Freeze protection for hot water systems

[0002] The invention refers to the protection of piping systems containing water from damages due to freezing.

[0003] During vacation time in winter or in holiday resorts there is a necessity to protect the domestic water installation and also the hydronic heating system from freezing. Known are heating cables, which are in heat conducting contact with the pipes, however, it is difficult or even impossible to apply it to existing installations. Usually the hydronic heating is kept working at a reduced temperature, which means unnecessary energy consumption. It is also possible to fill the hydronic system with a mixture of water and the expensive glycol, which requires a higher velocity of flow within the pipes than with water.

[0004] The invention shows a way to avoid these disadvantages. The invention takes advantage of the fact that the surface of the pipes is much smaller than the surface of the radiators and that in the beginning only such pipe sections tend to freeze, which are exposed to draft, while the water in all other pipes and especially in the hot water tank still has a temperature above the freezing point. According to the invention a connecting pipe with a circulator pump is arranged at the end of the distribution lines between the hot water pipes and the cold water pipes, whereby the circulator pump is switched on by a thermostat as soon as the room temperature falls below a preset temperature, for instance 4° C. In domestic hot water systems with a storage tank the water temperature stays above the freezing point for several days. For longer periods of cold weather and also for installations without a tank, a resistance heater, which forms a unit with the circulator pump, will be provided. In installations with a hot water recirculation pump no additional pump will be needed. If a circulator pump conveys the cooled down water through a circulation pipe back into the hot water tank, a connection with a valve between the outlet port of the pump and the cold water line is necessary which prevents that cold water flows into the hot water system. In installations in which the cooled down content of the hot water pipes is conveyed back into the cold water pipe, only a room-thermostat will be necessary which turns on the pump as soon as the room temperature falls below for instance 4° C. (39.2° F). In installations with a microprocessor, the program of the processor will activate the pump in case of freezing danger.

[0005] The invention can not only be used in domestic hot water systems but also in hydronic heating systems. In this case the heating circulator can be used. As soon as the room temperature falls below for instance 4° C., a thermo-switch activates the circulator pump once or twice per hour for as long as it takes to circulate the whole content of the water in the heating circuits approximately two times. As soon as the water temperature falls below 2° C., a second thermostat activates a heating element for instance a heating wire wound around one of the pipes and sets the pump to run continuously. Also in hydronic systems a resistance heater of low performance is advantageous.

[0006] FIG. 1 shows an installation with a hot water heater.

[0007] FIG. 2 shows an installation with a recirculation line to the hot water heater.

[0008] FIG. 3 shows an Installation with an instant gas-heater.

[0009] FIG. 1 shows an installation with a hot water heater 1, a hot water pipe 2 and a cold water pipe 3. At the end of both lines 2 and 3 a pipe 23 connects the suction port of a small circulator pump 4 with the hot water pipe 2 and the pressure side with the cold water line 3. A temperature switch 5 activates the circulator pump 4 when the room temperature comes close to the freezing point. A check valve 6 prevents cold water from entering the hot water line 2 and a second check valve 7 prevents warm water from entering the cold water line. This valve 7, which is described in patent EP 07751355 A1, opens hydraulically as soon as the pump impeller creates pressure. With a second temperature switch 8 the same circulator pump 4 can be used as pump for the hot water circulation whereby the temperature switch 8 measures the temperature of the water in the hot water line and as soon as the temperature falls below a preset temperature, pump 4 is activated which then conveys the cooled down water content of the hot water line 2 into the cold water line 3. As soon as the hot water heater is switched off, temperature switch 5 interrupts the power supply when the water temperature in the hot water line 2 falls by a predetermined value, for instance 10K, below the activation temperature of the temperature switch 8 and activates the circulator pump 4 as soon as the room temperature falls below for instance 4° C. or when the water temperature exceeds for the first time the activation temperature of temperature switch 8 when the hot water heater is switched on again. FIG. 2 shows an installation with a recirculation line 9. In order to get a circulation there has to be a connection 10 with the cold water line 3′, which can be achieved by a three-way-valve 11, which In its position with a connection to the cold water line does not totally block the connection through the circulation line 9 so that a small conveyance continues through recirculation line 9. Attentively check valves 12 and 13 can also perform the changeover. Also room temperature-controlled solenoid valves or other temperature controlled valves can make the connection to the cold water line when there is danger of freezing. FIG. 3 shows the diagram for units with instant gas-water-heaters 15, a connection line 23 and circulator pump 4″. As soon as the room temperature falls below for instance 4° C., temperature switch 5″ activates pump 4″ and, as soon as the water temperature falls below for instance 2° C., it also energizes an electric resistor heating element 14. The water than flows through the pipe 3″ on the pressure side, thereafter through the heat exchanger of the instant water heater 15 and then through the pipe 2″ to the suction side of pump 40″.