Auxiliary gray water source device for commercial kitchens

Abstract

An auxiliary grey water supply device captures used wash water from a commercial warewashing machine for supply to a pre-rinse station without substantial modification of the commercial warewashing machine. The captured wash water is delivered to a pre-rinse station for pre-rinsing of dishes that will be washed within the commercial warewashing machine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An auxiliary grey water supply device for use in a commercial food service facility, the auxiliary grey water supply device comprising a tank, the tank comprising an inlet, the inlet receiving a removable scrap trap, the tank further comprising an overflow outlet and a freshwater supply, the overflow outlet being vertically lower than the freshwater supply inlet, and a pump having an inlet in fluid communication with the tank and an outlet in fluid communication with a delivery conduit. 
     
     
         2 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the tank is translucent whereby light is admitted into the tank through one or more walls of the tank. 
     
     
         3 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 2 , wherein the tank is formed of a translucent plastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the tank is sized and configured for placement under at least a portion of a commercial warewashing station. 
     
     
         5 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the removable scrap trap comprises a bottom surface, the bottom surface being vertically lower than an upper inner wall of the tank when the removable scrap trap is positioned within the inlet. 
     
     
         6 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 5 , wherein the removable scrap trap comprises a mesh basket. 
     
     
         7 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 6 , wherein the mesh basket comprises a mesh that stops substantially all intact rice from passing through the mesh basket. 
     
     
         8 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 5 , wherein the bottom surface of the removable scrap trap is vertically higher than a lowermost portion of the overflow outlet such that a maximum water level defined by the overflow outlet is vertically lower than the bottom surface of the removable scrap trap. 
     
     
         9 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the tank further comprises an evacuation outlet, the evacuation outlet being disposed along a lower portion of the tank. 
     
     
         10 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 9 , wherein the evacuation outlet is in fluid communication with a spigot whereby flow through the evacuation outlet can be controlled with the spigot. 
     
     
         11 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one supporting member. 
     
     
         12 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 11 , wherein the supporting member is a rail that is adapted to be supported under a component of a warewashing station. 
     
     
         13 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1  further comprising a fresh water supply assembly in fluid communication with a cavity defined by the tank. 
     
     
         14 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 13 , wherein the fresh water supply assembly comprises a valve whereby a supply of fresh water can be manually provided to the tank. 
     
     
         15 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the tank comprises a temperature sensor that is adapted to sense a temperature of contents of the tank. 
     
     
         16 . The auxiliary grey water supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the tank comprises a PH sensor that is adapted to sense a PH of contents of the tank. 
     
     
         17 . A method of installing an auxiliary grey water supply device, the method comprising disconnecting a pre-rinse unit from a hot water faucet and a cold water faucet, locating the auxiliary grey water supply device proximate a warewashing station, connecting a delivery conduit to the hot water faucet and the cold water faucet and positioning an inlet of the auxiliary grey water supply device vertically below an outlet from a warewashing machine whereby a tank of the auxiliary grey water supply device captures substantially all of a load of grey water being evacuated from the warewashing machine through the inlet of the auxiliary grey water supply device without significant modification of the warewashing machine. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising connecting a fresh water supply to a fresh water supply assembly of the auxiliary grey water supply device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising plumbing an outlet conduit of an overflow outlet of the auxiliary grey water supply device to a location vertically above a floor drain or a floor sink. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising connecting a pump of the auxiliary grey water supply device to an electrical outlet.