Hot water heater failure protection device with solenoid

• US 4,805,662 A
• Filed: 01/21/1988
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald W. Moody
• Original Assignee: Ronald W. Moody
• Inventors: Moody, Ronald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US07/146,333
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 137/312, 137/392, 137/434, 200/61.04, 200/61.05, 200/84 R, 122/504.2, 122/505, 122/507, 126/344, 126/374, 126/383, 126/388, 340/604, 340/605, 340/620, 340/623, 340/624, 340/625, 73/313, 307/118, 361/178
• US Class Current: 137/312
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/12 Preventing or detecting fluid leakage
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/17 Means for retaining water leaked from heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2021 Storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7306 Electrical characteristic sensing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7439 Float arm operated valve

Abstract

A ground fault interrupter (GFI) circuit is wired to a main circuit breaker panel. A first output of the ground fault interrupter circuit provides electrical current to a solenoid valve that controls the supply of cold water to a conventional hot water heater. The solenoid valve is held in its open position by 110 V. alternating current and is closed by spring biasing means when the current is cut off. The other output of the GFI circuit provides 110 V. alternating current to a leak detector. A leak detecting system directs leakage to a collector wherein the presence of water in the collector completes the circuit between the hot wire and ground of the second outlet. When the circuit is shorted out to ground by the presence of water the GFI circuit is tripped at the main circuit breaker panel and simultaneously cuts off current to the solenoid valve controlling the flow of water to the heater permitting the spring to bias the valve shut and preventing any water damage due to leakage.

Claims

1. A non-complex water leakage detector and automatic cut-off system for installation with special wiring in combination with a hot water heater comprising:

water supply means operably connected to said hot water heater,

control means controlling the supply of water to said hot water heater,

a leakage collector means operatively connected to said hot water heater and said control means,

said leakage collector means for automatically actuating said control means and terminates the flow of supply water to said hot water heater when the presence of leakage water is in said leakage collector means,

said control means includes a ground fault interrupter circuit having a first and second electrical outlet plug,

an electrical solenoid valve having spring biasing means controlling the flow of water in said water supply means,

first electrical connection means connecting said electrical solenoid valve to said first electrical outlet plug;

second electrical connection means connecting said leakage collector means to said second electrical outlet plug,

said second electrical connection means including a neutral wire, hot wire and ground wire,

said hot wire being connected to a metal conductor fixedly mounted in said leakage collector means,

said neutral wire mounted in spaced relation above said metal conductor,

said ground wire located a predetermined distance below said metal conductor and above the base of said leakage collector means,

said leakage collector means completes the electrical connection between said hot wire and said ground wire thus shorting out said ground fault interrupter circuit and terminating supply of electrical current to said electrical solenoid valve permitting a spring biasing means to close said solenoid valve and terminating the supply of water to said hot water heater when water is present in said leakage collector means,

said hot water heater includes a water tank and an outer housing enveloping said water tank with a space therebetween and said leak collector means comprises a leakage collector vessel and a conduit interconnecting said space between said water tank and said outer housing with said leakage vessel whereby leakage accumulated in said space at a level of said conduit wherein the water leakage is transferred to said collector vessel to prevent said supply water inflow upon activation of said solenoid valve.

2. A non-complex water leakage detector and automatic cut-off system for installation with special wiring in combination with a hot water heater comprising:

water supply means operably connected to said hot water heater,

control means controlling the supply of water to said hot water heater,

a leakage collector means operatively connected to said hot water heater and said control means,

said leakage collector means for automatically actuating said control means and terminates the flow of supply water to said hot water heater when the presence of leakage water is in said leakage collector means,

said control means includes a ground fault interrupter circuit having a first and second electrical outlet plug,

an electrical solenoid valve having spring biasing means controlling the flow of water in said water supply means,

first electrical connection means connecting said electrical solenoid valve to said first electrical outlet plug;

second electrical connection means connecting said leakage collector means to said second electrical outlet plug,

said second electrical connection means including a neutral wire, hot wire and ground wire,

said hot wire being connected to a metal conductor fixedly mounted in said leakage collector means,

said neutral wire mounted in spaced relation above said metal conductor,

said ground wire located a predetermined distance below said metal conductor and above the base of said leakage collector means,

said leakage collector means completes the electrical connection between said hot wire and said ground wire thus shorting out said ground fault interrupter circuit and terminating supply of electrical current to said electrical solenoid valve permitting a spring biasing means to close said solenoid valve and terminating the supply of water to said hot water heater when water is present in said leakage collector means,

said control means comprises an electrical circuit utilizing reduced line voltage,

said electrical solenoid valve permitting the flow of supply water in its normally open position,

switch means mounted on said collector means whereby the presence of leakage water in said leakage collector means deactivates said electrical solenoid valve thus permitting said electrical solenoid valve to close and cut-off said water supply,

said switch means comprises a float operated arm and a pair of electrical terminals connected to said reduced voltage circuit,

one of said pair of terminals serving to complete the electrical circuit to said solenoid valve when said float arm is in a first position and the other of said pair of terminals serving to complete the electrical circuit to an alarm bell when said float moves said arm from said first position to a second position due to the presence of leakage water in said collector means,

said termination of electrical current to said solenoid valve permits said solenoid valve to close due to spring bias contained therein,

said leakage collector means comprises an open collector tray having a base and a raised peripheral wall, said switch means including a pivotally mounted arm on said peripheral wall and said hot water heater is mounted in said leakage collector tray to collect leakage collected from said hot water heater,

wherein said control means includes a 240 volt circuit reduced to 24 volts by a step down transformer, a hot wire from the output of said stepdown transformer electrically connected in series with one side of an alarm bell and one side of said electrical solenoid valve controlling the supply of water to said hot water heater and a neutral wire from the output of said stepdown transformer connected to said switch means.