UV lamp and anti-scale water treatment water heater apparatus with sanitation loop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11397009-B2
Application number	US-201916595781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 20, 2018
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A water heating and treatment system with UV lamp and anti-scale water treatment sanitation for suppression of pathogens and undesired bacterial content in a domestic hot water system includes an anti-scale device, and a UV sanitation lamp. A single or multiple mixing station supplies heated water to one or multiple temperature zones. A water heater sanitation loop includes a sanitation loop pump to circulate hot water within the water heater. A three-way return water diverter valve allows for safe sanitation of a domestic hot water system by diverting over temperature re-circulated water away from the mixing valve to a drain, as needed. A method for treating hot water to suppress pathogens and undesired bacterial content in a domestic hot water system is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water heating and treatment system with UV lamp and anti-scale water treatment sanitation for suppression of pathogens and undesired bacterial content in a domestic hot water system comprising:
a water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising an anti-scale device, and a UV sanitation lamp;
a single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to a hot water outflow line from said water heater, said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station to supply said temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone of the one or multiple temperature zones at a first hot water temperature;
a water heater sanitation loop including a sanitation loop pump to circulate hot water within said water heater; and
a three-way return water diverter valve comprising a proportional three-way return water diverter valve fluidly coupled to said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station via one or more sanitation components, and said proportional three-way return water diverter valve fluidly coupled to a drain or to another use, via a drain line or a diverted water line, respectively, said three-way return water diverter valve to provide a portion of a re-circulated hot water from a hot water recirculation line comprising a temperature sensor to said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station and a remaining portion of the re-circulated hot water to said drain.

2. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a water heater controller, operatively coupled to said three-way return water diverter valve and said temperature sensor, causes said three-way return water diverter valve to divert said re-circulated hot water during an overtemperature condition detected by said temperature sensor.

3. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein a water heater controller, operatively coupled to said three-way return water diverter valve, said temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, causes said three-way return water diverter valve to divert said portion of, or substantially all of said re-circulated hot water based on a differential temperature measured by said water heater controller between said temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor.

4. The water heating and treatment system of claim 3 , wherein said second temperature sensor comprises a water supply temperature sensor.

5. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said three-way return water diverter valve is set to divert substantially all of said re-circulated hot water to said drain during a temperature shock operation or a chemical shock operation.

6. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein when a water heater controller is set for a temperature shock operation or a chemical shock operation, said three-way return water diverter valve is set to divert substantially all of said re-circulated hot water to said drain.

7. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sanitation components comprises at least one UV sanitation lamp.

8. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more sanitation components comprises at least one sediment filter.

9. The water heating and treatment system of claim 1 , wherein said proportional three-way return water diverter valve comprises a modulating 3-way valve.

10. A method for treating hot water to suppress pathogens and undesired bacterial content in a domestic hot water system comprising:
providing:
a water heater,
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising: an anti-scale device, and a UV sanitation lamp,
a single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to a hot water outflow line from said water heater, said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station to supply said temperature regulated heated water to at least a first temperature zone of the one or multiple temperature zones at a first hot water temperature,
a water heater sanitation loop including a sanitation loop pump to circulate the hot water within said water heater, a three-way return water diverter valve comprising a proportional three-way return water diverter valve fluidly coupled to said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station via one or more sanitation components, and said proportional three-way return water diverter valve fluidly coupled to a drain via a drain line, or to another use via a diverted water line;

returning substantially all of a re-circulated water via said three-way return water diverter valve to said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station during a normal operation;
diverting 0% to 100% of the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during an overtemperature condition; and
diverting 90% to 100% of the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during a shock treatment operation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during said overtemperature condition comprises diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use based on said overtemperature condition being detected by at least one temperature sensor operatively coupled to a controller.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during said overtemperature condition comprises diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use based on a differential temperature measured by at least two temperature sensors operatively coupled to a controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least two temperature sensors include a tempered water supply temperature sensor and a recirculated water temperature sensor.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during said shock treatment operation comprises diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during a temperature shock treatment operation.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during said shock treatment operation comprises diverting the re-circulated water to said drain or to said another use during a chemical shock treatment operation.

16. A water heating and treatment system with UV lamp and anti-scale water treatment sanitation for suppression of pathogens and undesired bacterial content in a domestic hot water system comprising:
a water heater;
a cold water supply line to supply water to said water heater, said cold water supply line comprising an anti-scale device, and a UV sanitation lamp;
a single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station to supply a temperature regulated heated water to one or multiple temperature zones, said single or multiple temperature regulating mixing station fluidly coupled to said cold water supply line and to a hot water outflow line from said water heater, said single or multiple temperature reg

Assignees

• Watts Regulator Co

Inventors

• D'Amore Theresa
• Bothner Paul
• Morgan Kyle T
• D'Amore Vincent

Classifications

• F24D19/0092

  Devices for preventing or removing corrosion, slime or scale · CPC title

• F24D17/0073 Primary

  Arrangements for preventing the occurrence or proliferation of microorganisms in the water · CPC title

• C02F5/08

  Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents · CPC title

• F24H9/45

  for preventing galvanic corrosion, e.g. cathodic or electrolytic means · CPC title

• C02F1/325

  Irradiation devices or lamp constructions · CPC title