Patent ID: 8555911

Claim:
A method of providing surge protection to a water system having a horizontal water supply pipe portion having a diameter and being of cylindrical shape, said water supply pipe portion being buried horizontally beneath soil, the method comprising: connecting a water surge suppressor apparatus in-line with the water supply pipe portion, said water surge suppressor apparatus comprising: (1) a surge suppressor tank having a horizontally oriented cylinder defining an elongated, hollow, cylindrical airtight space when installed in the water system, wherein the horizontally oriented cylinder has a horizontal length that is approximately twice its diameter; and (2) a tee pipe integrally formed with said surge suppressor tank, said tee pipe having a horizontally oriented section that defines a horizontal flow path having substantially the same diameter as said water supply pipe portion, said tee pipe further having a vertical section defining a perpendicular flow path between the horizontally oriented section of said tee pipe and a lower opening in said surge suppressor tank, wherein said surge suppressor tank is oriented above and generally parallel to the horizontally oriented section of said tee pipe; said step of connecting including: excavating an area around a planned release point in the water supply pipe; preventing a flow of water about the release point; removing a section of said water supply pipe having a length corresponding to a length of the horizontally oriented section of said tee pipe; connecting the horizontally oriented section of said tee pipe horizontally in-line with said horizontal water supply pipe portion where said section is removed while concurrently exposing the elongated, hollow, cylindrical airtight space of the horizontally oriented cylinder to ambient air pressure; establishing a flow of water through the horizontal water supply pipe portion and tee pipe; testing a water-to-air ratio in the surge suppressor tank through a port disposed through a top portion of the suppressor tank; sealing the port with a plug to form an airtight seal between the port and the plug so that the horizontally oriented cylinder is airtight; covering said area excavated with soil; and absorbing water pressure surges occurring in the horizontal water supply pipe portion through vertical compression of ambient air trapped within the hollow, elongated, cylindrical airtight space of the surge suppressor tank, wherein the vertical compression occurs along an interface between water entering the surge suppressor tank through the tee pipe and the ambient air trapped within the hollow, elongated, cylindrical airtight space, and wherein the interface extends along substantially the entire length of the hollow, elongated, cylindrical airtight space.