US 11,692,736 B1 · Air conditioner shut-off system and method to prevent drainage overflow

Abstract

An air conditioner shut-off system includes an overflow conduit that is coupled, at one end, to the drainage system of an air handler unit of the air conditioner system. The opposite end of the overflow conduit is positioned over an overflow container, which is suspended by a harness at the lower end of the harness. The upper end of the harness being operably coupled to the shut off switch throw of a shut off switch, which is provided on or proximate to the air handler unit. If the drainage system becomes obstructed, water will flow into the overflow container through the conduit, and eventually the mass of the water accumulated in the overflow container will produce enough force acting on the shut off switch throw through the harness to flip the shut off switch throw to the OFF position, resulting in the air conditioner system being shut off.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An air handler condensate overflow shutoff system for an air handler unit, the air handler unit having a shut off switch in addition to a main circuit breaker, the shut off switch being configured to cause the air handler to shut off upon being thrown to a shut off position, the air handler condensate overflow shutoff system comprising:

an overflow container configured to receive condensate water from a drain system of the air handler unit;
a harness having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end coupled to the overflow container, the upper end operably coupled to a shut off switch throw of the shut off switch;
and
wherein the overflow container includes a lower volume portion that, when sufficiently filled with condensate water, results in sufficient force being exerted on the shut off switch throw through the harness to cause the shut off switch throw to switch to the shut off position.

1 more element

A method of shutting off an air conditioner system, comprising:

coupling an overflow conduit, having a first end and a second end, to an air handler unit of the air conditioner system, the first end coupled to a drainage system of the air handler unit to receive water from the drainage system when water from the air handler unit accumulates to a preselected level, the second end being positioned lower than the first end;
mounting an overflow container under the second end of the overflow conduit such that an opening of the overflow container is positioned under the second end of the overflow conduit;
coupling a lower end of a harness to the overflow container;
operably coupling an upper end of the harness to a shut off switch throw of a shut off switch of the air conditioner system;
and
accumulating water in the overflow container from the drainage system of the air handler to a mass sufficient to create a force on the shut off switch throw, through the harness, to cause the shut off switch throw to switch to an OFF position, wherein, responsive to the shut off switch throw being switched to the off position the shut off switch providing a switch signal to a control circuit of the air handler unit, and responsive to the switch signal, the control circuit shutting off the air conditioner system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Air conditioner shut-off system and method to prevent drainage overflow

Life of this patent

Air conditioner shut-off system and method to prevent drainage overflow

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11