Patent Publication Number: US-2017370615-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for rapid drain of water heater

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/355,194, filed on Jun. 27, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus and methods for assisting rapid water drain from a water heater or other vessel. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Water and sediment may be drained and removed from hot water heaters through a drain, which is commonly located generally adjacent to the bottom of the water heater tank. The hot water heater tank is conventionally drained by gravity. However, this draining is often very slow, takes hours to drain the water heater, and fails to completely remove all the water or sediment from the tank. 
     In many parts of the country, dealing with hard water is a necessity. For example, well water is hard and includes a substantial amount of calcium and magnesium. The well water also includes particulates, which can cause metals to rust. Even with a softener and a particulate filter, sediments are generally deposited at the bottom of the water heaters and thus reduce the efficiency of the water heaters. The sediments may also be deposited in the drain of the water heaters and thus reduce the draining speed from the water heaters. 
     There remains a need to develop an apparatus and methods for improving the draining speed and also reducing the sediment deposits for hot water heaters. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides an apparatus including a gas supply source and a gas connection assembly for rapid draining of water heaters. 
     In an embodiment, the gas connection assembly includes a main body, which includes a first channel having a gas inlet connection configured to connect to a gas supply source. The main body also includes a second channel having a gas outlet connection assembly configured to connect to a water heater. The main body further includes a third channel coupled to a pressure regulator having a gas relief, wherein the first channel, the second channel, and the third channel are coupled generally adjacent to a center region of the main body such that a gas from the gas supply source comes through the first channel and distributes into the second channel and the third channel. 
     In an embodiment, a method is provided for draining water from a water heater. The method includes connecting a gas supply to a water heater from a top end and applying a pressure to drain water from the water heater. The method also includes turning off a cold water supply for the water heater and connecting the gas connection assembly to a hot water outlet of the water heater. The drain in the water heater is then opened, gas from a gas supply source is applied to the water heater from a top end and water and sediment is then forced out of the water heater at a bottom end of the water heater. 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes adjusting a pressure regulator to reduce from a first pressure of a gas supply source to a second pressure inside a gas connection assembly and closing a valve of the gas supply source to stop the gas supply to the gas connection assembly. 
     In some embodiments, the method also includes monitoring the gas pressure by using a pressure indicator gauge. 
     Additional embodiments and features are set forth in part in the description that follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the specification or may be learned by the practice of the disclosed subject matter. A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present disclosure may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, which forms a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The description will be more fully understood with reference to the following figures and data graphs, which are presented as various embodiments of the disclosure and should not be construed as a complete recitation of the scope of the disclosure, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a hot water heater in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an apparatus configured to connect to the hot water outlet of the water heater of  FIG. 1  in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a gas connection assembly in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a gas connection assembly in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the gas connection assembly in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a water heater with a side arm in an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  describes an example method of draining a water heater. 
         FIG. 7  describes a method of draining a water heater. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure may be understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings as described below. It is noted that, for purposes of illustrative clarity, certain elements in various drawings may not be drawn to scale. 
     The present disclosure provides an apparatus and methods for rapidly draining a water heater. The apparatus includes gas supply source and also a gas connection assembly coupled between the gas supply source and a hot water outlet of a water heater. The apparatus can help assist a technician to drain a water heater more quickly, more safely, and more completely than conventional draining by gravity by applying gas pressure from top end of the water heater. 
     The apparatus also can help direct the drain water to another location with an incline, in cases where there is no drainage at the site of the water heater. For example a garden hose may be connected to the drain of the water heater and help direct water to another site. 
     The apparatus also provides a more effective way of removing sediments without disturbing the sediments as with conventional means. The apparatus can remove an accumulation of sediments from the hot water heater without utilizing the pressure and temperature valve. 
       FIG. 1  is a hot water heater in an embodiment. Hot water heater  100  includes a water heater tank  120 , a cold water inlet  104  near a top end  124 , and also a hot water outlet  102  near the top end  124 . The water heater tank  120  includes an outer wall  116 A and an inner wall  116 B, and also a thermal insulation  118  between the outer wall  116 A and the inner wall  116 B. The water heater  100  also includes a shut off valve  106  by the cold water inlet  104 . 
     The water heater also includes a heater  140 , such as a gas burner, near the bottom end  114  for heating the water in the water heater tank  120 . The water heater  100  also includes an internal pipe  122  that guides the cold water from the top end  124  to a bottom end  114  of the water heater tank  120 , such that the cold water is heated by the heater  140  located near the bottom end  114  of the water heater  100 . The hot water heater  100  further includes a pressure and temperature (P &amp; T) control valve  108  on a sidewall  126  for relief of the pressure inside the inner wall  116 B of the water heater tank  120 . The P &amp; T valve  108  is located near the top end  124 . The hot water heater also includes a drain  110  on the side wall  126  near the bottom end  114 . 
     The hot water heater  100  may also include an internal tube  130  connected to the hot water outlet  102  near the top end  124 , which guides the hot water out of the water heater tank  120 . The hot water moves toward the top end  124 , while the cold water moves toward the bottom end  114  through the internal pipe  122 . 
     During conventional draining of the water heater tank  120 , cold water from a tap may be pressed down under a pressure of about 80 psi through the internal pipe  122  to the bottom end  114 . The cold water stirs the water near the bottom end  114 , and thus causes less sediments to flow out through the drain  110 . As such, the conventional draining causes buildup of the sediments  128  near the bottom end  114 , and reduces the heating efficiency of the water heater  100 . The sediments  128  include calcium and/or magnesium containing minerals, and are thermal insulators, such that the deposition of the sediments near the bottom of the water heater would reduce the heating efficiency of the water heater  100 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an apparatus  200  configured to connect to the hot water outlet of the water heater of  FIG. 1  in an embodiment. The apparatus  200  is used for rapid water drain from the water heater  100 . Apparatus  200  includes a gas supply source  202 . The gas supply source  202  may be a compressed nitrogen (N 2 ) tank, a compressed carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) tank, or an air tank. The gas supply source  202  may also be a hand/foot gas pump. 
     Apparatus  200  also includes a gas connection assembly  204 , which couples the gas supply source  202  to a hot water outlet  102  of a water heater  100 . The gas connection assembly  204  couples to the gas supply source  202  by a first gas hose  206 . The gas connection assembly  204  may couple to the hot water outlet  102  of the water heater  100  by a second gas hose  214 . Alternatively, the gas connection assembly  204  may couple to the water heater  100  directly without the second gas hose  214 . 
     During preventive maintenance for draining water from the water heater  100 , the gas is transferred from the gas supply source  202  through the gas connection assembly  204  to the water heater  100 . The gas from the hot water outlet  102  is used to press down the water and increases the draining speed through the drain  110  of the water heater  100 . 
     The apparatus  200  provides benefits over the conventional draining method. For example, embodiments may significantly increase the amount, and rate at which water and sediment is drained from the hot water heater tank during preventive maintenance. The drain speed may be about ten times faster than the conventional draining by gravity. Another benefit is to remove the accumulated sediment more effectively, because the present invention does not stir the accumulated sediments like the cold water does in the conventional method. By reducing the deposit or build-up of sediments at the bottom of the water heater tank, the heating efficiency of the water heater can be significantly improved. Also, the buildup of the sediments at the drain slows down the water drain from the tank. 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates a gas connection assembly  204  in an embodiment. As shown, the gas connection assembly  204  may include a central main body  310 , which includes a gas inlet connection  306  that connects to the gas supply source  202  and also a gas outlet assembly  308  configured to connect to the hot water outlet  102  of the water heater  100 . The hose  214  may be coupled between the gas outlet assembly  204  and the hot water outlet  102  of the water heater  100  to transfer the gas from the gas supply source  202  to the water heater  100 . 
     The gas connection assembly  204  may include a pressure regulator  302  for reducing the gas pressure from the gas supply source  202 . The pressure regulator  302  includes a pressure relief  314  for reducing the gas pressure from the gas supply source  202 . The pressure regulator  302  is coupled to the main body  310 . 
     In an embodiment, the pressure regulator  302  may include a pressure label  312 , for example, from 10 psi to 100 psi with increments of 10 psi. The pressure label may also include 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 psi with an increment of 10 psi. The label  312  can be adjusted by rotating a knob  316 . The pressure regulator  302  reduces the gas pressure to a lower pressure than the pressure in the compressed gas tank. For example, the compressed gas tank may have a pressure of 200 psi. The pressure regulator  302  may set the gas pressure at approximately 30 psi. Generally, higher pressure may speed up the water draining. If there is no leak in the water heater tank, the gas pressure may be adjusted to be higher to speed up the drain. If the gas comes out of the pressure relief  314  from the pressure regulator  302 , the gas supply source  202  containing CO 2 , N 2  or air should be shut down. 
     The gas connection assembly  204  may also include a pressure indicator gauge  304  for monitoring the gas pressure inside the main body  310 . The pressure indicator gauge  304  is also coupled to the main body  310 . 
     The pressure indicator gauge  304  can provide measurements of the pressure inside the main body  310  of the gas connection assembly  204 . The pressure indicator gauge  304  may be attached to the gas connection assembly  204 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4 , the main body  310  is shaped in a polygon plate. In this example, the polygon plate includes six sides  410 A-F, or generally hexagonally shaped. The pressure indicator gauge  304  is located on a center top side  410 B. The gas inlet is located on one left side  410 A of the main body  310 , next to the pressure indicator gauge  304 . The pressure regulator  302  is located on a right side  410 C symmetric to the gas inlet connection  306 . The gas outlet assembly  308  is on a bottom side  410 E opposite to the pressure indicator gauge  304 . 
       FIG. 3B  is an illustration of a gas connection assembly in an alternative embodiment. As shown, the pressure regulator  302  is shown to the left side of the pressure indicator  304 , while the gas inlet is on the right side of the pressure indicator  304 . The pressure indicator gauge  304  is on a top side and the gas outlet assembly is on a bottom side opposite to the pressure indicator gauge  304 . 
     The arrangement of the gas inlet, the gas outlet assembly, the pressure regulator and the pressure indicator gauge may vary to vary the characteristics of the apparatus. The shape and dimension of the main body of the gas connection assembly may also vary. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the gas connection assembly of  FIG. 3A  in an embodiment. The central main body  310  has an outer wall  410  shaped in a polygon plate. The central main body  310  includes first, second, third and fourth channels  412 ,  422 ,  414  and  418 , respectively, which are connected near a center region  424 . The gas inlet  306  coupled to the gas supply source  202 . As pointed by an arrow  402 , the incoming gas from the gas inlet  306  flows through the first channel  412 , and flows to the water heater attachment assembly  308 , as pointed by an arrow  408  through second channel  422 , also flows through the third channel  414  to the pressure indicator gauge  304 , as pointed by an arrow  404 , and also flows to the pressure regulator  302  through fourth channel  418  as pointed by an arrow  406 . The four channels may be helpful for guiding the gas flow toward the water heater assembly or other toward other portions of the apparatus. The gas pressure inside the central body  310  remains uniform because the apparatus is made of a rigid material such as aluminum block stainless steel, or other materials able to withstand the pressures of the system. 
     The main body  310  may be made of a metal, for example, an aluminum alloy. A thick plate of metal may be machined to form a polygon plate that has a substantially uniform thickness. Then, the polygon plate may be drilled to form the four channels  412 ,  414 ,  418 , and  422 . Then, internal threads  428 A,  428 E,  428 C, and  428 B may be produced on sides  410 A,  410 E,  410 C, and  410 B for attaching the gas inlet connection  306 , the gas outlet assembly  308 , the pressure regulator  302 , and the pressure indicator gauge  304 , respectively. 
     As shown above, the apparatus  200  can work with various hot water heaters, for example, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, the apparatus  200  can also work with other heaters, such as side arm heaters. Side arm heaters may often be found in old homes or houses. 
       FIG. 5  is a water heater with a side arm heater in an embodiment. The side arm heater  500  includes a water heater tank  514  containing hot water. The side arm heater  500  also includes a hot water outlet  508  and a cold water inlet  510  near a top end  516 . The cold water inlet  510  is at a distance from the hot water outlet  508 . The cold water inlet  510  is coupled to a shut off valve  528  for controlling the water flow into the water heater tank  514 . The side arm heater  500  also includes a drain  504  on a side wall  526  near the bottom end  518 . 
     Unlike water heater  100 , the side arm heater  500  includes a metal tube  520  inside the hot water heater tank  514 , rather than the gas burner  140  near the bottom end  114  of the water heater  100 . The metal tube  520  is generally connected to a boiler (not shown) to receive hot fluid for heating the water inside the water heater tank  514 . The metal tube  520  includes an inlet  502  on side wall  526  close to the top end  516  for the hot fluid from the boiler. The metal tube  520  also includes an outlet  512  on side wall  526  close to the bottom end  518  for the hot fluid to return to the boiler. 
     The metal tube  520  may be made of copper, which has very good thermal conductivity. The hot fluid inside the metal tube may include water and antifreeze (glycol). Sometimes, the copper tube  520  may leak the antifreeze to the heated water inside the water heater tank  514  and contaminate the heated water. When the heated water is used by a user, the contaminated water may cause health issues. For these reasons, the side arm heaters  500  are less commonly used today. 
     Without the apparatus  200 , sediments  524  may deposit near the bottom end  518 . When the apparatus  200  is connected to the hot water outlet  508 , the gas from the gas supply source would help accelerate draining from the side arm water heater  500 . The sediments  524  may become thinner because of the effective draining. 
     Operational Method 
     One requirement of preventive maintenance is to drain all water in the water heater for heater winterization. For example, when a homeowner is out of the house during the winter, it is desirable to remove the water from the hot water heater tank to prevent damage to the water heater when the house is not heated. The conventional draining method by gravity takes a very long time, for example, hours, if not longer. 
     Conventional draining also produces additional problems. For example, a technician may leave the job site to do other jobs while the water drains from the heater and may forget to close the drain. When the heater needs to be restarted next year, another technician may not be aware of the open drain and assumes that the drain is closed. The technician may turn on the heater without shutting off the drain, which may cause flooding in the house. Also, a technician may not completely remove the water from the tank because it takes too long to do so. When another technician comes the following year, he or she may open the drain causing the remaining water to flood the house. All these problems can be solved by using apparatus  200  for rapid water draining from the water heater  100 . 
     Generally, the method includes providing a gas supply source  202  to the hot water heater  100  from a top end  124  and applying a pressure to drain water from the water heater  100 . The pressure may be moderate and may not exceed more than 30 psi for safety purposes. The method may also include controlling the pressure regulator  302  to adjust the gas pressure to the hot water storage tank. The pressure regulator  302  reduces the pressure to be at a lower pressure than the pressure in the compressed gas tank. For example, the gas tank has a pressure of 200 psi. The pressure regulator  302  may set a gas pressure of 30 psi. If there is no leak in the water heater  100  tank, the gas pressure may be adjusted to be higher to speed up the draining from the water heater  100 , but never exceed 100 psi. 
     If the gas pressure is higher than a pressure limit, such as 30 psi, there may be leak in the wall of the water heater  100 . The wall  116 A and/or  116 B may have a weld region which may be more susceptible to bursting or popping under high gas pressure. The gas limit may vary with the types of heaters or the ages of the heaters. Generally, older heaters may have lower pressure limits than newer heaters. 
     The pressure regulator  302  includes a pressure relief  314  for reducing the gas pressure from the gas tank. If the gas comes out the pressure relief  314  from the pressure regulator  302 , the gas tank containing CO 2  or N 2  should be shut down. 
     In a particular embodiment, the method  702  for draining water from a water heater  100  includes (a) turning off a cold water supply  104  to the water heater  100  (collectively  704 ); (b) connecting the gas connection assembly  204  to a hot water outlet  102  of the water heater  100  (collectively  706 ); (c) opening a drain  110  of the water heater  100  (collectively  708 ); and (d) transferring gas from a gas supply source  202  to the water heater  100  from a top end  124  for draining the water from water heater  100  (collectively  710 ). 
     The method also includes connecting a gas supply source  202  to a water heater  100  from a top end  124  (collectively  604 ) and applying a pressure created by the gas supply source  202  to drain the water heater  100  (collectively  606 ). The applied pressure drains the water heater  100  at a relatively fast rate that is substantially proportional to the amount of pressure applied to the water heater  100  (collectively  608 ). The applied pressure generally cleans the water heater by forcing and draining substantially all sediment  128  out of water heater  100  (collectively  610 ). The applied pressure is applied safely and is controlled via the pressure regulator  302  that can be visually monitored by a user via the pressure indicator  304  (collectively  612 ). 
     The method also includes adjusting a pressure regulator  302  to reduce from a first pressure of a gas supply source  202  to a second pressure inside a gas connection assembly  204  and closing a valve of the gas supply source  202  to stop the gas supply  202  to the gas connection assembly  204 . 
     The method may also include monitoring the pressure by using the pressure indicator gauge  304 . Caution must be taken when the apparatus  200  is used. For example, the apparatus  200  cannot be used, when the hot water heaters  100  are leaking or have thin walls as a result of rusting over time. The gas pressure may cause the water storage tank  120  to disperse. If a leak is detected, the gas is shut off to prevent damage to the hot water heater  100  during the preventive maintenance. 
     Additional uses and methods of the present invention are also possible including, for example, to check a water heater for leaks by applying pressure to the water heater  100  and by monitoring the water heater  100  to see if any gas or air escapes the water heater at any specific point of the side walls  116 A and/or  116 B of the water heater  100 . The present invention can also be used to drain or “blow-out” a sprinkler system by applying pressure to the sprinkler system thereby draining the water from the system in a similar method as described herein. 
     Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the presently disclosed embodiments teach by way of example and not by limitation. Therefore, the matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The following claims are intended to cover all generic and specific features described herein, as well as all statements of the scope of the present method and system, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.