Hybrid heater

• US 10,400,466 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Original Assignee: Pentair Water Pool And Spa Incorporated (Pentair Plc (Ireland))
• Inventors: Dzindo, Azur
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Lori L
• Application Number:
  US15/676,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20170342732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 4488-513
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5038 freely programmable by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5082 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/0095 Arrangements for varying the temperature of the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/129 Systems for heating the water content of swimming pools solar collectors using pools F24S10/17, F24S10/10; by solar radiation F24S20/02
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 15/04 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1051 for domestic hot water
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/101 using electric energy supply
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/107 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/124 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/165 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/174 Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/215 before heating
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/281 Input from user
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/32 of switching valves for by-passing F24H15/325
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/375 Control of heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/479 : for programming the system
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 2210/00 : Burner and heat exchanger are integrated
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 2220/00 : Measures for environmentally correct disposal
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 2250/00 : Electrical heat generating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 4/02 : Water heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/139 : Continuous flow heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2021 : Storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 : Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps

Abstract

A heater including a housing, a first tankless heater, a second tankless heater, a first and second flow directing elements, the first flow directing element in communication with the first tankless heater and the second flow directing element and the second flow directing element in communication with the second tankless heater, and a controller in communication with the first and second tankless heaters and the first and second flow directing elements, the controller configured to control the first and second flow directing elements to control flow to one or both of the first and second tankless heaters.

Claims

1. A heater, comprising:

a housing;

a first tankless heater;

a second tankless heater; and

first and second flow directing elements, the first flow directing element in communication with the first tankless heater and the second flow directing element and the second flow directing element in communication with the second tankless heater, wherein the first flow directing element is configured to direct flow in one of the following manners at any given time;

(1) only to the first tankless heater, (2) to the second flow directing element and, thus, the second tankless heater and bypassing the first tankless heater, or (3) to the first tankless heater and the second flow directing element.

2. The heater of claim 1, wherein the first tankless heater is mounted to the housing and the second tankless heater is mounted within the housing.

3. The heater of claim 1, wherein both the first tankless heater and the second tankless heater are mounted within the housing.

4. The heater of claim 1, wherein the first tankless heater is an electric heat pump and the second tankless heater is a gas fired heat exchanger.

5. The heater of claim 1, further including a controller configured to monitor a temperature of water entering an inlet of the heater and controls the first and second flow directing elements dependent upon the temperature of the water entering the inlet.

6. The heater of claim 1, wherein the second flow directing element is configured to direct flow in one of the following manners at any given time:

(1) only to the second tankless heater or (2) only to a bypass pipe, which bypasses the second tankless heater.

7. The heater of claim 1, wherein the first and second flow directing elements are valves.

8. The heater of claim 1, wherein the first and second flow valves are spring-loaded check valves.

9. The heater of claim 1, wherein the first and second valves are three-way valves.

10. The heater of claim 1, further including a single inlet entering the housing and in communication with both the first and second tankless heaters and a single outlet exiting the housing and in communication with both the first and second tankless heaters.

11. A heater, comprising;

a housing;

a first tankless heater;

a second tankless heater; and

a first and second flow directing elements, the first flow directing element in communication with the first tankless heater and the second flow directing element and the second flow directing element in communication with the second tankless heater;

a controller in communication with the first and second tankless heaters and the first and second flow directing elements, the controller configured to control the first and second flow directing elements to control flow to one or both of the first and second tankless heaters.

12. The heater of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to receive input signals relating to environmental conditions around the heater and an aquatic system in which the heater is installed.

13. The heater of claim 11, wherein the controller may be programmed remotely by a user.

14. The heater of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with at least one component of an aquatic system in which the heater is installed.

15. The heater of claim 11, wherein both the first tankless heater and the second tankless heater are mounted within the housing.

16. The heater of claim 11, wherein the first tankless heater is an electric heat pump and the second tankless heater is a gas fired heat exchanger.

17. The heater of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to monitor a temperature of water entering an inlet of the heater and controls the first and second flow directing elements dependent upon the temperature of the water entering the inlet.

18. The heater of claim 11, wherein the first flow directing element is configured to direct flow in one of the following manners at any given time:

(1) only to the first tankless heater, (2) to the second flow directing element and, thus, the second tankless heater and bypassing the first tankless heater, or (3) to the first tankless heater and the second flow directing element and the second flow directing element is configured to direct flow in one of the following manners at any given time;

(1) only to the second tankless heater or (2) only to a bypass pipe, which bypasses the second tankless heater.

19. The heater of claim 11, wherein the first and second flow directing elements are valves.

20. The heater of claim 11, further including a single inlet entering the housing and in communication with both the first and second tankless heaters and a single outlet exiting the housing and in communication with both the first and second tankless heaters.