Patent ID: 7762280
Filing Date: 2010-07-27
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A pair of valve assemblies for use with a tankless water heater having a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet, the pair of valve of assemblies comprising, an inlet valve assembly connecting a cold water inlet pipe to the tankless water heater inlet and an outlet valve assembly connecting the hot water outlet of a tankless water heater to a hot water outlet pipe, each of the hot and cold water valve assemblies comprising; a valve body formed of at least a first and second body section, each having an elongate tubular passageway portion which cooperate with a ball cavity formed therebetween when one of the body sections defines an auxiliary inlet/outlet in communication with the ball cavity and a tubular spindle flange communicating with the ball cavity; an elongate spindle sealingly mounted within the spindle flange for limited rotation between an open position and a bypass position, the spindle having a first end extending toward the ball cavity and a second end oriented distally therefrom; and a ball valve oriented within the ball cavity affixed relative to the spindle for rotation therewith between a closed position and a bypass position, a ball valve having a primary elongate passageway extending orthogonally to an axis of ball rotation, the primary elongate passageway being generally aligned with the tubular passageway portions and the feld body sections when the ball valve is in the open position, the ball valve further having an internal bypass port which is aligned with the passageway portion and the first body section when the ball valve is in the bypass position to interconnect the first body section tubular passageway with the auxiliary inlet/outlet while isolating the second body section tubular passageway from the ball cavity; wherein the first body section of each of the hot water and cold water valve assemblies is respectively connected to the tankless water heater, cold water inlet and hot water outlet so that when the valves are in the normally open position, water flows from the cold water inlet pipe through the cold water valve assembly through the tankless water heater and out through the hot water valve assembly to the hot water pipe and when the ball valves, the hot water and cold valve assemblies are moved to the bypass position, the tankless water heaters are isolated from the cold water inlet and hot water outlet pipes and in communication with the auxiliary inlet/outlets of the hot and cold water valve assemblies.