JP4111900B2 - Hot water heater - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a hot water heater such as a heat pump hot water heater, a heat pump hot water heater, a gas hot water heater, and an oil hot water heater. Specifically, a hot water generating apparatus that generates hot water by a heating source, a hot water circulation path formed by connecting a plurality of branch paths having a use side heat exchanger such as a circulation pump, a plurality of on-off valves, and a plurality of floor heating panels; A water filling device provided in the hot water circulation path, a plurality of usage-side remote controllers provided corresponding to each usage-side heat exchanger, and a heat source-side control device, from the usage-side remote controller to the heat source side The present invention relates to a hot water heater configured to open the corresponding on-off valve in response to an operation signal to a control device.

A conventional hot water heating apparatus of this type includes a plurality of usage-side remote controllers (hereinafter referred to as “remote controllers”) provided in correspondence with the respective usage-side heat exchangers, and a heat source-side control device. The corresponding on-off valve is opened in accordance with an operation signal from the remote control to the heat source side control device (see Patent Document 1).
JP 7-293905 A

  In such a hot water heater, it is necessary to fill (water-fill) the heating circulating water using a water filling device at the time of construction, but each branch passage has an opening / closing valve such as a thermal valve. By opening sequentially, the whole warm water circulation path can be filled with circulating water.

  In general, a water supply pipe having a water supply valve is connected, and an expansion tank having a water level sensor is provided in a hot water circulation path, and these constitute a water filling device. The heat source side control device is provided with a water filling switch. When the water filling switch is turned on, the presence or absence of water in the expansion tank is detected by a signal from the water level sensor, and the circulating water is automatically replenished while controlling the circulation pump and the water supply valve.

  For example, when it is detected by the water level sensor that there is no water in the expansion tank, the water supply valve is opened, and first, the circulating water is supplied into the expansion tank. Thereafter, when the water level sensor detects that the expansion tank is filled with water, the water supply valve is closed and the circulation pump is operated to feed water into the hot water circulation path. When the expansion tank runs out of water, the circulation pump is stopped, the water supply valve is opened, and the expansion tank is refilled with water. By repeating this, circulating water can be replenished to the hot water circulation path.

  Some hot water heaters do not have water supply pipes or water supply valves, and some do not automatically supply water.In this case, the operator confirms the level of the expansion tank from the water inlet provided near the expansion tank. Or the user fills it with water.

  Furthermore, in order to fill the use side heat exchanger such as a floor heating panel installed in the interior of each branch path with circulating water, water must be sent to the path unless the on-off valve of each branch path is opened and closed. Can not.

  So far, in order to open the on-off valve of the route, it has been necessary to bother to turn on the operation switch of the remote controller of the system installed in the room. Thus, by turning on the operation switch of the remote controller, the piping of the corresponding system (branch path) can be filled with circulating water.

  However, if the entire heating system is filled with this method, for example, in the case of three hot water heating devices, it is necessary to go back and forth between the room with the remote control and the room with the heat source at least three times. It was.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a hot water heating apparatus having a plurality of hot water branch paths, and can open the open / close valves of the respective branch paths on the heat source side and perform water filling of the entire system without going to the room and operating the remote control. The purpose is to do so.

For this reason, in the first invention, a hot water generator that generates hot water by a heating source, a circulation pump, a plurality of branch valves having a use side heat exchanger such as a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of floor heating panels are connected. A hot water circulation path, a water filling device provided in the hot water circulation path, a plurality of usage side remote controllers provided corresponding to each usage side heat exchanger, a heat source side control device, and the heat source side control provided in the apparatus, and a switching instruction means for opening and closing the on-off valve of the branch passage during water filling, opening the on-off valve corresponding in accordance with the operation signal to the heat source-side controller from the usage-side remote controller in hot-water heating device so as to, the heat source-side control unit the closing give priority to the operation signal from the usage-side remote controller during water filling the opening and closing signals from the switching instruction means Characterized by opening and closing the.

Further, in the second invention, a hot water generator that generates hot water by a heating source, a circulation pump, a plurality of branch valves having a use side heat exchanger such as a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of floor heating panels are connected. A hot water circulation path, a water filling device provided in the hot water circulation path, a plurality of usage side remote controllers provided corresponding to each usage side heat exchanger, a heat source side control device, and the heat source side control device Open / close instruction means for opening / closing the on / off valve of each branch path when water is filled, and opening the corresponding on / off valve in response to an operation signal from the use side remote controller to the heat source side control device In the hot water heater configured as described above, the heat source side control device has a water filling instruction means separately from the opening / closing instruction means, and when there is a water filling signal from the water filling instruction means, It characterized in that it enabled the work.

According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the opening / closing instruction means comprises one tact switch, and the heat source side control device has a plurality of on / off valves each time the tact switch is operated. It is characterized by opening sequentially .

According to a fourth aspect, in the first to third aspects, the heat source side control device limits the opening / closing of the on / off valve by the on / off instruction means within a predetermined time .

  According to the first invention, even if the installer or user does not bother to go into the room when operating the circulating water for heating and operate the remote control, the open / close valve of each branch path is opened / closed by the opening / closing instruction means on the heat source side. The entire circulation path can be filled with water, and the labor required for construction can be greatly reduced.

  Before performing water filling, air or the like may be sent into the hot water circuit to conduct an airtight test, but even in that case, inspection can be performed without going to the room.

  According to the first invention, when the installer or user wants to check the water leak indoors, the on-off valve can be opened with the indoor remote controller, the intention of the installer or user is respected, and the usability is improved. good.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is no fear that the opening / closing valve not intended by the user is opened due to an erroneous operation of the opening / closing instruction means during normal operation.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, for example, in the case of a three-system hot water heating apparatus having three branch paths, the three on-off valves can be opened and closed sequentially by operating one tact switch, and the parts cost is also reduced. It is advantageous.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, there is no fear that the on-off valve remains open due to forgetting to operate the on-off instruction means.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an overall system of a heat pump type hot water heater. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a heat pump unit as a heating source, which includes a compressor that compresses CO ₂ refrigerant to a high temperature and a high pressure, a refrigerant 2C and a hot water side coil 2B, and heat refrigerant that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and water. It has an anti-water heat exchanger (heat source side heat exchanger) 2, an electric expansion valve, an evaporator as an outdoor heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between outside air and refrigerant, an accumulator, and the like. That is, since a heat pump unit using a CO ₂ refrigerant is used as a heat source unit, high-temperature hot water can be generated.

  3 is a hot water unit on the heat source side installed together with the heat pump unit 1, and this hot water unit 3 can be housed in the heat pump unit 1 and a single casing, and in a device having a hot water supply function, a hot water storage tank It can also be housed in the same casing as the unit (not shown). The hot water unit 3 supplies hot water obtained by heat exchange by the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger 2 to a high-temperature heating device such as a bathroom heater 4 and a floor heating panel 5A that is a low-temperature heating device. Supplied to ~ 5C (use side heat exchanger). The hot water unit 3 is supplied with water via a water supply pipe 6 having a water supply valve 6A and is connected to the expansion tank 7 for storing warm water for heating and the heated circulating water of the hot water side coil 2B to the hot water side coil 2B. A circulation pump 9 and the like for forcibly circulating to the bathroom heater 4 and floor heating panels 5A to 5C through a hot water outlet pipe 8 are provided.

  And the hot water unit 3 and the bathroom heater 4 are connected to the hot water return pipe 4A and the hot water return pipe 4B on the side of the bathroom heater 4 via the pipe connecting portions 10A and 10B. 5C is connected via a forward header 11 and a return header 12.

  A pipe 13 is branched and connected to the warm water outlet pipe 8, and the pipe 13 is connected to the expansion tank 7. The return header 12 is connected to the pipe 13 via a pipe 14, and the pipe connection portion 10 </ b> B is connected to the pipe 14 via a pipe 15. The circulation pump 9 is provided in a pipe 16 connected to the expansion tank 7, and this pipe 16 is connected to the forward header 11 and the hot water side coil 2B via a pipe 17A and a pipe 17B, respectively.

  The forward header 11 is provided with three thermal valves (open / close valves) 18A to 18C at the branch ports, and opens and closes the hot water supply of the three branch paths 19A to 19C provided with the floor heating panels 5A to 5C. I have control.

  20 is a bathroom heating remote controller (hereinafter referred to as “bathroom heating remote controller”) installed in a dressing room outside the bathroom, and 21A to 21C are floor heating remote controllers (hereinafter referred to as “floor heating”) installed in the living room or the like. Remote control (use side remote control). The expansion tank 7 is provided with a water level sensor 22. The bathroom heating remote controller 20 is provided with an operation switch 23, and the floor warming remote controllers 21A to 21C are also provided with operation switches 24A to 24C.

  The hot water unit 3 is provided with a control board K (heat source side control device) on which a water filling switch 25 and a thermal valve switch 26 are provided, and is mounted on the control board K for hot water heating as shown in FIG. The microcomputer M that performs various controls includes a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM, as well as the water level sensor 22 of the expansion tank 7, the operation switch 23 of the bathroom heating remote controller 20, the water filling switch 25 (water filling instruction means), Signals from a thermal valve switch (open / close instruction means) 26 constituted by a tact switch, operation switches 24A to 24C of the floor warming remote controllers 21A to 21C and the like are input to the microcomputer M, and the heat pump unit 1 and the water supply valve 6A, circulation pump 9, and thermal valves 18A to 18C provided at the branch port of the forward header 11 Lee black control signal from the computer M is outputted.

  In addition, the hot water side coil 2B, the bathroom heater 4, the circulation pump 9, the expansion tank 7, and the floor heating panels 5A to 5C described above are connected by the hot water outlet pipe 8, pipes, branch paths, etc., thereby forming the hot water circulation path C. ing. Further, the water filling device W is constituted by the water supply pipe 6 having the water supply valve 6A and the water level sensor 22.

  The operation | movement operation | movement of the bathroom heater 4 which is a high temperature heating apparatus by the above structure is demonstrated. When the operation switch 23 of the bathroom heating remote controller 20 is turned on, an on-off valve (not shown) built in the bathroom heater 4 is opened and an operation signal of the operation switch 23 is input to the microcomputer M. M operates the circulation pump 9 and instructs the heat pump unit 1 to perform a heating operation by instructing a heating operation signal.

When the heat pump unit 1 is operated, the compressor in the heat pump unit 1 is operated, and high-temperature and high-pressure CO ₂ refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerant-side coil 2A of the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger 2 and flows through the hot-water side coil 2B. Circulating water is heated to about 80 ° C.

  The heating circulating water in the operation of the bathroom heater 4 is obtained by the operation of the circulation pump 9, the expansion tank 7, the circulation pump 9, the piping 17B, the hot water side coil 2B of the refrigerant to water heat exchanger 2, the piping connection portion 10A, and the bathroom. It circulates in the circulation path | route of the heater 4-> piping connection part 10B-> expansion tank 7, and the bathroom heater 4 supplies warm air in a bathroom, and a bathroom is heated.

  Next, the heating operation of the floor heating panel 5 that is a low-temperature heating device will be described. When the operation switches 24A to 24C of the floor heating remote controllers 21A to 21C installed in the room to be heated are operated, the operation signal is input to the microcomputer M of the control board K in the hot water unit 3, and is input to the operation switches 24A to 24C. The corresponding thermal valves 18A to 18C are opened, and the circulating pump 9 is operated to circulate the heating circulating water to the floor heating panels 5A to 5C. In addition, the heating operation signal is instructed to the heat pump unit 1 to perform the heating operation.

When the heat pump unit 1 performs the heating operation, the compressor is operated, and the high-temperature and high-pressure CO ₂ refrigerant is supplied to the refrigerant-side coil 2A of the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger 2, and the heating circulating water flowing through the hot-water side coil 2B is reduced. Heat to about 80 ° C.

  The heating circulating water in the operation of the floor heating panel 5 is obtained by operating the expansion pump 7, the circulation pump 9, the piping 17 </ b> B, the hot water side coil 2 </ b> B of the refrigerant to water heat exchanger 2, the hot water outlet pipe 8, and the piping. It circulates in the circulation path of 13 → expansion tank 7 and also circulates in the circulation path of expansion tank 7 → circulation pump 9 → piping 17A → branches 19A to 19C → piping 14 → expansion tank 7. For this reason, the high temperature water from the refrigerant | coolant versus water heat exchanger 2 and the low temperature water from the piping 14 are moderately mixed by the expansion tank 7, and become the middle temperature water of about 60 degreeC suitable for floor heating, floor heating panel 5A- Circulated to 5C.

  Next, the water filling operation at the time of installation will be described. First, when the water filling switch 25 on the control board K provided in the hot water unit 3 on the heat source side installed outside is turned on, the microcomputer M detects the presence or absence of water in the expansion tank 7 based on a signal from the water level sensor 22. Then, the circulating water is automatically replenished while controlling the circulation pump 9 and the water supply valve 6A.

  For example, when the water level sensor 22 detects that there is no water in the expansion tank 7, the microcomputer M opens the water supply valve 6 </ b> A and first supplies circulating water into the expansion tank 7. Thereafter, when the water level sensor 22 detects that the expansion tank 7 has been filled with water, the microcomputer M closes the water supply valve 6A and operates the circulation pump 9 to feed water into the hot water circulation path C. As a result, when the water in the expansion tank 7 runs out, the circulation pump 9 is stopped, the water supply valve 6A is opened, and the expansion tank 7 is replenished with water. By repeating this, circulating water can be replenished to the hot water circulation path C. In order to fill the hot water outlet pipe 4A and the hot water return pipe 4B on the bathroom heater 4 side on the bathroom heater 4 side, the operation switch 23 of the bathroom heating remote controller 20 may be turned on and the built-in open / close valve may be opened.

  Next, the operation in the case of filling circulating water into the branch paths 19A to 19C provided with the floor heating panels 5A to 5C will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  While the water filling switch 25 is being turned on and before a certain period of time has passed, and when the operation switches 24A to 24C of any of the floor warming remote controllers 21A to 21C are not turned on, the thermal valve switch 26 is turned on once. Then, one pulse signal enters the microcomputer M. That is, the thermal valve switch 26 is a so-called tact switch, which is normally in an off state, is turned on during operation, and automatically returns to an off state when the operation is stopped.

  When this first operation is performed, the microcomputer M first turns on and opens only the thermal valve 18A (indicated as “thermal valve 1” for convenience in FIG. 4) as shown in FIG. . For this reason, water filling is performed to the branch path 19A with the floor heating panel 5A. Similarly, when the second and third operations of the thermal valve switch 26 are performed, only the thermal valve 18B (indicated as “thermal valve 2” in FIG. 4) and the thermal valve 18C (in FIG. 4). In FIG. 5, only the “thermal valve 3”) is sequentially opened, and the branch path 19B having the floor heating panel 5B and the branch path 19C having the floor heating panel 5C are sequentially filled with water. When the fourth on operation of the thermal valve switch 26 is performed, all of the thermal valves 18A to 18C are closed, and the microcomputer M resets the number of switch on operations to zero. That is, the microcomputer M includes a counter and controls the thermal valves 18A to 18C according to the count value.

  Thus, even in the case of three systems having three branch paths, the thermal valve on the heat source side can be used even if the installer or user does not bother to go indoors and operate the floor warming remote controllers 21A to 21C when the circulating water is heated. The switch 26 can be used to selectively open and close the thermal valve of each branch path to fill the entire hot water circulation path, greatly reducing labor during construction.

  In addition, before performing water filling, air or the like may be sent into the hot water circulation path to conduct an airtight test, but even in that case, the inspection can be performed without going to the room. In addition, the three thermal valves 18A to 18C can be sequentially opened and closed by operating one tact switch, which is advantageous in terms of component costs.

  When any of the operation switches 24A to 24C of the floor warming remote controllers 21A to 21C is operated during the water filling operation by the thermal valve switch 26 described above, the thermal valve opened by the thermal valve switch 26 is forcibly closed. The thermal valves corresponding to the operation switches 24A to 24C are opened, and the number of ON operations of the thermal valve switch 26 is also reset to zero. For this reason, when a contractor or a user wants to perform a water leak check indoors, the thermal valve 18A-18C which respond | corresponds by the floor warming remote control 21A-21C indoor can also open, and a contractor's or user's intention Is respected and easy to use. Of course, the heat pump unit 1 does not perform the heating operation during the water filling operation.

In addition, since the operation of the thermal valve switch is enabled when the water filling switch 25 is turned on and there is a water filling signal, it is not intended even if the thermal valve switch 26 is erroneously turned on during normal heating operation. There is no worry that the thermal valve will open. Also, before performing water filling, when performing a gas-tight test by feeding air or the like to the hot water circulation path, if you actuate the suddenly Netsudoben without turning on the water filling switch 25, feed water valve 6A and circulation When only air is desired to be sent without operating the pump 9, a situation occurs in which water is supplied. This can also be prevented.

Furthermore, it is Netsudoben which is opened by Netsudoben switch 26 to turn off the water filling switch 25, or water filling If the switch a predetermined time has elapsed since the ON, since all thermally activated valves are closed, There is no worry about forgetting to turn off the thermal valve switch 26.

  The above-described water filling operation by the water filling switch 25 is automatically stopped after a certain period of time, but the start time of this certain time is not based on when the water filling switch 25 is pressed, but by the water level sensor 22. It is good to detect after the expansion tank 7 is surely filled with water.

  That is, when so-called torii piping is performed between the hot water unit 3 and the floor heating panel (for example, the piping from the hot water unit 3 is once connected to the bathroom heater 4 and the floor heating panels 5A to 5C through the attic. In this case, there is a problem that the air in the pipe cannot be sufficiently removed. To solve this problem, at least when the water level sensor 22 confirms that the expansion tank 7 of the hot water unit 3 is full, This is because the air can be driven out of the pipe by circulating water for a period of time.

The heat pump unit 1 of the present embodiment is a refrigeration cycle using a CO ₂ refrigerant. However, the heat pump unit 1 is not limited to this, and an HFC refrigerant may be used. Further, the heat pump unit 1 may be a hot water generator using a heat pump unit and a hot water unit. Not limited to this, a hot water generating device that generates hot water by a heating source using gas, petroleum, or electric power may be used. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a heat pump hot water heater / heater, a heat pump hot water heater, a gas hot water heater, a petroleum hot water heater, and the like.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various alternatives, modifications, and variations can be made by those skilled in the art based on the above description, and the various alternatives and modifications described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Or a modification is included.

It is a whole system diagram of a heat pump type hot water heater. It is a control block diagram of a heat pump type hot water heater. It is a flowchart for operation | movement description of a heat pump hot water heating apparatus. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating opening / closing operation | movement of the thermal valve by a thermal valve switch.

Explanation of symbols

1 Heat pump unit 2 Refrigerant to water heat exchanger (heat source side heat exchanger)
5A-5C Floor heating panel (use side heat exchanger)
9 Circulation pump 18A-18C Thermal valve (open / close valve)
19A-19C Branch 21A-21C Floor warming remote control (use side remote control)
25 Water filling switch (water filling instruction means)
26 Thermally operated valve switch (open / close instruction means)
C Hot water circuit K Control board (heat source side controller)
M microcomputer W water filling device

Claims (4)

A hot water generator that generates hot water by a heating source, a hot water circulation path formed by connecting a circulation pump, a plurality of branch valves having a use-side heat exchanger such as a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of floor heating panels, and the hot water A water filling device provided in the circulation path, a plurality of use side remote controllers provided corresponding to the respective use side heat exchangers, a heat source side control device, and a heat source side control device provided with each branch when water is filled. Opening and closing instruction means for opening and closing the on-off valve of the road ,
In the hot water heating apparatus configured to open the corresponding on-off valve according to an operation signal from the use side remote controller to the heat source side control device,
The hot water heater is configured to open and close the open / close valve by giving priority to an operation signal from the use side remote controller over an open / close signal from the open / close instruction means when the water source is filled . A hot water generator that generates hot water by a heating source, a hot water circulation path formed by connecting a circulation pump, a plurality of branch valves having a use-side heat exchanger such as a plurality of on-off valves and a plurality of floor heating panels, and the hot water A water filling device provided in the circulation path, a plurality of use side remote controllers provided corresponding to the respective use side heat exchangers, a heat source side control device, and a heat source side control device provided with each branch when water is filled. Opening and closing instruction means for opening and closing the on-off valve of the road,
In the hot water heating apparatus configured to open the corresponding on-off valve according to an operation signal from the use side remote controller to the heat source side control device,
The heat source side control device has a water filling instruction means separately from the opening / closing instruction means, and enables the operation of the opening / closing instruction means when there is a water filling signal from the water filling instruction means. . 3. The hot water according to claim 1, wherein the open / close instruction unit includes a single tact switch, and the heat source side control device sequentially opens a plurality of open / close valves each time the tact switch is operated. Heating device. The hot water heater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat source side control device restricts opening of the on-off valve by the on- off instruction means within a predetermined time .

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