GB2489792A

GB2489792A - Frost protection system specifically adapted for a building

Info

Publication number: GB2489792A
Application number: GB1205471.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Kennedy; Conor Kennedy; Gerard Kennedy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-07
Filing date: 2012-03-28
Publication date: 2012-10-10
Also published as: GB201205471D0; GB201105899D0

Abstract

The frost protection system is specifically adapted for a building and comprises a control device 10 and at least one temperature sensor 14 arranged to monitor an air temperature adjacent at least one water pipe and/or water tank, such as a header tank 6 in a loft space of the building. The control device 10 is adapted to activate a heating system of the building, such as a boiler 2, when the monitored air temperature falls below a predetermined minimum value. The system may include one or more valves 20,22,24 that are arranged to cut supply of water to the water pipe(s) and/or water tank(s) and also drain the water pipe(s) and/or water tank(s) when the monitored air temperature drops below a second predetermined temperature that is lower than the predetermined minimum value. A second temperature sensor 16 may be provided to detect when the air temperature has fallen to the second predetermined temperature.

Description

Frost Protection System for a Building This invention relates to a frost protection system for a building and in particular to a system for reducing or eliminating water damage caused to buildings as a resuh of frozen pipes or water tanks during freezing conditions.

During the winter the ambient air temperature can drop well below the freezing point of water. This can lead to the risk of water pipes and water storage tanks freezing and bursting, leading potentially damaging leaks. This is a particular problem in relation to pipes and water storage tanks provided in the loft space of a property. The loft space is typically insulated from the remainder of the building and thus may remain at a low temperature, even when the rest of the building is heated. The pipes and tanks are typically lagged with an insulating material in an attempt to mitigate this problem. However, even the best insulation may not prevent pipes from freezing during prolonged frosty conditions.

Most people switch their heating off at night and use a timer to switch the heating on an hour or so before they get up in the morning. On cold winter nights, the temperature in the dwelling, particularly in exposed or areas without direct heating, such as the loft space, can fall below 0°C, causing water in pipe work and storage tanks, particularly if there is unlagged pipework towards the external walls of the building or perhaps running through garages or conservatories, to freeze with disastrous consequences. Property owners are advised to leave heating on 24 hours a day and to leave a loft space access hatch open during particularly cold weather conditions to prevent the temperature in the loft space falling below freezing. However, this is costly, particularly with increasing energy prices, and may not be practical where the property is unoccupied for a period of time. This is a particular problem in relation to holiday homes, unoccupied rental properties and office buildings.

Such properties are particularly at risk since, as well as the higher risk of frost damage due to the heating being switched off, the possible damage caused by burst pipes is compounded as the problem may not be detected for some time.

According to the present invention there is provided a frost protection system for a building comprising:-at least one temperature sensor for monitoring the air temperature adjacent one or more water pipes and/or one or more water tanks, for example in a loft space of a building; a control device adapted to activate a heating system of the building when the temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor falls below a predetermined minimum.

Preferably the system comprises one or more valves, such as solenoid or motorised valves, for controlling the supply of water to said one or more water pipes and/or water tanks, and/or for selectively draining said one or more water pipes and/or said one or more water tanks, said one or more valves being controllable by said control device, wherein the control device is programmed to operate the one or more valves, to shut off the water supply to said one or more water pipes and/or said one or more water tanks and/or to drain said one or more water pipes and/or said one or more water tanks, when the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor falls below a second temperature lower than said predetermined minimum.

Preferably the control device is programmed to operate the one or more valves only after temperature has remained below the second temperature for more than a predetermined period, for example an hour.

In one embodiment said one or more valves comprise a first valve, such as a solenoid valve, for controlling a supply of water to at least one water storage tank and at least one second valve, such as a motorised valve, for controlling the draining of said at least one water storage tank, the first and second valves being controllable by said control device, the control device being programmed to operate the first and second valves to shut off the water supply to the water storage tank and to drain the tank when the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor falls below said second temperature, and preferably remains below said second temperature for said predetermined period.

Said at least one temperature sensor may comprise one or more of a thermocouple or thermister, a thermostat or thermal switch or an immersion thermister.

Said at least one temperature sensor may comprise a first temperature sensor for determining when temperature falls below said first temperature, for controlling the activation of the heating system and a second temperature for determining when said temperature falls below said second temperature, for controlling the operation of said first and second valves.

The system may also include a supplementary heating device to be located adjacent said one or more water pipes and/or one or more water tanks, preferably in a loft space of a building, said supplementary heating device being operated under the control of the control device, preferably in response to the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor.

The system may further comprise a communication device, preferably a wireless communication device, such as a GSM communication device, for communicating a message to remote location, such as a mobile phone, when the control device operates the heating system and/or operates the one or more valves and/or when the sensed temperature falls below, or exceeds, one or more predetermined values. Said communication may be in the form of a predetermined text message sent to a predetermined mobile telephone number.

One or more further temperature sensors may be provided in the building for measuring the air temperature within the building and/or the temperature of a heating device, such as a the temperature of water in a radiator or thermal store, wherein said control device may be programmed to monitor the temperature sensed by said one or more further temperature sensors and provide an indication of a problem with the heating system, and/or supplementary heating device, should the temperature measured by said one or more further temperature sensors fail to rise as expected following activation of the heating system and/or supplementary heating device. Such fault indication may be transmitted to a remote location via said communication device.

The control device of the system may also receive signals from other sensors, for example an oil tank level sensor, and may send relevant messages to said remote location via the communication device based upon such signals.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a frost protection system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a controller of the system of Figure 1.

A frost protection system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 1 installed in a dwelling having a conventional central heating system comprising a boiler 2, a hot water storage tank or thermal store 4 and a cold water storage tank 6. The system comprises a programmable microprocessor based controller 10 having a number of data input lines connected to a plurality of temperature sensing devices.

The temperature sensing devices may comprise transducers or thermal switches, which may be connected to a respective sender unit for providing control signals to the controller 10.

In one embodiment a two channel temperature sender unit 12 is provided in the loft space, the sender unit 12 having a first temperature sensor 14 to determine when the air temperature in the loft space falls below 4°C and a second temperature sensor 16 to determine when the air temperature in the loft space falls below 0° C. One or more further sender units may be provided in the living space of the dwelling for monitoring the ambient air temperature in the living space of the dwelling and/or for monitoring the operation of the central heating system of the dwelling, for example by measuring the temperature of water in the heating system (for example in a thermal store, radiator or a hot water line downstream of the boiler), preferably using an immersion thermostat. In one embodiment an immersion temperature sensor 18 may be located in a hot water pipe downstream of the central heating boiler 2.

The controller 10 is connected to a solenoid valve 20 located in the cold water mains supply line 8, for example adjacent the main stop cock, for selectively shutting off the mains water supply under the control of the controller 10.

Motorised valves 22,24 are provided in drain lines of the cold water tank 6 and, optionally, the hot water storage tank 4 of the central heating system, such valves 22,24 being controlled by the controller 10 to selectively drain the cold water storage tank 6 and, optionally, the hot water storage tank 4, as will be described below in more detail.

The controller 10 is also provided with a GSM communication device enabling the controller 10 to send messages to a remote location, for example to a mobile phone. The communication device may also enable the controller 10 to receive control commands from said remote location.

In operation, the controller 10 may be programmed to operate a relay to switch on the boiler 2 of the central heating system of the dwelling when the first temperature sensor 14 indicates that the temperature in the loft space has fallen below 40 C, causing a signal to be sent on a first channel of the sender unit 12 to the controller 10. Thus the system can function to automatically protect the water pipes and water storage tanks of the central heating system and plumbing of the dwelling from frost damage by activating the central heating system when the temperature in the loft space indicates that there is a risk of frost damage. The controller 10 may switch off the boiler 2 of the central heating system when the temperature in the loft space rises above 4° C, as indicated by the temperature sensor 14 and sender unit 12.

Should the temperature in the loft space continue to fall to or below freezing, the second temperature sensor 16 activates the sender unit 12 to trigger the controller 10 to begin a timer. If the temperature remains below zero for a predetermined period, for example for an hour, the controller 10 may be programmed to begin a second mode of operation, operating the solenoid valve 20 to shut off the mains water supply to the central heating system and opening one or both of the motorised valves 22,24 to drain the cold water storage tank 6 and/or the hot water tank 4 of the central heating system to prevent damage to the system should the temperature remain below zero. The delay in time between the detection of the air temperature dropping below freezing and the activation of the valves prevents unnecessary opening and closing of the valves should the air temperature fluctuate just above and below 0°C One or more water storage tanks may be linked to a common drain under the control of one or more motorised valves under the control by the controller 10.

Once the controller 10 has shut off the water supply and has drained the cold water storage tank and/or the hot water tank an indicator, such as an LED, may be activated on the body of the controller 10. Such indicator can be manually reset once the system has been checked to ensure that none of the pipe work or storage tanks have been damaged.

The controller 10 may also send an alert signal to a remote location. For example the controller may send a predetermined text message to one or more pre-programmed mobile telephone number, to alert a person of the prevailing alert condition of the controller. To facilitate such communication the controller 10 may be provided with a GSM auto dialler to enable the system to communicate with one or more mobile telephones.

The controller 10 may be adapted to receive operating signals from a mobile telephone, for example, to reset the system or to override the operation of the controller 10.

The controller 10 may be programmed to detect failure of the central heating system and provide an alert upon such failure by monitoring the temperature of the living space and/or the water temperature downstream of the boiler and determining whether or not the monitored temperature rises once the central heating system has been activated by the controller 10. Such alert may be provided by a light or sounder on the body of the controller 10 and/or by sending a message, such as a text message, to predetermined mobile telephone number via the GSM auto-dialler.

As shown in Figure 2, the controller 10 may comprise a wall mounted unit having a plurality of control switches, such as rocker switches, for controlling the operation of the controller 10.

In the embodiment shown, the controller 10 has a first switch 30 having three positions, an off position preventing the controller from activating the valves, a second position enabling the controller 10 to automatically control the valves based upon the temperature in the loft space, as described above, and a third position for manually operating the valves to facilitate maintenance of the heating and plumbing system of the dwelling.

A second switch 32 is provided, again having three positions corresponding to an "OFF" position, an "AUTO" position, wherein the controller 10 may automatically control the central heating system based upon the temperature in the loft space, and a "MAN" position enabling manual overriding of the controller 10 to activate the central heating system.

A third switch 34 is provided for controlling an output of the controller to an optional ifirther outlet. Such further output of the controller 10 may be used to control a supplementary heating device, such as an electric heater, which may be provided in the loft space, which may be activated when the temperature in the loft space falls below a predetermined minimum, for example 0°C, as indicated by the temperature sender 12.

A fourth switch 36 is provided for enabling and disabling the GSM auto-dialler of the controller 10.

The switches 30,32,34,36 on the operating panel of the controller 10 enable the operation of the controller 10 to be manually controlled, when the respective switches are set to "manual", to enable the system to be used as a maintenance tool when carrying out any work to the water system in the property. For example, the motorised valves 22,24 may be manually operated via the controller 10 to selectively drain the cold water storage tank and/or the hot water tank and/or the solenoid valve 20 may be operated via the controller 10 to selectively shut off the mains water supply without requiring the home owner to find and manually activate the stop cock.

If the occupant has left the building without setting the panel to auto (if switches in "Off' position), it may be possible to call in through the auto dialler to override the "off' position, possibly by sending a preset code to the controller 10. The controller 10 may be adapted to communicate via a GSM network using a prepaid sim card. Thus the system does not need to be connected to a telephone line. This is of particular benefit when the system is used in a second or holiday home.

Regardless of the time of year or the temperature on a particular day, it would be simple to programme the controller 10 to remotely switch on the central heating in say preparation for retuming from a period of absence, for example an annual holiday.

The controller 10 may be provided with further inputs, for example from a level sensor in a heating oil tank, and the controller 10 may be programmed to take certain actions, for example to send a predetermined message to one or more predetermined mobile telephone numbers, in response to certain signals from said further inputs. For example, a sudden drop in oil level in an oil storage tank may trigger an alert to indicate that the tank has a leak or that oil is being stolen.

S

The invention is not limited to the embodiment(s) described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A frost protection system for a building comprising at least one temperature sensor for monitoring the air temperature adjacent one or more water pipes and/or one or more water tanks, for example in a loft space of a building; a control device adapted to activate a heating system of the building when the temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor falls below a predetermined minimum.
2. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system comprises one or more valves for controlling the supply of water to said one or more water pipes and/or water tanks, and/or for selectively draining said one or more water pipes and/or said one or more water tanks, said one or more valves being controllable by said control device, wherein the control device is programmed to operate the one or more valves to shut off the water supply to said one or more water pipes and/or to drain said one or more water pipes and/or said one or more water tanks when the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor falls below a second temperature lower than said predetermined minimum.
3. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more valves comprise one or more of a solenoid valve and/or a motorised valve.
4. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the control device is programmed to operate the one or more valves only after the temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor has remained below the second temperature for more than a predetermined period of time.
5. A frost protection system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein said one or more valves comprise at least one first valve for controlling a supply of water to at least one water storage tank and at least one second valve for controlling the draining of said at least one water storage tank, the at least one first valve and at least one second valve being controllable by said control device, the control device being programmed to operate the at least one first valve to shut off the water supply to the water storage tank and to operate said at least one second valve to drain the tank, when the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor falls below said second temperature.
6. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said control device is programmed to operate said at least one first valve and said at least one second valve to shut off the water supply to the water storage tank and to drain the tank when the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor falls below said second temperature and remains below said second temperature for said predetermined period.
7. A frost protection system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said at least one temperature sensor comprises one or more of a thermocouple or thermister, a thermostat or thermal switch or an immersion thermister.
8. A frost protection system as claimed in any of claims 2 to 7, wherein said at least one temperature sensor comprises a first temperature sensor for determining when temperature falls below said fir st temperature, for controlling the activation of the heating system and a second temperature for determining when said temperature falls below said second temperature, for controlling the operation of said one or more valves.
9. A frost protection system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a supplementary heating device to be located adjacent said one or more water pipes and/or one or more water tanks, said supplementary heating device being operated under the control of the control device.
10. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said supplementary heating device is operated by the control device in response to the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor.
11. A frost protection system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the system further comprises a communication device for communicating a message to remote location when the control device operates the heating system and/or operates the one or more valves and/or when the sensed temperature falls below, or exceeds, one or more predetermined values.
12. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said communication device comprises a wireless communication device.
13. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said communication device comprises a GSM communication device, said remote location comprising a mobile phone.
14. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said communication is in the form of a predetermined text message sent to a predetermined mobile telephone number.
15. A frost protection system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more further temperature sensors are provided for measuring the air temperature within the building and/or the temperature of a heating device, wherein said control device is programmed to monitor the temperature sensed by said one or more further temperature sensors and provide an indication of a problem with the heating system, and/or supplementary heating device, should the temperature measured by said one or more further temperature sensors fail to rise as expected following activation of the heating system and/or a supplementary heating device.
16. A frost protection system as claimed in claim 15, wherein such fault indication is transmitted to a remote location via a communication device.
17. A frost protection system substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.