Patent Publication Number: US-6666174-B1

Title: Elevating base for gas-fired water heater

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a base for rendering a gas-fired water heater explosion-proof by elevating the water heater and its combustion chamber from a floor surface and by using vapour detector(s) to detect the presence of combustible vapours before they can reach the combustion chamber. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Gas water heaters are provided with a combustion chamber in the lower part thereof where a gas burner is located to heat the bottom tank wall of the water heater to produce hot water. The combustion chamber has openings whereby to admit fresh air for mixture with the gas to produce a combustible product. These gas water heaters can be hazardous if they are utilized in areas where there is a risk that combustible vapours may propagate in the area of the air supply to the burners. Usually, combustible vapours will accumulate on a floor surface, because they are heavier than air, and slowly build up and rise thus creating a large cloud of ignitable gas vapours. If such a cloud of vapour propagates to the combustion chamber of a gas water heater it will ignite and cause a very serious explosion and usually destroy the gas water heater and fragment the gas line to add further fuel to the fire. Needless to say, such explosion would be disastrous to any person in the immediate vicinity of the gas water heater and cause a building fire. 
     Gas water heaters can be installed in garages. However, in garages fumes are usually released by automobiles due to gas leakage or the storage of paint or the use of glues and other such combustible vapour generating products that we usually find in work areas of a garage. The basement of a residence is also another hazardous location where dangerous products are stored. In the past, various attempts have been made to deal with this problem but to date none has proven satisfactory. 
     It is known to provide sealed combustion chambers and provide duct work whereby to admit fresh air from the outside into these chambers for the combustible products. We usually find such installations in gas fireplaces and these fire places are usually installed close to an outside wall for this purpose. The chimney duct work of these gas appliances are usually formed by concentric piping wherein the centre pipe is used as a flue and the annular channel thereabout formed by the spaced outer pipe acts as the fresh air intake to the combustion chamber. This process in water heater is known as “direct vent water heater” and has been widely used for more than six years. Wall distance from the appliance is the limitation of the application. 
     There is currently millions of gas water heaters in operation and most of these are fed combustible air through the base of the housing of the water heater and they are subjected to the above-mentioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a feature of the present invention to provide a base for rendering a gas water heater substantially explosion-proof. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a base which is adaptable to existing water heaters whereby to provide a retrofit to elevate the water heaters from a floor support surface and wherein vapour detectors are associated with the base to render the water heater substantially explosion-proof by early switching off the gas supply and extinguishing the burner, the pilot flames and cooling the components in the combustion chamber. 
     Another feature of the present invention is to provide a base and a connector whereby to secure the base to existing gas water heaters to support the water heaters elevated from a floor support surface and wherein detecting and switching means is provided to shut off the gas supply to the burner of the combustion chamber and pilot and burner flames upon detection of combustible vapours. 
     According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a base for rendering a gas-fired water heater, having a lower combustion chamber, explosion-proof. The base has elevating support means to support the water heater elevated from a floor surface. One or more vapour detectors are associated with the base to detect the presence of combustible vapours. The vapour detectors are connected to switching means to shut-off a gas burner and pilot in the combustion chamber before the combustible vapour reach the gas burner and pilot through combustion chamber air supply passages in a lower end of the gas water heater housing. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partly fragmented side view showing the construction of a gas water heater to which the base of the present invention has been secured to support the water heater elevated from a floor surface; 
     FIG. 2 is a fragmented, partly sectioned, view showing the base welded to the housing of the water heater; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the base press-fitted to the lower portion of the housing of the water heater; 
     FIG. 4 is a further view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but showing an adaptor ring or bracket secured to a top wall of the support base to retrofit the base to water heaters of different diameters; 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a different type of securement means in the form of an adjustable bracket secured to the top wall of the base to retrofit same to water heater housings of different diameters; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a gas valve showing the connection of the vapour sensors to the relay coil of a gas valve; 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the vapour sensor to the electro magnet of a gas valve; and 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the vapour detector system connected to the gas valve and the hot surface igniter of the burner. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1 there is shown generally at  10  a gas water heater secured to the elevating base  11  of the present invention. The gas water heater  10  generally consists of a housing  11 ′ which is spaced from an inner steel tank  12  containing water to be heated. Insulation is injected or disposed in the space  13  to insulate the tank  12 . The tank has a center flue  14  for the escape of combustible gas. The flue communicates with a combustion chamber  15  in which there is disposed a gas burner  16  and a pilot igniter  17 . The lower portion  18  of the tank  10  is provided with vent holes  19  or open spaces to admit fresh air in the combustion chamber  15  for admixture with gas supplied thereto by the main gas line  20  to provide an ignitable mixture to produce a flame to heat the water within the tank. 
     A second vapour detector  25  is also provided with wiring  26 ′ which connects to the switch  24  to provide secondary detection in the event of failure of the first detector. This is an optional switching feature to provide added security. 
     With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3 there is shown different forms of securement means whereby to secure an upper portion of the base to a bottom end of a gas water heater housing. As shown in FIG. 2 the elevated base is formed by a cylindrical contour wall  26  formed of metal sheeting. The contour wall  26  is provided with a top wall or a flange portion  27  whereby to receive the lower end portion  18  of the gas water heater thereon. The securement means is herein shown by a contour weld or spot welds  28  disposed about the lower portion  18  in the top wall  27 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3 the top wall  27  is provided with a plurality of flanges  29  which are punched out of the top wall whereby to receive the lower portion  18  of a gas water heater in close fit therein for retention. Of course, there are various other means to secure the base to the lower end of a gas water heater. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a few other examples of such securement means. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the base  11  is provided with an adaptor ring hereinshown in cross-section and which has a predetermined diameter whereby to adapt the base  11  to water heaters having different diameter lower portions. The adaptor ring  30  may be secured to the top wall  27  of the base by various means such as welding or the use of fasteners such as rivets, etc. 
     FIG. 5 shows an adjustment bracket  31  for securing the base to the lower portion of gas water heaters of different diameter sizes. As hereinshown the adjustment bracket is secured to the top wall  27  by a connector flange  32 . The connector flange has an adjustable bracket  33  whereby to receive, in close fit therein, the lower portion  18  of the gas water heater. The adjustment bracket  33  is provided with a slot  34  for adjustability thereof and secured in place by a fastener  35 . Again, these are only examples of the various securement means to secure the base to existing gas water heaters. These securement means provide for a universal mount whereby to retrofit the base to present installation to add safety to an existing system without the proprietor having to invest in a new heater. It is pointed out that since all gas water heaters have an expected life of about 10 years, this support base allows the consumer to purchase a single universal base and exchange defective water heaters with conventional water heaters which are then mounted on the universal base. Accordingly, it is preferred that the base have a disconnectable means, although not essential. The sensors also utilize electronic circuitry and do not have any moving parts so that the life of these is expected to be in the range of 30 to 40 years and this adds safety to the system. An important feature of the base is that it does not require that the combustion chamber be sealed and provided with expensive feed pipes. The base is reusable when the heater leaks thus providing material saving and lower costs to the consumer. Accordingly, the base provides for an existing need which is economical and easy to adapt to existing water heaters while providing the security and reliability to prevent explosions from occurring with such gas-fired water heaters. 
     The contour wall  26  of the base is also provided with apertures  40  to permit the circulation of air under the base in the event of water leakage which could provide rusting thereof. These vent holes make it such that the air can move freely under the base. 
     As shown if FIG. 1 the elevated base  11  may also be provided with adjustment legs  39  thereabout for assuring that the gas water heater base is levelled with the floor support surface  21 . 
     The vapour detection system as described herein will now be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 6-8. The system works on a single 12 volt battery or 8 AA batteries that will last from approximately 8 to 36 hours and need to be connected to a 110 volts supply for charging the batteries or thermopile. The vapour sensors may be Model TGS813 supplied by a company by the name of Figaro. These detectors are capable of sensing gas vapour such as gasoline, propane, lacquer thinners, glue solvents, and many more such gas vapours. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6 there is shown a schematic illustration of the construction of the gas valve  45 . This gas valve is associated with a heat detector probe  46  which includes an (E.C.O.) and it extends into the water reservoir (See FIG.  1 ), of the inner tank  12  of the water heater. The probe  46  actuates the relay coil  47  of the gas shutoff valve  48  when the temperature in the water reaches a preset value. It also protects the main burner of the water heater in the event of malfunction where the water temperature could reach a cut-off point, which is usually 190° F. When the hot water in the tank reaches the preset value as set by the sensor  49  in the E.C.O. probe  46 , the valve  45  shuts off the main gas supply line  20  (See FIG.  1 ). 
     As hereinshown the vapour sensors  22  and  25  are operated by a  12  volt battery or thermopile. When the battery or thermopile goes to a low charge, an alarm is sounded indicating that the battery needs to be replaced. These sensors, herein sensors  22  and  25 , are connected through the high heat detector probe,  46 , and to the relay coil  47 . As soon as these sensors are open, the relay coil  47  to move the gas shut-off valve  48  to a close position whereby to cut-off the supply of gas to the pilot  17  and burner  16  to extinguish them. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7 there is illustrated the connection of a vapour sensor, such as vapour sensor  22  to the electro magnet or relay coils  47 . The supply of the coil is by the E.G. as is obvious to a person skilled in the art. As hereinshown, a hot surface igniter  55  is used instead of a gas pilot and wherein the vapour sensor generally indicated by reference numeral  54  controls the gas valve  45  and hence the hot surface igniter  55  of the gas burner as the igniter is only provided a current when the electromagnetic valve is opened. A flame sensor  56  detects the presence of the flame. When the valve  45  is closed the igniter is off. 
     It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modifications of the preferred embodiments described herein providing such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.