초록 ▼

An integral water circulation device reliably provides rapid hot water at remote hot water faucets throughout a building by creating a low rate convective circulatory flow from the building water heater through a return line and the circulation device itself, without mixing hot and cold water within

An integral water circulation device reliably provides rapid hot water at remote hot water faucets throughout a building by creating a low rate convective circulatory flow from the building water heater through a return line and the circulation device itself, without mixing hot and cold water within the system.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A water circulator for providing rapid hot water to one or more remotely located hot water faucets within a building, the water circulator comprising:a cylindrical housing having top and bottom ends and a cylindrical wall that enclose a single internal chamber;a cold water inlet pos

[ I claim:] [1.] A water circulator for providing rapid hot water to one or more remotely located hot water faucets within a building, the water circulator comprising:a cylindrical housing having top and bottom ends and a cylindrical wall that enclose a single internal chamber;a cold water inlet positioned in the bottom end of said cylindrical housing for coupling said water circulator to a cold water supply line serving the building, said cold water inlet communicating through said bottom end of said cylindrical housing with said single internal chamber and being generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing;a heater supply outlet positioned in the top end of said cylindrical housing for coupling said water circulator to a water heater serving the building, said heater supply outlet communicating through said top end of said cylindrical housing with said single internal chamber and being generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical housing; andone or more return line inlets positioned on an outer surface of said cylindrical wall proximate the top end of said cylindrical housing for coupling said water circulator to a proximal end of one or more return lines, a distal end of each of said one or more return lines being coupled proximate a respective one of said one or more remotely located hot water faucets within the building, each of said return line inlets communicating through said cylindrical wall with said single internal chamber, each of said return line inlets containing a check valve assembly that permits the flow of warm water from an associated one of said one or more return lines into said single internal chamber, but that prevents the flow of water in the reverse direction.