Common venting system for heating, cooling and domestic hot water systems

Abstract

A common vent application and an independent fan coil are disclosed for improved heating, cooling and water making in a building. The independent fan coil obviates the common boilers and chillers in addition to all the common heating and cooling distribution piping used in known systems. Instead, the fan coils contain all the hydronic heating components and all the components needed to provide AC without the use of common boilers and chilled water systems. The fan coils utilize common vent shaft ducting to exhaust the products of combustion generated for the independent tankless water heater. In addition, the common vent shaft may utilize a negative static pressure environment to exhaust the heat of rejection from the AC portion of the fan coil unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A common venting system for a structure housing multiple suites, the venting system comprising:
 a rigid common venting pipe having a plurality of exhaust gas inlet ports, each exhaust gas inlet port arranged to receive exhaust gases generated by separate individual corresponding water heater units;   an exit port coupled to the venting pipe and arranged to exhaust gases from the venting pipe to the atmosphere; and   a pressure means coupled to the common venting pipe for maintaining a preset static pressure in the common venting pipe to draw the exhaust gases, in operation, through the common venting pipe toward the exit port.   
     
     
         2 . The venting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure means comprises a fan arranged near a bottom end of the common venting pipe to supply forced air into the common venting pipe to maintain positive static pressure in the common venting pipe to move air, in operation, upward through the common venting pipe toward the exit port. 
     
     
         3 . The venting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressure means comprises a first fan arranged near a top end of the common venting pipe to maintain negative static pressure in the common venting pipe to move the exhaust gases, in operation, toward the exit port;
 and further comprising a common shaft in which the common venting pipe is installed, the common shaft having an air inlet to supply air into the common shaft; and   an exhaust fan to exhaust air from the common shaft to the atmosphere.   
     
     
         4 . The venting system according to  claim 1 , wherein the common venting pipe is formed of a rigid plastic material and is mountable inside a hollow vertical shaft configured to extend through a structure to a roof of the structure. 
     
     
         5 . The venting system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of independent fan coil system connected one each in fluid communication with one each of the plurality of exhaust gas inlet ports, wherein each of the plurality of independent fan coil systems comprise:
 a controller arranged to receive input signals from a thermostat and generate control signals responsive to the input signals;   a heating section responsive to control signals generated by the controller and comprising a hydronic coil coupled to receive hydronic heating fluid to warm air and supply the warm air to a plenum; and   a cooling section responsive to control signals generated by the controller and comprising a heat pump system to cool air and supply the cool air to the plenum.   
     
     
         6 . The venting system of  claim 5 , wherein each cooling section comprises:
 an evaporator coil;   a condenser coil;   refrigerant lines operatively interconnecting the evaporator coil and the condenser coil;   a compressor coupled to the refrigerant lines to compress refrigerant;   a blower fan to move air over the evaporator coil for cooling and water making; and   a secondary air duct to receive moist air via a filter and a louver; whereby, in operation, moist outside air from the secondary air duct flows across the evaporator coil by means of the blower fan to make water for delivery to a water storage tank.   
     
     
         7 . The venting system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 receive a signal from a water storage tank indicating that drinking water is required;   responsive to the drinking water signal, generate control signals to:   close off air flow through the heating section,   enable air flow from the secondary air duct into the cooling section,   enable air flow from the cooling section into the plenum,   start the compressor so that refrigerant flows through the refrigerant lines to operate the heat pump system; and   start the blower fan motor so that air enters through the secondary air duct and flows through the condenser coil, and into a common vent shaft so that the heat of rejection of the heat pump system passes into the common vent shaft and vents to atmosphere;   whereby, in operation, moist air enters the independent fan coil system through the secondary air duct, and moves through the evaporator coil, and into the plenum, and from the plenum via supply air ducting into a suite of the structure to provide air-conditioning, and water produced by the evaporator coil is supplied to the water storage tank.   
     
     
         8 . The venting system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 receive a water storage tank full signal;   responsive to the water storage tank full signal, turn off the fan coil system, qualified by:   receiving a call for AC signal from the thermostat during this mode of operation; and   responsive to the call for AC signal, generate control signals so that AC is provided to the suite while water for drinking is being produced.   
     
     
         9 . The venting system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 when the thermostat is not sending a signal to the controller for AC, generate control signals so that excess cold air is vented to the common vent shaft.   
     
     
         10 . The venting system of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is programmed to:
 responsive to receiving a call for space heating during a water making mode of operation, pausing water making until the space heating demand is satisfied.   
     
     
         11 . The venting system of  claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of water heaters one each connected in fluid communication with the hydronic coil of one of each of the plurality of independent fan coil systems. 
     
     
         12 . The venting system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of water heaters are a tankless water heater.