초록 ▼

The present recreational vehicle water warming and circulating system uses the heated water in the water heater to heat the on-board water supply when the outside air temperature drops below the freezing point of water. The system includes a holding tank for containing a majority of the on-board wat

The present recreational vehicle water warming and circulating system uses the heated water in the water heater to heat the on-board water supply when the outside air temperature drops below the freezing point of water. The system includes a holding tank for containing a majority of the on-board water supply, and heated and cold loops that supply heated and cold water to various fixtures in the recreational vehicle. When temperature sensors sense a potentially freezing condition, a control circuit opens one or more solenoid valves to open the one or both loops to return undispensed heated or cold water to the holding tank. The control circuit closes the solenoid valves when the potentially freezing condition is no longer detected by the temperature sensors.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus for a recreational vehicle having an on-board water supply including cold water and heated water, the water supply having an exposed portion in thermal communication with outside air and having a water temperature affected b

I claim: 1. A recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus for a recreational vehicle having an on-board water supply including cold water and heated water, the water supply having an exposed portion in thermal communication with outside air and having a water temperature affected by outside air temperature, particularly when the outside air temperature falls to near the freezing point of water and below, said recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus comprising: a holding tank having a chamber to hold the cold water of the water supply; a pump having intake and discharge openings, said pump drawing cold water from said holding tank and pressurizing the cold water and heated water downstream of said pump; a water heater for producing the heated water, said water heater having a cold water inlet and a heated water outlet, said water heater receiving water from said pump; a water fixture having at least one manual valve to selectively dispense the cold water and heated water of the water supply, said water fixture being located inside the recreational vehicle; a heated loop including a heated supply line providing a flow path from said holding tank through said pump and water heater to said water fixture, and a heated return line providing a flow path from said water fixture back to said holding tank, said heated supply line supplying the heated water to said water fixture and said heated return line returning undispensed heated water to said holding tank; a heated loop flow control valve positioned along said heated return line, said control valve being operable to selectively open and close said flow path of said heated return line; a control circuit including a water supply temperature sensor with a sensing element positioned to determine when the cold water in the exposed portion of the water supply reaches one of either a lower temperature setting and an upper temperature setting, said control circuit selectively opening and closing said heated loop flow control valve to allow and stop a flow of heated water through said heated loop, respectively; and, wherein said control circuit opens said heated loop flow control valve to allow the heated water to flow through said heated loop when said water supply temperature sensor senses the cold water of the water supply has reached said lower temperature setting, said pump pumping water from said holding tank to said water heater and circulating the heated water through said heated loop and to said holding tank, and wherein said control circuit closes said heated loop flow control valve when said water supply temperature sensor senses the cold water of the water supply has reached said upper temperature setting. 2. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising: a cold loop including a cold supply line providing a flow path from said holding tank through said pump to said water fixture, and a cold return line providing a flow path from said water fixture back to said holding tank, said cold supply line supplying the cold water to said water fixture and said cold return line returning undispensed cold water to said holding tank; a cold loop flow control valve positioned along said cold return line, said cold loop control valve being operable to selectively open and close said flow path of said cold return line; said control circuit including a cold loop temperature sensor with a sensing element located along said cold loop to determine when said cold loop reaches one of either a second lower temperature setting and a second upper temperature setting, said control circuit selectively opening and closing said cold loop flow control valve to allow and stop a flow of cold water through said cold loop, respectively; and, wherein said control circuit opens said cold loop flow control valve to allow water flow through said cold loop when said cold loop temperature sensor senses said cold loop has reached said second lower temperature setting, said pump pumping water from said holding tank and circulating the cold water through said cold loop and back to said holding tank, and wherein said control circuit closes said cold loop flow control valve when said cold loop temperature sensor senses said cold loop has reached said second upper temperature setting. 3. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said water heater has a heating tank, said water heater heating and storing a supply of the heated water in said heating tank, said water heater heating the heated water in said tank to within a desired temperature range. 4. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 3, and wherein said pump has an associated pressure sensor for sensing when water downstream said pump reaches one of either an upper pressure limit and a lower pressure limit, said pump activating when said pressure sensor senses that the water pressure downstream said pump has reached said lower pressure limit, and said pump deactivating when said pressure sensor senses that the water pressure has reached said upper pressure limit. 5. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 4, and wherein said pump has a manually operated on/off switch that places said pump into one of either an operating mode and a non-operating mode, said pump further including a second switch to activate and deactivate said pump, said pump being activated when said on/off switch places said pump in an operating mode and said pressure sensor senses that the water pressure has reached said lower pressure limit. 6. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and further comprising a second water fixture, the heated supply line of said heated loop supplying the heated water to said water fixtures in series, and said cold supply line of said cold loop supplying the cold water to said water fixtures in series. 7. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said heated and cold loops are bundled together into a bundled line having a bundled line temperature, said bundled line being in the exposed portion of the water supply, the water temperatures of the heated and cold water in the bundled line and the bundled line temperature migrating toward the outside air temperature when said water warming and circulating apparatus is inactive, and said cold loop temperature sensor sensing said bundled line temperature; wherein said control circuit opens said heated loop flow control valve to allow the heated water to circulate through said heated loop and to warm the cold water in said cold loop; and, wherein said control circuit opens said cold loop flow control valve to allow the cold water from said holding tank to circulate through said cold loop and to warm the heated water in said heated loop. 8. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 7, and wherein said water supply temperature sensor is in thermal communication with the cold water in said holding tank, and said cold loop temperature sensor is in thermal communication with said bundled line at a location proximal a cold spot. 9. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 8, and wherein the outside temperature is at or below the freezing point of water of about 32째 F.; said water supply temperature sensor of said holing tank has said first lower temperature setting of about 45째 F. and said first upper temperature setting of about 50째 F.; and, said cold loop temperature sensor proximal said cold spot has said second lower temperature setting of about 35째 F., and said second upper temperature setting of about 40째 F. 10. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 9, and wherein said control circuit includes a third temperature sensor in thermal communication with a portion of one of said loops proximal a second cold spot, said third temperature sensor being adapted to determine when said portion of one of the loops proximal said second cold spot reaches one of either a third lower temperature setting and a third upper temperature setting; and, wherein said control circuit opens said cold loop flow control valve to allow cold water to circulate through said cold loop when said third temperature sensor senses said portion of one of the loops proximal said second cold spot has reached said third lower temperature setting. 11. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said heated loop includes at least a portion of said supply line of said cold loop, said cold water inlet of said water heater being downstream of said water fixture, and wherein opening said heated loop flow control valve allows cold water to circulate through said portion of said cold water supply line. 12. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said cold water inlet of said water heater is upstream of said water fixture, and wherein cold water in said cold water supply line remains non-circulating until one of either said cold water control valve and said manual valve of said fixture is opened. 13. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said temperature sensors are electrical thermostats. 14. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said flow control valves are solenoid valves. 15. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 7, and wherein the recreational vehicle has a thermal boundary that defines an interior area of said recreational vehicle, said holding tank and at least a portion of said bundled line being located outside said interior area, and at least one of said water fixture being located inside said interior area. 16. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 15, and wherein said holding tank is in the exposed portion of the recreational vehicle, the temperature of the cold water in said holding tank and said heated and cold water in said bundled line migrate toward the outside temperature when the water warming and circulating apparatus is inactive. 17. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 2, and wherein said control circuit opens and closes said heated and cold control valves in unison for one of either weatherizing and flushing said heated and cold loops. 18. A water warming and circulating apparatus for a recreational vehicle, the recreational vehicle having a holding tank for holding an on-board water supply of cold water and heated water, an exposed portion of the water supply being in thermal communication with outside air and having a water temperature affected by the temperature of the outside air, particularly when the outside air temperature falls to near the freezing point of water and below, a pump with an associated switch to selectively activate and deactivate the pump, the pump drawing the cold water from the holding tank, a water heater having a heating tank, the pump pumping water from the holding tank to the water heater, the water heater heating and storing a supply of the heated water in the heating tank, the water heater heating the heated water to a desired temperature, a water fixture having at least one manual valve to selectively dispense the heated water and the cold water, a heated supply line providing a flow path from the holding tank through the pump and water heater to the water fixture, and a cold supply line providing a flow path from the holding tank through the pump and to the water fixture, said water warming and circulating apparatus comprising: a heated loop combining the heated supply line with a first return line, said heated return line providing a flow path from said water fixture to said holding tank, the heated supply line supplying the heated water to the water fixture and said heated return line returning undispensed heated water to the holding tank; a first flow control valve positioned along said heated return line, said first control valve being operable to selectively open and close said flow path of said heated return line; a cold loop combining the cold supply line with a cold return line, said cold return line providing a flow path from the water fixture to the holding tank, the cold supply line supplying the cold water to the water fixture and said cold return line returning undispensed cold water to the holding tank; a second flow control valve positioned along said cold return line, and said second control valve being operable to selectively open and close said flow path of said cold return line; a control circuit including a water supply temperature sensor having a sensing element to determine when the exposed portion of the water supply reaches one of either a first lower temperature setting and a first upper temperature setting, and a cold loop temperature sensor having a sensing element to determine when the cold water in said cold loop reaches one of either a second lower temperature setting and a second upper temperature setting, said control circuit selectively opening and closing said flow control valves; wherein said control circuit opens said first flow control valve to allow the heated water to flow through said heated loop when said water supply temperature sensor senses the water supply has reached said first lower temperature setting, the pump pumping water from the holding tank to the water heater and circulating the heated water through said heated loop and to the holding tank, said control circuit closing said first control valves when said water supply temperature sensor senses the water supply has reached said first upper temperature setting; and, wherein said control circuit opens said second flow control valve to allow the cold water to flow through said cold loop when said cold loop temperature sensor senses said cold loop has reached said second lower temperature setting, the pump pumping the cold water from the holding tank and circulating the cold water through said cold loop and back to the holding tank, said control circuit closing said cold loop control valve when said cold loop temperature sensor senses the cold water in said cold loop has reached said second upper temperature setting. 19. The water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 18, and wherein the recreational vehicle includes a second water fixture, the heated supply line of said heated loop supplying the heated water to the water fixtures in series, and the cold supply line of said cold loop supplying the cold water to the water fixtures in series. 20. The water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 19, and wherein said heated and cold loops are bundled together into a bundled line having a bundled line temperature, said bundled line being in the exposed portion of the water supply, the water temperatures of the heated and cold water in the bundled line and the bundled line temperature migrating toward the outside air temperature when said water warming and circulating apparatus is inactive, and said cold loop temperature sensor sensing said bundled line temperature; wherein said control circuit opens said heated loop flow control valve to allow the heated water to circulate through said heated loop and to warm the cold water in said cold loop; and, wherein said control circuit opens said cold loop flow control valve to allow the cold water from said holding tank to circulate through said cold loop and to warm the heated water in said heated loop. 21. The water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 20, and wherein said water supply temperature sensor is in thermal communication with the cold water in the holding tank, and said cold loop temperature sensor is in thermal communication with said bundled line at a location proximal a cold spot. 22. The water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 21, and wherein said control circuit includes a third temperature sensor in thermal communication with a second cold spot, said third temperature sensor being adapted to determine when a portion of one of the loops proximal said second cold spot reaches one of either a third lower temperature setting and a third upper temperature setting; and, wherein said control circuit opens said cold loop flow control valve to allow cold water to circulate through said cold loop when said third temperature sensor senses said portion of one of the loops proximal said second cold spot has reached said third lower temperature setting. 23. The recreational vehicle water warming and circulating apparatus of claim 18, and wherein said heated loop includes at least a portion of said supply line of said cold loop, said cold water inlet of said water heater being downstream of said water fixture, and wherein opening said heated loop flow control valve allows cold water to circulate through said portion of said cold water supply line.