Abstract:
A reverse flow back pressure pump that enables liquid to flow in a reverse direction in plumbing fixtures in order to loosen and discharge sediment freed during the reverse flow.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/123,984, filed on Apr. 11, 2008, and titled “Reverse Flow Back Pressure Pump” under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), and is also herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention generally relates to plumbing tools, and more specifically, relates to plumbing tools used to unclog plumbing fixtures. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently, there are many old homes that have galvanized or other corrodible pipes that supply water to the numerous plumbing fixtures found in a home. As corrosion and other sediment build up within the pipes, water flow is adversely affected. In such situations, a plumber is typically called to temporarily fix the problem without replacing the pipes. Known approaches to temporarily fix the water flow problems in fixtures has been to turn off the water service to the home and disassemble one or more of the fixtures to physically insert a metal “snake” or other device to remove any blockages or otherwise open the pipe. This approach is time consuming for the plumber and costly for the home owner. 
     Thus, there is a need for an approach to clearing the water supply pipes without having to remove fixtures, while reducing the amount of time required for completing the maintenance on the pipes. 
     SUMMARY 
     An approach to clearing water supply fixture of sediment and other blockages without having to disassemble fixtures while saving time is described. The approach involves forcing water in the opposite direction through the fixture at a pressure sufficient to dislodge sediment and other materials that may be restricting water flow. A hand pump is connected to a faucet or other fixture and is filled with water. The pump then is used to force water back through the faucet to dislodge sediment, such as rust and calcium. The pump also may have a valve that will let the water flow through the pump and out to the drain or bucket. The dislodged sediment is able to flow through the valve resulting in a cleared fixture with pressure restored. 
     Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views. 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram of a reverse flow back pressure pump in accordance with an implementation of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of the procedure for use of the reverse flow back pressure pump to remove sediment from water pipes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An approach for implementing a reverse flow back pressure water pump is described. The approach enables a user to quickly and efficiently remove sediment from fixtures due to rust, calcium buildup or similar blockages that restrict water flow. 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a diagram  100  of a reverse flow back pressure pump in accordance with an implementation of the invention is shown. A pump  102 , such as a hand powered diaphragm pump is connected to a tee coupler  104  that has an on/off valve  106  coupled to one opening of the tee  104  and a fill hose  108  coupled to the other opening  120  of the tee  104 . The on/off valve  106  also is coupled to a discharge hose  110  that is adapted to fit on a plumbing fixture, such as a bathroom faucet. 
     The on/off valve  106  is placed in an open or first position and the faucet is turned on. The water from the faucet travels through the fill hose  108  and pump  102  fills with water or other liquid depending on what comes out of the faucet. Since the on/off valve  106  is open, the water will proceed to exit the pump  102  via the discharge hose  110 . When the on/off valve  106  is placed in the second or closed position, the pump  102  fills with water until the pressure is equalized between the water pressure in the faucet  112  and the water pressure in the pump  102 . 
     The pump  102  is activated or pumped to increase the water pressure in the fill hose  108  and force water back into the faucet  112 . If the pump  102  is a diaphragm pump, then a handle  114  may be used to pump the pump  102  and increase the water pressure in fill hose  108 . Water is forced back into the pipes within the house via faucet  112  in a direction opposite in which the sediment was formed in the fixture. The force of the water pressure going in generally an opposite direction aids in the loosening and freeing of sediment in the fixture. The use of a hand powered pump aids in limiting the pressure that is built up in the fill hose  108  and water pipes located within the home or other building. 
     To flush out the sediment that has been loosened, a user opens or places the on/off valve  106  in a first position. The sediment is then allowed to flow through the fill hose  108  from faucet  112  through valve  106  and exit through the discharge hose  110 . The household water pressure provides the force to flush the sediments out of the faucet. 
     Additionally, one end of the fill hose  108  may have a fitting  116  that enables the fill hose to connect to the threads commonly found on a faucet when the faucet strainer (not shown) is removed. In other implementations, the fill hose  108  may have a generic or fitting that accepts other fittings with thread sizes commonly found in faucets. Another feature that may be found on the reverse flow back pressure pump is a pressure gauge  118  to more accurately know the amount of back pressure. The pressure gauge  118  may be located anywhere on the pump that is under pressure when the ball valve  106  is closed. 
     Other features that may be included in the reverse flow back pressure pump are strainers on either or both of the hoses (fill hose  108  and discharge hose  106 ). A strainer on the fill hose  108  would assure large pieces of sediment are not being forced into the plumbing fixture and trap sediment when the pressure is released. The sediment would be trapped before it enters the pump assuring the pump stays clean and operational. The strainer  122  on the discharge hose prevents the solid sediment from going into a drain or bucket and enables it to be disposed of as solid waste trash. 
     In  FIG. 2 , a flow diagram  200  of the procedure for use of the reverse flow back pressure pump to remove sediment from fixtures is shown. The procedure starts  202  with the fill hose being connected to a faucet  204 . The on/off valve  106  is in the first position or open position  206 . The faucet is then turned on  208  and water is allowed to flow into the fill hose  108  and eventually out of the discharge hose  110 . The on/off valve  106  is placed in a second position or closed position  210 . The pressure is then increased in the fill hose  108  by pump  102  being pumped  212 . The on/off valve  106  is then placed back into the first position or open position  214  allowing sediment to run out of the faucet via discharge hose  110 . The fill hose may then be disconnected from the faucet  216  and water is able to freely flow in the pipe and the procedure is finished  218 . If needed to further increase flow of water in the pipes, the procedure may be repeated one or more times. 
     The foregoing description of an implementation has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention. Note also that the implementation may vary between systems. The claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.