GB2192988A

GB2192988A - Improvements relating to hot water tanks

Info

Publication number: GB2192988A
Application number: GB08617704A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Daniel Levin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-19
Filing date: 1986-07-19
Publication date: 1988-01-27
Also published as: GB8617704D0

Abstract

A plurality of temperature transducers 20 are placed in contact with the outwardly facing wall 22 of a tank 10 within which water is arranged to be heated. Each transducer 20 is connected to a central device or indicator 24 via leads 26, which indicator indicates to a user either continuously or on demand the quantity of hot water available in the tank. The indicator includes a meter 28 which gives an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank which is determined by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of the hot water accumulated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to hot water tanks The present invention is concerned with improvements relating to hot water tanks and to a kit for converting a hot water tank.

With existing hot water tanks, it is difficult to judge the amount of hot water in the tank, particularly when the tank is well insulated or lagged. Consequently, in order to ensure that there is sufficient hot water in the tank for the purpose required it is common practice to heat more water than is required. This involves a waste of time, energy and expense to the user.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a hot water tank includes indicator means arranged to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank. The indicator means may be arranged to indicate when the tank contains a predetermined volume of hot water at or above a predetermined temperature. With such a tank, a user may be able to know when the tank contains sufficient hot water to fill- a basin for washing up or to fill a bath or for a washing machine load, for example. The indicator means may allow a convenient indication of the amount of hot water in the tank to be given without the wall of the tank having to be felt which is inconvenient and may be impractical if the tank is inaccessible or lagged.

The indicator means may include temperature sensing means arranged to sense the temperature of the water at a certain level or levels in the tank either by being in direct communication with the water or by being located on the wall of the tank. Where the sensing means are located on the outside of the wall of a tank a conventional tank may be conveniently adapted to include the indicator means, preferably situated underneath any thermal insulation or lagging.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a kit for converting a hot water tank to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank comprises one or more temperature sensing means arranged to cooperate with the wall of the tank and indication means arranged to be responsive to the temperature sensing means to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank.

The indicator means may include an audible and/or visual indication of the amount of hot water in the tank, and may, alternatively or additionally, include such an indication when the predetermined volume of hot water has been reached, which indication or indications may be located remote from the tank or adjacent to the tank. If desired, a plurality of indications may be provided at different locations.

The indicator means may be arrariged to indicate when the tank contains different volumes of water at or above predetermined temperatures, which predetermined temperatures for each volume may be the same or different. This feature is of particular importance when the tank is required to supply hot water for different uses requiring different volumes of hot water. The indicator means may be arranged to indicate the quantity of hot water in a tank by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of water, or the depth of hot water accumulated.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the method of providing an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank comprises deriving that indication by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of water, or depth of hot water accumulated.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic view of a typical domestic hot water supply arrangement.

The hot water supply arrangement includes a tank 10 having an immersion heater 12, a cold water supply pipe 14 at the bottom of the tank and a hot water take off pipe 16 at the top of the tank. A coil 18 is located in the water in the tank 10, and hot water from a central heating system may pass through the coil 18 to provide an additional or alternative source to the immersion heater 12 for heating the water in the tank.

A plurality of temperature transducers 20 are placed in contact with the outwardly facing wall 22 of the tank at different elevations. The transducers may be stuck to the outer wall and, in a preferred embodiment, four such transducers are provided. The transducers are preferably located underneath, or extend through any lagging insulation (not shown) provided around the tank.

Each transducer 20 is connected to a central device or indicator 24 via leads 26, which indicator indicates to a user, either continuously or on demand the quantity of hot water available. The indicator may be arranged to alert the user by means of an audible or visual alarm when a preset quantity of hot water has been accumulated. More than one indicator 24 may be provided adjacent to and/or remote from the tank. The indicators may include a meter 28 or other means which can give an indication of the amount of hot water, or temperature of the water in the tank. The reading given by the meter is determined by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of hot water accumulated via the signals derived from the transducers. It will be appreciated that the hot water accumulates in the tank from the top downwards.

1. A hot water tank provided with indica

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to hot water tanks The present invention is concerned with improvements relating to hot water tanks and to a kit for converting a hot water tank. With existing hot water tanks, it is difficult to judge the amount of hot water in the tank, particularly when the tank is well insulated or lagged. Consequently, in order to ensure that there is sufficient hot water in the tank for the purpose required it is common practice to heat more water than is required. This involves a waste of time, energy and expense to the user. According to one aspect of the present invention, a hot water tank includes indicator means arranged to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank. The indicator means may be arranged to indicate when the tank contains a predetermined volume of hot water at or above a predetermined temperature. With such a tank, a user may be able to know when the tank contains sufficient hot water to fill- a basin for washing up or to fill a bath or for a washing machine load, for example. The indicator means may allow a convenient indication of the amount of hot water in the tank to be given without the wall of the tank having to be felt which is inconvenient and may be impractical if the tank is inaccessible or lagged. The indicator means may include temperature sensing means arranged to sense the temperature of the water at a certain level or levels in the tank either by being in direct communication with the water or by being located on the wall of the tank. Where the sensing means are located on the outside of the wall of a tank a conventional tank may be conveniently adapted to include the indicator means, preferably situated underneath any thermal insulation or lagging. According to another aspect of the present invention, a kit for converting a hot water tank to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank comprises one or more temperature sensing means arranged to cooperate with the wall of the tank and indication means arranged to be responsive to the temperature sensing means to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank. The indicator means may include an audible and/or visual indication of the amount of hot water in the tank, and may, alternatively or additionally, include such an indication when the predetermined volume of hot water has been reached, which indication or indications may be located remote from the tank or adjacent to the tank. If desired, a plurality of indications may be provided at different locations. The indicator means may be arrariged to indicate when the tank contains different volumes of water at or above predetermined temperatures, which predetermined temperatures for each volume may be the same or different. This feature is of particular importance when the tank is required to supply hot water for different uses requiring different volumes of hot water. The indicator means may be arranged to indicate the quantity of hot water in a tank by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of water, or the depth of hot water accumulated. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the method of providing an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank comprises deriving that indication by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of water, or depth of hot water accumulated. The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic view of a typical domestic hot water supply arrangement. The hot water supply arrangement includes a tank 10 having an immersion heater 12, a cold water supply pipe 14 at the bottom of the tank and a hot water take off pipe 16 at the top of the tank. A coil 18 is located in the water in the tank 10, and hot water from a central heating system may pass through the coil 18 to provide an additional or alternative source to the immersion heater 12 for heating the water in the tank. A plurality of temperature transducers 20 are placed in contact with the outwardly facing wall 22 of the tank at different elevations. The transducers may be stuck to the outer wall and, in a preferred embodiment, four such transducers are provided. The transducers are preferably located underneath, or extend through any lagging insulation (not shown) provided around the tank. Each transducer 20 is connected to a central device or indicator 24 via leads 26, which indicator indicates to a user, either continuously or on demand the quantity of hot water available. The indicator may be arranged to alert the user by means of an audible or visual alarm when a preset quantity of hot water has been accumulated. More than one indicator 24 may be provided adjacent to and/or remote from the tank. The indicators may include a meter 28 or other means which can give an indication of the amount of hot water, or temperature of the water in the tank. The reading given by the meter is determined by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of hot water accumulated via the signals derived from the transducers. It will be appreciated that the hot water accumulates in the tank from the top downwards. CLAIMS

1. A hot water tank provided with indica tor means arranged to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank.

2. A tank as claimed in Claim 1 in which the indicator means are arranged to indicate when the tank contains a predetermined vol ume of hot water at dr above a predetermined temperature.

3. A tank as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the indicator means includes temperature sensing means arranged to sense the temperature of the water in the tank at a certain ievel or levels.

4. A tank as claimed in Claim 3 in which the temperature sensing means are in direct communication with the water in the tank.

5. A tank as claimed in Claim 3 in which the temperature sensing means are located on the outside of the wall of the tank.

6. A tank as claimed in any preceding claim in which the indicator means are arranged to give an audible and/or a visual indication of the amount of hot water in the tank.

7. A tank as claimed in Claim 6 in which the indication or indications are arranged to be given when a predetermined volume of hot water is present in the tank.

8. A tank as claimed in Claim 6 or 7 in which the indication or indications are located remote from the tank.

9. A tank as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 in which the indication or indications are located adjacent to the tank.

10. A tank as claimed in Claim 8 or 9 in which the indications are given at different locations.

11. A tank as claimed in any preceding claim in which the indicator means are arranged to indicate when the tank contains different volumes or water at or above a predetermined temperature or temperatures.

12. A tank as claimed in Claim 11 in which the predetermined temperatures for the different volumes of water in the tank are different.

13. A tank as claimed in any preceding claim in which the indicator means indicates the amount of hot water in the tank by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to the depth of water, or depth of hot water accumulated.

14. A hot water tank provided with indicator means substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

15. A kit for enabling a hot water tank to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in the tank, the kit comprising one or more temperature sensing means arranged to co-operate with the wall of a tank and indication means arranged to be responsive to the temperature sensing means to provide an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank to which the kit has been fitted.

16. A hot water tank as claimed in Claim 5 and any of Claims 6 to 14 when dependent on Claim 5 which has been fitted with a kit as claimed in Claim 15.

17. A method of providing an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank comprising deriving that indication by integrating the temperature of the tank contents with respect to The depth of hot water, or depth of hot water accumulated.

18. A method as claimed in Claim 17 when used on a hot water tank as claimed in Claim 13 or Claim 14 when dependent on Claim 13.

19. A method of providing an indication of the amount of hot water in a tank substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in the accompanying drawing.