SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CIRCULATING WATER

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for circulating water, the system comprising a system bypass comprising a first cold water line comprising a first connector and a second connector that are connected through a first elongate hose, wherein the first connector is attachable to a first user outlet, and wherein the second connector is attachable to a first valve of a first cold water line; a first hot water line comprising a third connector and a fourth connector that are connected through a second elongate hose, wherein the third connector is attachable to the first user outlet, and wherein the fourth connector is attachable to a second valve of a first hot water line; and a first middle section connecting the first cold water line to the first hot water line; and a third valve; a water pump fluidly; and a switch configured to activate the water pump.

Claims

1. A system for circulating water, the system comprising: (a) a system bypass comprising: (i) a first cold water section comprising a first connector and a second connector that are connected through a first elongate hose, wherein the first connector is attachable to a first user outlet, and wherein the second connector is attachable to a first valve of a first cold water line; (ii) a first hot water section comprising a third connector and a fourth connector that are connected through a second elongate hose, wherein the third connector is attachable to the first user outlet, and wherein the fourth connector is attachable to a second valve of a first hot water line; and (iii) a first middle section comprising: (1) a first elongate body connecting the first cold water section to the first hot water section; and (2) a third valve configured to transfer water from the first hot water section to the first cold water section; (b) a water pump fluidly connected to the first hot water line and configured to: (i) transfer hot water from a water heater to the first hot water section, and (ii) pressurize the hot water contained in the first hot water section such that the hot water transfers from the first hot water section through the first middle section to the first cold water section; and (c) a switch configured to activate the water pump.

2. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein the water pump is configured to attach to at least one of a tankless water heater or a tank water heater.

3. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein the first cold water line comprises at least one of: an acrylic-braided inner tube; a stainless steel outer tube; a reinforcement mesh; a first rubber washer located inside the first connector; and a second rubber washer located inside the second connector.

4. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein the first hot water line comprises at least one of: an acrylic braided inner tube; a stainless steel outer tube; a reinforcement mesh; a first rubber washer located inside the third connector; and a second rubber washer located inside the fourth connector.

5. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the middle section fluidly connects to the first cold water line through a first pipe tee, and the middle section fluidly connects to the first hot water line through a second pipe tee.

6. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface device configured to: (i) communicate with the switch to activate the water pump, (ii) communicate with the switch to deactivate the water pump, and (iii) communicate with the third valve of the first middle section to pressurize the hot water contained in the first hot water line so that the hot water transfers from the first hot water line through the first middle section to the first cold water line.

7. The system for circulating water according to claim 5, wherein the switch is configured to connect to a user interface device through a wireless communications network comprising a 3G network, a 4G network, LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

8. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein the user outlet comprises at least one of a shower, a bathtub, a sink, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a faucet, a cleaning machine, a spigot, a ball valve, a gate valve, and a butterfly valve.

9. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises at least two water pumps fluidly connected to the first hot water line.

10. The system for circulating water according to claim 9, wherein the system further comprises an additional switch for each additional pump.

11. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, further comprising a second system bypass comprising: (i) a second cold water line comprising a fifth connector and a sixth connector that are connected through a third elongate hose, wherein the fifth connector is attachable to a second user outlet, and wherein the sixth connector is attachable to a fourth valve of a second cold water line; (ii) a second hot water line comprising a seventh connector and an eighth connector that are connected through a fourth elongate hose, wherein the seventh connector is attachable to the second user outlet, and wherein the eighth connector is attachable to a fifth valve of a second hot water line; and (iii) a second middle section comprising: (1) a second elongate body that connects the second cold water line to the second hot water line; and (2) a sixth valve configured to transfer water from the second hot water line to the second cold water line.

12. The system for circulating water according to claim 1, further comprising a timer coupled to the switch, wherein the timer is configured to communicate with the switch to activate the water pump.

13. A method for circulating water, the method comprising: (a) pumping, with a water pump, cold water from a hot water line to a cold water line through a system bypass and then to a water heater from the cold water line, wherein the system bypass comprises: (i) a cold water section comprising a first connector and a second connector that are connected through a first elongate hose, wherein the first connector is attachable to a user outlet, and wherein the second connector is attachable to a first valve of the cold water line; (ii) a hot water section comprising a third connector and a fourth connector that are connected through a second elongate hose, wherein the third connector is attachable to the user outlet, and wherein the fourth connector is attachable to a second valve of the hot water line; and (iii) a middle section comprising: (1) an elongate body connecting the cold water section to the hot water section; and (2) a third valve configured to transfer water from the hot water section to the cold water section, (b) heating the water with the water heater to form hot water; and (c) pumping, with the water pump, the hot water from the hot water heater to the hot water line connected to the hot water heater, the hot water from the hot water line to the system bypass, and then to the user outlet from the system bypass.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the heating the water is done in at least one of a tankless water heater or a tank water heater.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising wherein the water pump comprises a switch configured to activate the water pump and a timer coupled to the switch, and wherein the method further comprises using the timer to activate the switch to activate the water pump.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the switch is configured to connect to a user interface device through a wireless communications network comprising a 3G network, a 4G network, LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the user outlet comprises at least one of a shower, a bathtub, a sink, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a faucet, a cleaning machine, a spigot, a ball valve, a gate valve, and a butterfly valve.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein at least one of: the middle section fluidly connects to the first cold water line through a first pipe tee, and the middle section fluidly connects to the first hot water line through a second pipe tee.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first cold water line comprises at least one of: an acrylic-braided inner tube; a stainless steel outer tube; a reinforcement mesh; a first rubber washer located inside the first connector; and a second rubber washer located inside the second connector.

20. The method according to claim 13, further comprising communicating, with a user interface device, to the switch to activate the water pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar elements. It is emphasized that various features may not be drawn to scale, and the dimensions of various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for circulating water, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a system bypass of a system for circulating water, according to embodiments of the disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective of a pressure pump of a system for circulating water, according to embodiments of the disclosure; and

[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates a top perspective of a switch of a system for circulating water, according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for circulating water. Disclosed systems rapidly transfer hot water (e.g., water having a temperature range of 100 F.-150 F., or higher) from a hot water heater to a user outlet while simultaneously transferring cold water (e.g., water having a temperature range of 40 F.-75 F., or lower) left inside the hot water line to the cold water line, so that it may be transferred to the hot water heater for heating. Disclosed system components function together to save water since the cold water located in the hot water line is not flushed out of the user outlet into a drain. Disclosed systems permit a user to significantly reduce the time necessary to access hot water at the user outlet. Additionally, disclosed systems do not require wax valves (e.g., Grundfos) or temperature sensors, making them cost effective in comparison to some known technologies. Disclosed systems for circulating water are energy efficient since they are activated only when the user needs hot water, an advantage over known systems. Disclosed systems for circulating water include a bypass component at the user outlet that does not require a local pump, the systems advantageously do not require a local energy source near the user outlet. Further, disclosed systems are advantageously quiet since they do not require any extra pumps or electrical components near the user outlet.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, disclosed systems 100 for circulating water may include a system bypass 105, a water pump 110, a switch 115, a water heater 120, 125, a user outlet 130, a valve 135, a hot water section 140, and a cold water section 145. The system 100 for circulating water may include a cold water section 145 that is fluidly connected to any one of the tank water heater 125, or the tankless water heater 120, the system bypass 105, and any number of user outlets 130. The cold water section 145 may also receive cold water that has been sitting in a hot water section 140 through the system bypass 105 so that it can be transferred to any one of the tank water heater 125 or the tankless water heater 120 through the cold water line 190. In some embodiments, line, as used throughout this specification, may include any known pipe and/or any other plumbing tool used to transfer and/or store fluid. In some embodiments, the hot water section 140 may be fluidly connected to any one of the tank water heater 125, or the tankless water heater 120, the system bypass 105, and any number of user outlets 130, through a hot water line 185. The hot water line 185 may be configured to transfer hot water from any of the tank water heater 125 or the tankless water heater 120 to any one of the system bypass 105 and any number of user outlets 130. In some embodiments, the hot water section 140 may be configured to transfer water to the cold water section 145 through the middle section of system bypass 105.

[0019] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, disclosed systems 100 for circulating water may include a water pump 110 fluidly connected to any one of a tank water heater 125, a tankless water heater 120, a system bypass 105, and any number of user outlets 130. The water pump 110 may be configured to pump water contained in either of the tank water heater 125 or the tankless water heater 120 to and even through the system bypass 105, a user outlet 130, a valve 135, a hot water section 140, and a cold water section 145. For example, the water pump 110 may transfer hot water from the water heater 120, 125 to and through the hot water line 185 to the user outlet 130. The water pump 110 may pressurize water contained in the hot water section 140 so that it transfers from the hot water section 140 to the cold water section 145 through a valve 135 contained in the system bypass 105.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, according to some embodiments, disclosed systems 100 for circulating water may include a switch 115 configured to activate the water pump. The switch 115 may be activated by a user through any number of user interface devices (not shown). The user interface device may be configured to activate the switch 115 to activate the water pump 110. The switch 115 may be configured to activate the switch 115 to deactivate the water pump 110. The switch 115 may be configured to activate the valve 135 of a middle section of the system bypass 105 to pressurize water contained in the hot water section 140 so that it transfers from the hot water section 140 through the middle section to the cold water section 145.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a disclosed system 100 for circulating water may include a hot water section 140 and a cold water section 145. Each of the hot water section 140 and a cold water section 145 may be made from any number of metal (e.g., copper) or polymer (e.g., polyvinyl chloride) materials known. For example, each of the hot water section 140 and a cold water section 145 may include an elongate hose including an acrylic braided inner tube, a stainless steel outer tube, and a reinforcement mesh located in between the acrylic braided inner tube and the stainless steel outer tube. Each end of either of the hot water section 140 and a cold water section 145 may include any known plumbing connection devices that may be supported by any known sealing technology. For example, each of the hot water section 140 and a cold water section 145 may include a rubber washer located inside each connector and configured to provide for a water-tight seal with one of a user outlet 130, a hot water line, and a cold water line, a tankless water heater 120, or a tank water heater 125, a valve 135, a system bypass 105, and a water pump 110.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, a user outlet 130 may include a sink, a toilet, and a shower. However, the user outlet 130 may additionally include any and all municipal, commercial, and industrial outlets. For example, the user outlet 130 may include a shower, a bathtub, a sink, a dishwasher, a washing machine, a faucet, a cleaning machine, a spigot, a ball valve, a gate valve, a butterfly valve, a reactor, a cleaner, and more. The user outlet 130 is merely an intended destination for hot water transferred from a hot water heater 120, 125 through a hot water line 185.

[0023] While FIG. 1 includes an embodiment having a certain number of components, disclosed systems 100 may include any number of these components. For example, disclosed systems 100 for circulating water may include any number of system bypasses 105, water pumps 110, switches 115, water heaters 120, 125, user outlets 130, valves 135, hot water sections 140, and cold water sections 145.

[0024] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, disclosed systems 100 for circulating water may include a system bypass 205. The system bypass 205 may include any number of hot water sections 240, cold water sections 245, a middle section 250, a valve 235, a first connector 255 for the hot water section 240, a second connector 260 for the hot water section 240, a first connector 265 for the cold water section 245, and a second connector 270 for the cold water section 245. In some embodiments, the system bypass 205 may include the cold water section 245 having a first connector 265 and a second connector 270 that are connected through an elongate hose, wherein the first connector 265 is configured to attach to a user outlet (not shown), and wherein the second connector 270 is configured to attach to a first valve of a cold water line (not shown). The system bypass 205 may include a hot water section 240 having a third connector 255 and a fourth connector 260 that are connected through a second elongate hose, wherein the third connector 255 is configured to attach to the user outlet, and wherein the fourth connector 260 is configured to attach to a second valve of a hot water line. In some embodiments, an elongate hose as disclosed herein may include any hose and/or hose T as commonly used in plumbing.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the system bypass 205 may include a middle section 250. The middle section 250 may include an elongate body that connects the cold water section 245 to the hot water section 240. The middle section 250 may include a valve 235 configured to permit water transfer from the hot water section 240 to the cold water section 245. The valve 235 of the middle section may include any number of known valves, including a butterfly valve, a ball valve, a gate valve, a needle valve, a plug valve, a globe valve, a pinch valve, a diaphragm valve, an actuated valve, non-return valve, check valve, and others. The valve 235 may be governed by water pressure such as that supplied by water pump 110 (see FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the valve 235 may be in communication with either of a user and a switch 115, which may control and thereby activate the valve 235 to transfer water from the hot water section 240 to the cold water section 245. The valve installed in the bypass allows water from the hot water section to pass to the cold water section when the pump is activated (higher pressure in the hot water section than the cold water section); but do not allow water from the cold water section to go into the hot water section. Examples of valves may include, but are not limited to, check valves (example: spring check valves, swing check valves, ball check valves), solenoid valves that open when the pump is activated, and non-return valves. In some embodiments, disclosed systems 100 may include any number of system bypasses 205. For example, the disclosed system may include from 1-10 system bypasses 205, or more. The middle section 250 may connect to the cold water section 245 through a first pipe tee, or any known plumbing connector, made of a metal, a polymer, and a mixture thereof. The middle section 250 may connect to the hot water section 240 through a first pipe tee, or any known plumbing connector, made of a metal, a polymer, and a mixture thereof.

[0026] A middle section 250, as shown in FIG. 2, may be made from any number of metal (e.g., copper) or polymer (e.g. polyvinyl chloride) materials known. For example, middle section 250 may include an elongate hose including an acrylic braided inner tube, a stainless steel outer tube, and a reinforcement mesh located in between the acrylic braided inner tube and the stainless steel outer tube. The middle section 250 may include any known plumbing connection devices that may be supported by any known sealing technology. For example, the middle section 250 may include a rubber washer located inside each connector and configured to provide for a water-tight seal with one of a hot water section 240, a cold water section 245, and a valve 235.

[0027] FIG. 3 depicts a water pump 310, as used in disclosed systems 100 for circulating water. In some embodiments, the water pump 310 may include any type of known pump, including but not limited to, a positive displacement pump, a rotary displacement pump, a dynamic pump, a centrifugal pump, an axial and radial centrifugal pump, a reciprocating pump, a submersible pump, a peristaltic pump, a diaphragm pump, and a combination thereof. In some embodiments, disclosed systems 100 may include any number of pumps. For example, the disclosed system may include from 1-10 pumps 310, or more.

[0028] FIG. 4 depicts a switch 415 for a disclosed system 100 for circulating water. The switch 415 may be electronically or physically coupled to a timer set to activate the switch 415 to activate any number of water pumps 110 at any predetermined time. In some embodiments, the switch 415 may include a wireless communication device that may connect to a wireless communication network. For example, a disclosed switch 415 may include a wireless communication device that connects to other wireless devices through any known communication networks, including but not limited to, a 3G network, a 4G network, LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. In some embodiments, a switch 415 may function using a wired network connection network such as a conventional Ethernet connection, such as with a personal computer with an Ethernet port. Through wired or wireless networks, a disclosed switch 415 may connect to any one of a water pump 110, a valve 235 of the system bypass 205, and a timer. In some embodiments, the switch 415 may be activated by a user or programmed to be automated.

[0029] Additionally, disclosed systems for circulating water may be operated with a method of circulating water to a user outlet. The method may include pumping, with a water pump, cold water from a hot water line to a cold water line through a system bypass and then to a water heater from the cold water line. The method may include heating the water with the water heater to form hot water. The method may include pumping, with the water pump, the hot water from the hot water heater to the hot water line connected to the hot water heater, the hot water from the hot water line to the system bypass, and then to the user outlet from the system bypass. The method may include heating the water in at least one of a tankless water heater or a tank water heater. In some embodiments, the water pump may include a switch configured to activate the water pump and a timer coupled to the switch and a timer coupled to the switch, wherein the method may include using the timer to activate the switch to activate the water pump. The method may include communicating, with a user interface device, to the switch to activate the water pump. In some embodiments, the method may include operating with multiple water tanks and multiple system bypasses.

[0030] In some embodiments, a disclosed method for circulating water may include activating a switch by an end user or via automation. Activating the switch may activate a water pump connected to either one of a tankless water heater or a tank water heater. In some embodiments, activating the water pump may increase pressure in the hot water section to transfer the warm or cold water held in the hot water section to a cold water section through a middle section of a system bypass. In some embodiments, warm or cold water may be transferred back to one of the tankless water heater or the tank water heater through a cold water line to be heated for further distribution. By transferring the cold or warm water from the hot water section to the cold water section, hot water displaces the cold or warm water so that hot water is readily accessible by the end user at the user outlet. Activating the water pump may increase pressure in a hot water section to provide water to user outlet.

[0031] In some embodiments, the system bypass may be installed at various sites of a system, including the farthest location from either of a tankless water heater or a tank water heater. The system bypass may prevent water from a cold water section to pass to the hot water section. Transferring of cold or warm water from the hot water section to the cold water section may be done in a few minutes or seconds before a user draws hot water from a user outlet. The transferring of cold or warm water may be done using a switch, which may be set by an automated timer and may be tuned based on the distance from each system component to either of the tankless water heater or a tank water heater, water flow velocity, pipe insulation, environmental temperature, water heater capacity, etc.

[0032] The figures and descriptions provided herein may have been simplified to illustrate aspects that are relevant for a clear understanding of the herein described devices, systems, and methods, while eliminating, for the purpose of clarity, other aspects that may be found in typical similar devices, systems, and methods. Those of ordinary skill may recognize that other elements and/or operations may be desirable and/or necessary to implement the devices, systems, and methods described herein. But because such elements and operations are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, a discussion of such elements and operations may not be provided herein. However, the present disclosure is deemed to inherently include all such elements, variations, and modifications to the described aspects that would be known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms a, an and the may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms comprises, comprising, including, and having, are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0034] Although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer, or section. That is, terms such as first, second, and other numerical terms, when used herein, do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Reference in the specification to one implementation or an implementation means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the implementation is included in at least one implementation of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase in one implementation, in some implementations, in one instance, in some instances, in one case, in some cases, in one embodiment, or in some embodiments in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same implementation or embodiment.

[0035] Finally, the above descriptions of the implementations of the present disclosure have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible considering the above teaching. It is intended that the scope of the present disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claims of this application. As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the present disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims.