Patent · US Expired

Hot water preheater system

US4604991A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
12References
10Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 6, 1985
Grant dateAug 12, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 6, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B10/70
  • WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A secondary heating source is used to preheat the water supplied to a conventional hot water tank. Three two-position valves permit the water from the water supply line to be supplied directly to the hot water tank during part of the year (such as the winter), with the secondary heating source having its inlet and its outlet connected to a drain to drain all water from it so that it does not freeze in the winter. The second position of the three valves causes the water from the water supply line to be diverted through the secondary heat source prior to supplying it to the inlet of the hot water tank, so that supplemental preheating of the hot water is effected. Manually controlled valves are used to accomplish this purposes and each of them includes indicia on it to indicate the position of operation to simplify the change-over from the "summer" mode of operation to the "winter" mode of operation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.