Retrofit Heating System For Spa
OwnerDavid Pickrell, Byeongchul (Brian) Na +2inventors
InventorsDavid Pickrell, Byeongchul (Brian) Na, Andrew Tournas, Patrick Graham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spa is retrofit for use with a heat pump for both heating and cooling the water contained in the spa tub. The heat pump uses the existing water pump of the hydrotherapy system to circulate the water through the heat exchanger of the heat pump.
Claims16
A spa tub system, comprising:
- a) a spa tub;
- b) a cabinet in which said spa tub is mounted;
- c) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, first plumbing located between said spa tub and said cabinet coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the first plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure;
- and
- d) a heat pump system including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, and a heat pump operatively coupled to said hydrotherapy system so as to modify the temperature of the water flowing through said hydrotherapy system, at least a portion of said heat pump system located external of said cabinet.
In a spa tub system including a spa tub, a cabinet in which the spa tub is mounted, and a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, first plumbing located between the spa tub and the cabinet coupling the jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the first plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure, and an electric heater for heating water within the tub, the improvement comprising:
- a heat pump system including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, said heat pump coupled to a hydrotherapy system so that the heat pump system can modify the water temperature of spa water instead of or in conjunction with the electric heater.
A method of retrofitting a spa tub system:
- a) providing a spa tub system having a spa tub, a cabinet in which the spa tub is mounted, and a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, first plumbing located between the spa tub and the cabinet coupling the jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the first plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure, and an electric heater for heating water within the tub;
- and
- b) coupling a heat pump system relative to the hydrotherapy system so that the heat pump system can modify the water temperature of spa water instead of or in conjunction with the electric heater.
In a spa tub system including a spa tub, a cabinet in which the spa tub is mounted, and a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, first plumbing located between the spa tub and the cabinet coupling the jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the first plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure, the improvement comprising:
- a heat pump system located external of said cabinet including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, said heat pump coupled to a hydrotherapy system so that the heat pump system can modify the water temperature of spa water instead of or in conjunction with the electric heater.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.