Spa heater system and methods for controlling

• US 8,669,494 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balboa Water Group LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balboa Water Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Tran, Trong
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US11/767,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: 219/213, 219483-497, 392485-489
• US Class Current: 219/213
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0269 For heating of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A spa system comprises an electrically powered heater. The electrically powered heater comprises a heating element capable of drawing a rated current when switched on to an AC line voltage. An electronic control system is programmed to control the heating element to draw less than the rated current.

Claims

1. A bathing installation system, comprising:

a water vessel for holding a volume of bathing installation water;

an electrically powered water heater;

a solid state device for controlling current to the water heater;

a plurality of electrically powered bathing installation non-heater components, including a water pump, and wherein at least said pump is adapted to be selectively powered on and off;

wherein the current drawn by the heater and the plurality of electrically powered bathing installation non-heater components exceeds a maximum current rating of a line voltage supply for the bathing installation or of the bathing installation;

a circulation system for passing the bathing installation water through the water heater to heat the bathing installation water, the circulation system including a circulation water path, and said pump, wherein said pump is arranged for pumping the bathing installation water through the circulation path;

an electronic control system for controlling the water heater and the plurality of non-heater components to any one of a plurality of different power configuration states by turning said components on or off in dependence on a commanded configuration state, the control system adapted to determine a current load drawn by a commanded configuration state of the non-heater components, to calculate an available current capacity for the heater based on said current load and said maximum current rating and to control the solid state device so that a current magnitude applied to the heater does not exceed said available current capacity and the total current drawn by the bathing installation does not exceed said maximum current rating, wherein the electronic control system, in response to receipt of a signal to change the state of one of the non-heater components, is adapted to de-energize the heater prior to changing the state of said one of the non-heater components, to change the state of the one of the non-heater components, to measure the current actually drawn by the non-heater components after changing the state of said one of the non-heater components to determine said current load.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system further comprises a current sensor for sensing a magnitude of current being drawn by the bathing installation system and providing an electronic current level signal indicative of the magnitude of current being drawn.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control system includes a computer configured for calculating the current drawn by non-heater components responsive, at least in part, to a stored set of nominal current usage values.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-heater components comprise at least one of a pump, a blower or a light.