GB2150627A

GB2150627A - Apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank

Info

Publication number: GB2150627A
Application number: GB08329620A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles William Hamilton Lemon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-05
Filing date: 1983-11-05
Publication date: 1985-07-03
Also published as: GB8329620D0

Abstract

The apparatus (2) comprises a water tank (4), a tray (6), and an overflow pipe (8) connected to the tray (6). Water discharges from the tray via the pipe (8) provides visual warning of a leak in the tank. The tank may have an overflow (14) discharging into the tray. The tray may extend to half the height of the tank to cope with a sudden burst. The tank may rest in ridges (12) in the tray. A water outlet (18) from the tank may have a valve (20) outside the tray and a flexible hose (22) may absorb differential expansion between tank and tray. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank This invention relates to apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank.

Leaks in water tanks can often have disastrous consequences. For example, domestic cold water tanks are usually installed in lofts in houses and they are very seldom inspected.

A leak due to corrosion in the water tank is thus highly likely to go undetected and the first indication of a leak is when the water has leaked through the floor of the loft, usually into a bedroom or bathroom below. Obviously, if the house is unoccupied at the time, the water will soon seep from the upper parts of the house to the ground floor and the damage caused can be very substantial.

Even with hot water tanks, which are usually placed in more frequented areas such as bathrooms and airing cupboards, leaks can be undetected for substantial periods of time because it is not normal practice to frequently inspect the hot water tanks. Thus leaks again can cause substantial damage.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide apparatus which helps to overcome the above problem by providing a warning of a leak in a water tank.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank, which apparatus comprises a water tank, a tray, and an overflow pipe connected to the tray.

The water tank may be a hot or cold water tank. The water tank may be of any desired shape and size. Solely by way of example it is mentioned that the hot water tank may be cylindrical and the cold water tank may be rectangular.

In one aspect of the invention, the tray extends to less than one quarter of the height of the water tank. Such a shallow tray is quite effective for the purpose of the invention since water leaking from the water tank into the tray will flow out through the overflow pipe and will thus afford an indication that water is in the tray.

In another aspect of the invention, the tray extends to substantially half the height of the water tank. This means that in the event of a sudden water tank burst providing so much water that the overflow pipe momentarily cannot cope, all the water can still be retained, by being half in the water tank and half in the tray. Again water flowing from the overflow pipe will indicate that water is in the tray.

The tray may be provided with a bottom inside surface which is provided with upstanding members on which the tank rests. The upstanding members may be solid or hollow.

The upstanding members may be in the form of longitudinal ridges.

If desired, the tray may be separable from the water tank. Alternatively, the tray may be such that it is not separable from the water tank. In this latter case, the tray may be produced to be formed integrally with the water tank.

The tray may be made of a metal, a plastics material, a rubber material or fibre glass.

The metal may be stainless steel, mild steel, or mild steel galvanised, coated or painted.

The plastics material may be polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, polythene or unplasticised polyvinylchloride.

The tank may be made of the same material as the tray. The tray can be produced such that it can take several standard sizes of water tank.

The overflow pipe can also be made from various materials, for example those specified above for the tray.

If desired, the tank may have an overflow pipe that extends directly through a wall to the outside. In this case, if the tank should have a tendency to overflow, for example due to a faulty ballcock, then the tank overflow pipe will operate and any one outside will see water coming from the tank overflow pipe and will know that the tank is in an overflow condition. With such a design, the tray overflow pipe would be a separate pipe and water coming from the tray overflow pipe would indicate, not that the tank was overflowing, but that the tank was leaking and that water had leaked into the tray.

In a particularly advantageous design, the two separate overflow pipes are partially dispensed with to the extent that the tank overflow pipe is arranged just to lead into the tray. Thus, when the tank is in an overflow condition, water will flow from the tank overflow pipe into the tray. In this particular case, water flowing from the tray overflow pipe will indicate either that the tank is overflowing or that the tank is leaking. In either case, a warning will have been afforded and immediate inspection of the tank will be required.

The apparatus of the invention may include at least one valve for interrupting the flow of water to or from the water tank, the valve being positioned outside the tray, and there being a flexible pipe connection between the tray and the tank.

The flexible pipe connection may be a flexi ble reinforced high pressure hose.

The flexible pipe connection avoids strains being placed in pipe work due to possible differential expansion between the tank and the tray.

Alternatively, the apparatus of the invention may include a valve for interrupting the flow of water to or from the water tank, the valve being positioned inside the tray, and there being a rigid pipe connection between the tray and the tank. In this case, no account will be taken of differential expansion between the tank and the tray and this of course may not be necessary in cases where the pipework is formed of a plastics material.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows first apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank; Figure 2 shows second apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank; Figure 3 shows third apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank; and Figure 4 shows fourth apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown apparatus 2 for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank 4. The apparatus comprises the water tank 4, a tray 6 and an overflow pipe 8, which as shown, is connected to the tray 6.

The tray 6 has a bottom inside surface 10 provided with upstanding members in the form of three longitudinal ridges 1 2. The tank 4 rests on the ridges 1 2 and thus an air circulation can pass between the bottom of the tank 4 and the bottom of the tray 6.

The tank 4 is provided with a tank overflow pipe 14 which leads as illustrated into the tray 6. The tray overflow pipe 8 leads through a wall 1 6 to the outside as illustrated.

It will be apparent that in use of the apparatus 2, any water dripping from the tray overflow pipe 8 will provide a warning that water is in the tray 6. This water could have been caused by the tank 4 being in an overflow condition (in which case water would have flowed through the tank overflow pipe 14) or the tank 4 being in a leaky condition in which water will have leaked from the tank 4 directly into the tray 6. In either case, the water dripping from the tray overflow pipe 8 will provide a warning that the tank 4 needs inspecting.

Referring now to Fig. 2, similar parts as in Fig. 1 have been given the same reference number and their precise construction and operation will not again be given.

In Fig. 2, it will be seen that the tray 6 extends to approximately half the height of the water tank 4. Thus, in the event of a sudden tank burst providing a flood of water in the tray 6 which the tray overflow pipe 8 momentarily could not cope with, then no water will be lost since the tray 6 can effectively hold half the contents of the tank 4 and the tank 4 can hold the other half of its contents.

Fig. 2 also shows the tank 4 provided with a water outlet pipe 18. The outlet pipe 18 is provided with an on/off valve or tap 20 and the actual connection of the pipe 18 between the water tank 4 and the tray 6 is a flexible pipe connection in the form of a flexible reinforced high pressure hose portion 22. This hose portion 22 is effective to absorb any differential expansion between the tank 4 and the tray 6 so that strain is not placed on the pipe 18.

Referring now to Fig. 3, similar parts as in Fig. 2 have been given the same reference number and their precise construction and operation will not again be given. In Fig. 3, it will be seen that the tank overflow pipe 14 is connected to the tray overflow pipe 8. Also, in Fig. 3, the tap 20 is connected to the tank 4 by means of a rigid pipe 24 at a position above the top of the tray 6. This avoids making holes in the tray 6.

Referring now to Fig. 4, similar parts as in Fig. 3 have been given the same reference number and their precise construction and operation will not again be given. In Fig. 4, it will be seen that the ridges 1 2 are hollow.

Also, the pipe 24 has been extended so that it enters the tank 4 and terminates approximately one inch from the bottom of the tank 4 as illustrated. This is because the tray 6 in Fig. 4 is higher than the tray 6 in Fig. 3. In broken lines in Fig. 4, there is illustrated the fact that the tank overflow pipe 14 can flow into the tray 6 if it is not desired to connect the tank overflow pipe 14 to the tray overflow pipe 8.

The apparatus 2 can save much damage caused by water leaking from water tanks.

The trays 6 clearly need not be expensive to provide and they can easily be made by the same manufacturers that manufacture the water tanks. The trays can be separate from the water tanks or they can be joined to the water tanks. A householder or other person can have considerable peace of mind knowing that even if the water tanks are not inspected, and they leak, damage due to the water leaking will not occur. Thus, at small extra cost, the owner of a water tank can be afforded the considerable peace of mind and, indeed, may be offered a small reduction in his or her insurance premium for his or her household or factory etc, because the risk of water damage with the apparatus of the invention is virtually negligible and far less than the risk of water damage with just a conventional water tank.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the tank 4 is illustrated as a rectangular cold water tank but it could equally well be a cold water tank of another shape or a hot water tank of any desired shape. The ridges 1 2 can be omitted, in which case the tank 4 can rest on the inside surface 10 of the bottom of the tray 6. The tap 20 can be located between the tank 4 and the tray 6 and the flexible hose portion 22 can be omitted and replaced by a rigid pipe portion. Still further, if desired, the tank outlet pipe 14 can extend parallel to the tray outlet pipe 8 and can then pass directly through the wall 1 6.

The height of the tray 6 can be varied as desired and the tray 6 will obviously be constructed not to collapse under the weight of water in the water tank 4.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank, which apparatus comprises a water tank, a tray, and an overflow pipe connected to the tray.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1 in which the water tank is a hot or a cold water tank.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the tray extends to less than one quarter of the height of the water tank.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the tray extends to substantially half the height of the water tank.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tray is provided with a bottom inside surface which is provided with upstanding members on which the tank rests.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5 in which the upstanding members are solid or hollow.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 in which the upstanding members are in the form of longitudinal ridges.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tray is separable from the water tank.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the tray is not sepa rable from the water tank.

10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the tank has an overflow pipe that extends in use directly through a wall to the outside.

11. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in which the tank is provided with an overflow pipe which leads in use into the tray.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and including at least one valve for interupting the flow of water to or from the water tank, the valve being positioned outside the tray. and there being a flexible pipe connection between the tray and the tank.

1 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 2 in which the flexible pipe connection is a flexible reinforced high pressure hose.

1 4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and including a valve for interupting the flow of water to or from the water tank, the valve being positioned inside the tray, and there being a rigid pipe connection between the tray and the tank.

1 5. Apparatus for providing a warning of a water leak in a water tank, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.