had zero issues in 6 years with 1x1 mosaic tile in the shower. Personally I'd take the risk on the smaller tile which "might" be a problem later with cracking grout over not using a decoupler that "will" be a problem over that concrete joint.

The only other option really is to put an expansion joint in the tile. But that is going to be right in front of the toilet where you will feel it all the time with your feet. I'd throw down a membrane and worry about possible tiles moving down the road. Unless you are wearing high heels in that bathroom a lot with a point load on a single tile it's not ever going to be a problem. You'll lose any "warranty" by using small tile but honestly you are putting tile over a concrete slab... Water getting thru isn't really a problem.

The thing is you’ll get more insulation value putting the loose batt insulation in your attic and getting the right fitting pipe insulation for the pipes.

They make pipe insulation for a reason friend.... Loose batt is for walls and ceilings not for pipes...It's more work and will cost you more than just getting the right size pipe insulation.

Contrary to others here, if it were me, and it was 7 years ago when we bought our home...If you are replacing the pump, replace the check valve and pipes as well. The entire run of a new PVC output is considerably less than the pump itself. This is especially true if you have galvanized steel pipe. That can easily corrode from the inside while looking fine on the outside.

Just because it doesn't run much does "Not" mean there is life left in it. What it really means for a sump pump is the bearings may be stuck in place, float switch may be stuck from lack of motion, the impeller may be jammed by dirt/debris. All of which could mean a flooded basement. The cost of a pump is cheap compared to repairing a flood. And because it is dry does not mean you shouldn't worry about it. Especially with our constantly changing climate. Hell who'd have though Texans would have needed bigger furnaces and snow shovels just a few years ago...

I'd replace the pump, the check valve and all piping. And if you sump doesn't run on its own dump a five gallon bucket of water in the sump pit a couple times a year to test and clear and debris that can get into the sump.

Humanity has no empathy! Individual humans can but our species as a whole does not.

We are all heading for extinction, it just sucks we’re killing off animals faster then ourselves.