Condensate removal apparatus and method
A coupling assembly and associated method is provided for an air conditioning system. The coupling assembly is configured for coupling an indoor coil section of the air conditioning system to a condensate drain line. The coupling assembly has a conduit that is attachable at one end to the indoor coil section. Also, a pump is enclosed within the conduit that has a suction port and a parallel discharge port. The suction port is operably connected to a condensate collection member of the indoor coil section and the discharge port operably connected to the condensate drain line. Preferably, the coupling assembly also has a switching circuit controlling operation of the pump in relation to rate at which condensate is pumped.
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The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/705,058 filed Aug. 2, 2005, entitled Condensate Removal System For Wall Mounted Condenser.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present embodiments as claimed relate to the field of liquid pumping, and more particularly but not by way of limitation, to a condensate removal system for the removal of condensate from a wall mounted unit of an air conditioner.
BACKGROUNDIn the field of air conditioning, there are systems in which one portion of an air conditioning unit is disposed in a building to be cooled, while another portion of the unit is disposed external to the building at some convenient remote site. The inside portion is often mounted on an interior room wall.
A refrigerant can be passed from the exterior condensing unit to the interior air handling system, in which a fan circulates ambient air over a heat exchanging coil to condition the ambient air. In the process, humidity in the ambient air can condense, which therefore must be properly disposed of to prevent growth of mold and damage that can occur from water leakage onto normal indoor building materials.
Some attempted solutions require the condensate collected by the interior unit to flow by gravity to an interior drain or to an outside outlet. However, frequently the location of the wall mounted unit does not permit reliance on gravity to effectively evacuate the condensed water. A condensate pump can be used to dispose of the condensation, but in most air conditioning systems installation space is not available to accommodate a condensate pump.
In other attempted solutions a condensate pump is supported in ductwork serving to house refrigerant lines between the interior and exterior units. However, this approach tends to limit the space available for the refrigerant lines. Also, since ductwork installations usually incorporate a vertical condensate discharge from the pump, there is a potential problem of water leakage flowing into the control electrical circuitry of the pump. That is, condensate can leak from a break in the tubing or from the connection to the pump.
Another disadvantage of other attempted solutions occurs when the placement of the entry boot to the ductwork must be disposed at some distance from the wall unit. This arrangement requires that condensate flow either partially or totally by gravity from the interior wall mounted unit to the condensate removal conduit in the ductwork.
It is to the resolution of the disadvantages associated with other attempted solutions that the present embodiments are directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONEmbodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a condensate removal system having a condensate pump supported in a support conduit designed to mount to the side of a wall mounted air conditioner unit. Accumulated condensate is pumped directly from the air conditioner unit to an appropriate condensate drainage location.
In some embodiments as condensate is detected in a condensate collection pan, the condensate pump is activated and the condensate is pumped by a straight coupling assembly. The invention can be interfaced with a straight section of conduit as may be necessary, or the collection conduit can be attached to an elbow on the ductwork containing the refrigerant lines that interconnect the interior and exterior units.
In some embodiments a coupling assembly is provided for an air conditioning system. The coupling assembly is configured for coupling an indoor coil section of the air conditioning system to a condensate drain line. The coupling assembly has a conduit that is attachable at one end to the indoor coil section. Also, a pump is enclosed within the conduit that has a suction port and a discharge port that are disposed in parallel planes. The suction port is operably connected to a condensate collection member of the indoor coil section and the discharge port operably connected to the condensate drain line. Preferably, the coupling assembly also has a switching circuit controlling operation of the pump in relation to a rate at which condensate is pumped.
In some embodiments a method is provided for removing condensate from an air handler. The method includes providing a coupling assembly having a conduit enclosing a pump with parallel suction and discharge ports; connecting the pump suction port to a condensate collection member of the air handler; connecting the pump discharge port to a first segment of a drain line; connecting one end of the conduit to the air handler; and pumping condensate from the condensate collection member to the drain line. Preferably, the method also includes providing a switching circuit controlling operation of the pump in relation to the rate at which condensate is pumped.
In some embodiments a condensate removal system is provided for a ductless air conditioner having a condensate collection member disposed to collect condensate from a heat exchanging member, and means for pumping the condensate from the collection member to a distant drainage location with a minimal static head loss.
These and various other features and advantages which characterize the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reviewing the associated drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the drawings in general, and particularly to
While the discussion that follows is directed to a mini split system with an indoor evaporative coil, the skilled artisan will readily recognize that the present embodiments are not so limited but may equivalently be utilized in other room conditioning systems such as but not limited to chiller systems with one or more air handlers, evaporative cooler systems, and the like.
As the indoor coil section 104 is cooled, atmospheric moisture condenses on the surface area of its heat exchanger coil and forms a liquid condensate. The condensate must be effectively removed from the living space in order to prevent adverse conditions such as water damage and bacteria growth. As indicated in
By disposing the suction and discharge ports 116, 118 in parallel relation, and preferably making them substantially coplanar, the coupling assembly 108 provides a straight coupling member of a compact size that is aesthetically pleasing to the user of the living space. By making the conduit 110 attachable directly to the indoor coil section 104, the distance from the indoor coil section 104 to the suction side of the pump 112 is minimized. In other words, this permits attaching the pump 112 directly to the indoor coil section 104. This eliminates the concerns associated with other attempted solutions that require adequate gravity feeding of the condensate to the pump 112, which often results in pumping failures caused by cavitation.
The unitary direction of flow from the suction to the discharge side of the pump 112 furthermore minimizes the head loss through the pump 112, especially when the downstream condensate drain line is entirely horizontal. This arrangement is shown by the attachment of a horizontal conduit 113 to the conduit 110 in
Referring back to
The pump suction port 116 is connected (or directly connected to the reservoir 111 inlet) to the drain conduit 124, and as mentioned above is preferably directly connected thereto in order to minimize the volume of accumulated condensate between the condensate collection pan 120 and the pump 112. The pump discharge port 118 is connected to the condensate drain line 119 that terminates at an appropriate drainage location, such as an indoor drain or an outdoor location.
The straight-length of the coupling assembly 108 permits the user complete freedom of design in laying out the conduit that runs between the indoor coil section 104 and the outdoor coil section 102. For example, the coupling assembly 108 is readily adapted to be connected either to the horizontal conduit 113 of
In any event, the conduit provides an aesthetically pleasing cover for routing the refrigerant lines 132 and electrical wires 136 between the indoor and outdoor coil sections 102, 104, as well as for routing the condensate drain line 119 to an appropriate drainage location. As best seen in the enlarged view of
The coupling assembly 108 also preferably has control circuitry that monitors the effectiveness of condensate removal and implements corrective actions accordingly. For example,
The method 200 begins in block 202 where a default condition of de-energizing the pump 112 is implemented. In block 204 the float switch 140 is monitored for its condensate level signal. In block 206 it is determined whether a predetermined high level of condensate has accumulated in the reservoir 111. If no, then control loops back to block 204; otherwise, control passes to block 208 where the pump 112 is energized to pump condensate from the reservoir 111 to the distant drain location.
In block 210 it is determined whether the pumping has lowered the condensate level to a predetermined low level. If yes, then control returns to block 202 to de-energize the pump 112; otherwise, control passes to block 212 where it is determined whether the condensate level has risen past the expected normal level to an alarm level. If yes, then an alarm can be signaled in block 214; otherwise control returns to block 210. Optionally, if the alarm condition exists for a predetermined dwell time then the indoor coil section 104 can also be de-energized, as shown in block 218, to prevent the anticipated likelihood that a condensate overflow condition might exist.
Generally as described, the present embodiments contemplate a condensate removal system for an air conditioner having a condensate collection member disposed to collect condensate from a heat exchanging member, and means for pumping the condensate from the collection member to a distant drainage location with a minimal static head loss. For purposes of the present embodiments and meaning of the attached claims, the term “means for pumping” expressly encompasses a coupling assembly that is directly attachable to the air conditioner, and that has a pump with suction and discharge ports that are disposed in parallel planes, and preferably are substantially coplanar. The term “means for pumping” thus expressly does not encompass previous attempted solutions that require a remote attachment to the air conditioner, or that dispose the suction and discharge ports in non-parallel planes. As described, the advantageous parallel suction and discharge arrangement of the present embodiments provides unlimited flexibility in routing the conduit that encloses the drain line 119. For example, the present embodiments even permits routing the conduit vertically from the indoor coil section 104 as shown in
It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments of the invention, this detailed description is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of structure and arrangements of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. For example, the particular elements may vary depending on the particular application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
In addition, although the embodiments described herein are directed to an evaporative coil section, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter is not so limited and various other liquid systems can utilize the present embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.
Claims
1. A coupling assembly for an air conditioning system, the coupling assembly configured for coupling an indoor coil section of the air conditioning system to a condensate drain line, the coupling assembly comprising:
- a conduit that is attachable at one end to the indoor coil section; and
- a pump enclosed within the conduit having a suction port and a substantially parallel discharge port, the suction port operably connected to a condensate collection member of the indoor coil section and the discharge port operably connected to the condensate drain line.
2. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the pump comprises a reservoir for collecting a volume of condensate in fluid communication with the suction port.
3. The coupling assembly of claim 2 wherein the pump comprises a housing that is formed integrally with the reservoir.
4. The coupling assembly of claim 2 further comprising a switching circuit controlling operation of the pump in relation to an amount of condensate in the reservoir.
5. The coupling assembly of claim 4 wherein the switching circuit operably energizes the pump when an amount of condensate in the reservoir exceeds a first predetermined amount.
6. The coupling assembly of claim 5 wherein the switching circuit operably de-energizes the pump when the amount of condensate in the reservoir is less than a second predetermined amount.
7. The coupling assembly of claim 6 wherein the switching circuit operably signals an alarm when the amount of condensate in the reservoir exceeds a third predetermined amount.
8. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the discharge port is adapted for operably connecting directly to the condensate drain line that is operably disposed substantially parallel with a plane defined by accumulated condensate in the condensate collection member.
9. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the conduit defines a passage extending continuously from the one end to an opposing end and is sized for routing the condensate drain line and at least one of an electrical lead and a fluid-bearing conduit to the indoor coil section.
10. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein the conduit defines a substantially straight member.
11. A method for removing condensate from an air handler, comprising:
- providing a coupling assembly having a conduit enclosing a pump with suction and discharge ports disposed in substantially parallel relation to each other;
- connecting the pump suction port to a condensate collection member of the air handler;
- connecting the pump discharge port to a first segment of a condensate drain line;
- connecting one end of the conduit to the air handler; and
- pumping condensate from the condensate collection member to the condensate drain line.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the providing step is characterized by the pump having a reservoir for collecting a volume of condensate at the pump suction port.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the providing step is characterized by a switching circuit controlling operation of the pump in relation to an amount of condensate in the reservoir.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the providing step is characterized by the switching circuit energizing the pump in relation to an amount of condensate in the reservoir.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the providing step is characterized by the switching circuit de-energizing the pump in relation to the amount of condensate in the reservoir.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the providing step is characterized by the switching circuit signaling an alarm in relation to the amount of condensate in the reservoir.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the providing step is characterized by the switching circuit de-energizing the air handler in relation to the amount of condensate in the reservoir.
18. The method of claim 111 wherein the providing step is characterized by the conduit defining a passage extending continuously from the one end to an opposing end and sized for routing the condensate drain line and at least one of an electrical lead and a fluid-bearing conduit to the air handler.
19. The method of claim 111 wherein the pumping step is characterized by pumping the condensate through a second segment of the drain line that is disposed non-parallel to the first segment.
20. A condensate removal system for an air conditioner, comprising:
- a condensate collection member disposed to collect condensate from a heat exchanging member; and
- means for pumping the condensate from the collection member to a distant drainage location with a minimal static head loss.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 2, 2006
Publication Date: Feb 8, 2007
Applicant: Little Giant Pump Company (Oklahoma City, OK)
Inventor: Steve Hampton (Mustang, OK)
Application Number: 11/498,676
International Classification: F25B 47/00 (20060101);