Accelerated drain apparatus and method for walk-in bathtub

A quick drain system for a walk-in bathtub, comprising:

• a walk-in bathtub having a door in a side wall movable between a closed position with a seal for holding water within the bathtub and an open position for entering and egressing from the bathtub, said walk-in bath tub having a foot well portion for holding water below a threshold of the door and a water recirculation piping for communicating water to a plurality of j et openings in sidewalls of the bathtub;
• and
• said quick drain system comprising:
• a water outlet in a side wall of the bathtub proximate or lower than said threshold;
• a water supply pipe for communicating water from the water outlet to a diverter valve;
• said diverter valve having a first position for communicating water to the water recirculation piping and a second position for communicating water to a water drain pipe;
• the water drain pipe for connecting to a sanitary sewer pipe for draining water from the bathtub;
• a reverse check valve positioned in the water drain pipe prior to the connection with the sanitary sewer pipe and operable selectively to a check valve first position closed to prevent water flow from the diverter valve through the reverse check valve and to a check valve second position open to allow water flow from the diverter valve through the reverse check valve for draining of the bathtub;
• and
• means for operating selectively the reverse check valve to move to the check valve second position for draining water from the bathtub,
• whereby the quick drain system, being closed to drainage of water from the bathtub by the reverse check valve, allows the bathtub to fill with water and the reverse check valve being selectively operated to move to the check valve second position and the diverter valve not in the first position, allows water in the bathtub to drain to the sanitary sewer pipe.