Condensate bypass system for air conditioners

Abstract

A system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner by incorporating a solenoid valve in the path of a drain line. The system includes a tray which collects the condensate dripping from coils and a pump which drains the condensate through a condensate egress. The solenoid valve fluidly couples the condensate to the condensate egress when in the first position. The solenoid valve fluidly couples the condensate to a coil in the second position, whereby the condensate is configured to cool the coil when the valve is in the second position during normal operation.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for controlling flow of condensate in an air conditioner, the system comprising:
 a tray for collecting condensate;   a pump fluidly coupled with the tray;   a condensate egress;   a coil; and   a valve fluidly coupled with the pump, wherein:
 the valve has a first position and a second position, 
 the valve fluidly couples the condensate to the condensate egress when in the first position, and 
 the valve fluidly couples the condensate to the coil in the second position, whereby the condensate is configured to cool the coil when the valve is in the second position during normal operation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors to measure a level of condensate discharged from the pump. 
     
     
         3 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the condensate egress is a misting nozzle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the condensate is produced during the operation of an air conditioner and cannot be evaporated on the coil, the condensate is routed towards the condensate egress. 
     
     
         5 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the condensate either drips over the coil through gravitational pull or a misting nozzle is incorporated to evenly spread the condensate over the coil. 
     
     
         6 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the system can be controlled by temperature sensitive materials that open or close the valve based on an ambient temperature of a surrounding. 
     
     
         7 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the valve is either a solenoid valve or a water flow control that is pressure resistant to control flow of condensate in the air conditioner. 
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling flow of condensate in an air conditioner, the method comprising:
 receiving a mode of an operation from a user interface, wherein:
 a pump channels the flow of the condensate from an outdoor coil to an indoor coil when the air conditioner is set on a heating mode, and 
 the pump channels the flow of the condensate from the indoor coil to the outdoor coil if the air conditioner is set on a cooling mode; 
   sensing a level of the condensate from a plurality of sensors;   in response to the sensing, deciding a position of a valve, that is fluidly coupled to a pump, to route the condensate by opening or closing the valve; and   controlling the valve to re-route the condensate to a condensate tray positioned over a coil.   
     
     
         9 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 8 , the condensate is routed to a condensate egress depending on a high-level sensor while the condensate routed to the condensate tray depending upon a low-level sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 1 , wherein the condensate egress is a misting nozzle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 8 , wherein the condensate is produced during the operation of an air conditioner and cannot be evaporated on the coil, the condensate is routed towards the condensate egress. 
     
     
         12 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 8 , wherein the condensate drips either over coil through a gravitational pull or another misting nozzle is incorporated to evenly spread the condensate over the coil. 
     
     
         13 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 8 , wherein the valve can be controlled by temperature sensitive materials that open or close the valve based on an ambient temperature of a surrounding. 
     
     
         14 . The method of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 8 , wherein the valve is either a solenoid valve or a water flow control that is pressure resistant to control flow of condensate in the air conditioner. 
     
     
         15 . A system of controlling flow of condensate in a air conditioner, the system comprising:
 a tray for collecting condensate;   a pump fluidly coupled with the tray;   a condensate egress, wherein the condensate egress is a misting nozzle;   a coil; and   a valve fluidly coupled with the pump, wherein:
 the valve has a first position and a second position, 
 the valve fluidly couples the condensate to the condensate egress when in the first position, and 
 the valve fluidly couples the condensate to the coil in the second position, whereby the condensate is configured to cool the coil when the valve is in the second position during normal operation. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a plurality of sensors to sense a level of condensate coming from a pump.   
     
     
         17 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 15 , wherein the condensate is produced during the operation of an air conditioner and cannot be evaporated on the coil, the condensate is routed towards the condensate egress. 
     
     
         18 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 15 , wherein the condensate drips either over coil through a gravitational pull or another misting nozzle is incorporated to evenly spread the condensate over the coil. 
     
     
         19 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 15 , wherein the system can be controlled by temperature sensitive materials that open or close the valve based on an ambient temperature of a surrounding. 
     
     
         20 . The system of controlling flow of condensate in the air conditioner in  claim 15 , wherein the valve is either a solenoid valve or a water flow control that is pressure resistant to control flow of condensate in the air conditioner.