I am redoing the plumbing for a small studio that only needs (currently) 5 hot and cold lines to go to faucets and fixtures.
I am thinking of a manifold that looks like the following diagram:
This question asks about manifold loops, which most answers state is typically for a hot water recirculation loop. The last answer suggests less head loss when connecting both sides of a manifold to a supply. How much of a difference would that make? According to this table, you would lose about 8psi over 100ft of 1/2" PEX at a typical shower temperature and flow.
Also, how would a recirculation pump through the manifold help if the branch plumbing to a fixture doesn't have a return to the manifold? It seems like the manifold temperature might be constant, but if you have a long run to the fixture, you're still waiting on hot water.
What benefit, then, does a manifold offer?
EDIT: Added picture