GB2307723A

GB2307723A - Clearing air-locks, particularly in plumbing

Info

Publication number: GB2307723A
Application number: GB9524357A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lee Deller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-11-29
Filing date: 1995-11-29
Publication date: 1997-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-29
Also published as: GB9524357D0; GB2307723B

Abstract

Air-locks are removed from water systems by means of a housing containing a pump and having a one-way inlet valve 15 and a one-way outlet valve 16. In use a hose-pipe is connected to the inlet valve by a connector 18, a tap in the water system is opened and that pump is operated. Movement of piston 13 away from the valves draws water, and air from the air-locks, into the pump, valve 15 being open, valve 16 closed. Opposite movement of the piston closes valve 15 and opens valve 16.

Description

MEANS OF CLEARING AIR-LOCKS This invention relates to a means of clearing air-locks from fluid systems, particular water systems, e.g. domestic or industrial plumbing systems.

Presently, to clear an air-lock from a water system, e.g. an air-lock in the piping between a water tank and the taps connected to the piping, it is necessary to connect a hose-pipe to a mains supply, e.g. the mains supply entering a house, and to connect the other end of the hose-pipe to, say, a tap in the system in question inside the house. Mains pressure is then used to push mains water through the system until the air is forced out. This can be a time-consuming problem and may require two people to carry it out effectively, depending on the locating of access to the mains supply and the nearest outlet (e.g. tap) in the system with the air-lock. It is not unusual for several hours to be necessary to clear an air-lock by this method.

The present invention aims to provide a more convenient means of removing air-locks.

Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides an apparatus to remove air-locks, the apparatus comprising a housing, a pump located in the housing, a one-way inlet valve providing a fluid access into the housing, and a one-way outlet valve providing a fluid outlet from the housing, the housing adjacent the inlet valve having a connector suitable to connect a hose-pipe to the inlet valve.

The pump is conveniently a hand-pump arranged whereby pulling the handle outwardly of the housing sucks fluid through the inlet valve and pushing the handle inwardly towards the housing forces fluid out of the housing through the outlet valve.

The housing may conveniently be of cylindrical configuration with the valves positioned adjacent one end of the cylinder and operating through the end wall of the cylinder. The hand-pump handle can then conveniently be attached to a plunger or shaft entering the cylinder through the opposite end wall to the wall adjacent the valves.

The housing may be made of any suitably strong material, e.g. metal or plastics material.

Preferably it may be transparent so that the fluid being sucked into the housing can be observed or it may have a transparent window for this purpose. However, these embodiments are not essential and an opaque housing may be used with the observation of the fluid being noted at the outlet valve.

In use a hosepipe is connected at one end to the inlet valve connector and at its other end to, e.g. a tap, in the service or supply containing the air-lock. The tap is opened and the hand-pump is operated. Air in the hose-pipe will first be drawn into the cylinder and then water from the tap and then the air-lock bubbles followed by further water. On each alternate, i.e. 'in' stroke of the pump, fluid is forced out through the outlet valve and by observations, it can be seen when an air-lock has been cleared.

Accordingly, in another aspect the invention provides a method of clearing an air-lock from a fluid system in which an outlet from the system is connected to a one-way inlet valve of a pump, the outlet is opened, the pump is operated to suck fluid from the system into the pump housing through the one-way inlet valve and to force fluid out of the housing through a one-way outlet valve until the air-lock is cleared and the outlet is then closed.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic illustration of one form of apparatus of the invention.

The apparatus comprises a cylindrical housing 10 having a hand-pump comprising a handle 11, outside the housing, a shaft 12 and piston 13, the shaft passing through a hole in end wall 14 of the cylinder.

An inlet valve 15 and an outlet valve 16, both being one-way valves, are positioned adjacent the opposite end wall 17 of the housing, thereby providing an inlet 18 into and an outlet 19 from the housing. Inlet 18 is in the form of a serrated spigot extension to receive one end of a hosepipe.

In use to clear an air-lock from, say, a domestic water system, the following steps are carried out: 1. It is necessary to check that the cold water storage tank is full and that the ballcock valve is working.

2. One end of a hosepipe is connected to spigot 19.

3. The other end of the hosepipe is connected to the tap at the lowest point in the system in which the air-lock is present, i.e. either the hot or cold water system.

4. All other taps and outlets from the system must be closed. If the air-lock is in the cold water system, it is necessary to check that any w.c. cistem in the system is full or that its ballcock valve is closed.

5. Starting with the handle 11 of the pump in the fully 'in' position, the tap connected to the hosepipe is turned on.

6. The handle is pulled out and pushed in repeatedly, as necessary. Air in the hosepipe and then water from the tap and then air from the air-lock will be drawn into the pump housing. Each retum cycle of handle 11 closes the inlet valve 15 and opens outlet valve 16, thereby forcing fluid out through outlet 19. Thus no air can get back into the system.

7. Pumping is repeated until only water is being emitted from the outlet. The tap is then closed and the hosepipe disconnected.

The tap may then be re-opened to allow the water to mn for a few minutes. The other taps on the system may also then be opened to check that the air-lock(s) have been removed and that water is running as required.

The invention provides a convenient means for the clearing of air-locks and enables a D.l.Y. householder, caretaker or a plumber to carry out the necessary task with relative ease.

Claims

1. Apparatus to remove air-locks, the apparatus comprising a housing, a pump located in the housing, a one-way inlet valve providing a fluid access into the housing, and a one-way outlet valve providing a fluid outlet from the housing, the housing adjacent the inlet valve having a connector suitable to connect a hose pipe to the inlet valve.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, in which a hand-pump arranged so that pulling the handle outwardly of the housing sucks fluid through the inlet valve and pushing the handle inwardly towards the housing forces fluid out of the housing through the outlet valve.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing of cylindrical configuration with the valves positioned adjacent one end of the cylinder and operating through the end wall of the cylinder.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the housing is of metal or plastics material.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the housing is wholly or partially transparent.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the valves are separate components connected to the housing.

7. A method of clearing an air-lock from a fluid system in which an outlet from the system is connected to a one-way inlet valve of a pump, the outlet is opened, the pump is operated to suck fluid from the system into the pump housing through the one-way inlet valve and to force fluid out of the housing through a one-way outlet valve until the air-lock is cleared and the outlet is then closed.