Water recycling system for household hot air furnace humidifier and method therefor

Abstract

A water recycling system and method to be incorporated with an installed hot air furnace with an add-on humidifier via simple electrical and water flow connections. The water recycling system maintains a pump reservoir which pumps recycled water into the humidifier. The pump reservoir is fed in large part from water draining out of the humidifier. The humidifier's water supply valve maintains sufficient water. Water is lost only through evaporation and not by draining. The water recycling system water-valve operation is based on sensed water levels, pump activity, and humidifier on-off status. Water flows over the humidifier's water panel to produce a high degree of moisturization while recycling the water so as to avoid wasteful use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for recycling water which is supplied by an external water system, for a hot air furnace with a humidifier having a water valve, a water panel over which hot air circulates and acquires moisture from the water, and a humidistat to control humidifier activity, the system comprising:
 a pump motor;   a pump reservoir;   electronics to control the pump motor and the water valve which admits externally supplied water into the pump reservoir; and   hoses which interconnect the external water system, the water panel, and the pump reservoir;   wherein all of the water is either recycled between the pump reservoir and the water panel using the pump motor or combined in vapor form with warm air to be circulated by the hot air furnace; and   the electronics responds to the humidistat to turn on the pump motor so that the water flows over the water panel and back into the pump reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronics comprises:
 a first relay switch activated by the humidistat;   a second relay switch to activate the water valve;   a memory element to store a status of the pump reservoir;   a logic system to control the second relay switch, and comprising;   a first sensor to identify pump reservoir high water;   a second sensor to identify pump reservoir low water;   a third sensor to identify demand of the humidifier;   wherein the logic system adjusts the status of the water valve and the status of the pump motor and memory element which has the stored status of the pump reservoir, based upon the first, second and third sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the logic system comprises:
 a main controller;   wherein the main controller controls a status of the water valve according to the following table:   
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                   Sensed Inputs 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Pump 
                   Memory Input 
                   Actions 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Pump 
                   reservoir 
                   Pump 
                   Update Pump 
                     
                 
                     
                   reservoir 
                   Low Water 
                   reservoir 
                   reservoir 
                   Valve 
                 
                   Humidifier 
                   High Water 
                   Status per 
                   State per 
                   State 
                   Action via 
                 
                   Status per 
                   Status per 
                   second 
                   memory 
                   memory 
                   second relay 
                 
                   third sensor 
                   first sensor 
                   sensor 
                   element 
                   element 
                   switch 
                 
                     
                 
                   Off 
                   Don't Care 
                   Don't care 
                   Don't care 
                   None 
                   Close 
                 
                   On 
                   Yes 
                   Don't care 
                   Don't care 
                   To EMPTYING 
                   Close 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   Yes 
                   Don't care 
                   To FILLING 
                   Open 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   No 
                   FILLING 
                   None 
                   Open 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   No 
                   EMPTYING 
                   None 
                   Close 
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the logic system uses an indirect method to detect a low water status of the pump reservoir, namely, upon the combined status of the Humidifier as ‘On’ per the third sensor and the pump motor status as not ‘On’ per a current sensor module, wherein a coincidence of these two statuses constitute ‘Yes’ for the reservoir low water status. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 3 , wherein the logic system comprises a single-bit memory to provide decision context for opening and closing the water valve when the following inputs are identical: Humidifier ON, High water NO, Low water NO. 
     
     
         6 . A method for recycling water which is supplied by an external water system, for a hot air furnace with a humidifier having a water valve, a water panel over which hot air circulates and acquires moisture from the water, and a humidistat to control humidifier activity, the system comprising:
 supplying water for the water panel by means of pumping from a pump reservoir;   recycling all of the not-yet-evaporated water from the water panel back to the pump reservoir; and   responding to the humidistat by pumping water from the pump reservoir into the humidifier so that the water flows over the water panel and then back again to the pump reservoir.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 storing a status of the of the pump reservoir;   identifying pump reservoir high water;   identifying pump reservoir low water;   identifying demand of the humidifier; and   adjusting, using a logic system, the status of the water valve and the status of the pump motor and the stored status of the pump reservoir, based upon the identified pump reservoir high and low water, and the demand of the humidifier.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 controlling a status of the water valve according to the following table:   
       
         
           
                 
                 
               
                     
                 
                   Inputs 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   Pump 
                   Pump 
                   Actions 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                   Humidifier 
                   reservoir 
                   reservoir 
                   Pump 
                   Update Pump 
                     
                 
                   Demand 
                   High Water 
                   Low Water 
                   reservoir 
                   reservoir 
                   Valve 
                 
                   Status 
                   Status 
                   Status 
                   State 
                   State 
                   Action 
                 
                     
                 
                   Off 
                   Don't Care 
                   Don't care 
                   Don't care 
                   None 
                   Close 
                 
                   On 
                   Yes 
                   Don't care 
                   Don't care 
                   To EMPTYING 
                   Close 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   Yes 
                   Don't care 
                   To FILLING 
                   Open 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   No 
                   FILLING 
                   None 
                   Open 
                 
                   On 
                   No 
                   No 
                   EMPTYING 
                   None 
                   Close 
                 
                     
                 
             
                
                
               
            
             
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 detecting the pump reservoir low water status indirectly from Humidifier Demand Status and Pump Motor operational status via a current sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein a single-bit memory provides decision context for opening and closing the water valve when the following inputs are identical: Humidifier ON, High water NO, Low water NO.