Pipe Burst Prevention Cartridge with Washer, Valve System and Method

A compact, pipe-burst-prevention control valve system for use with fluid having a pressure in a building plumbing system, comprising:

• a faucet housing having a handle and an outlet for delivering fluid from the building plumbing system;
• a control valve having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with each other and the control valve outlet in fluid communication with the faucet housing outlet;
• and
• a cartridge disposed in fluid communication with said control valve within said faucet housing in between the faucet inlet and the faucet outlet, comprising:
• a body having a stem end, a valve end capable of being held in fluid communication with said a fluid control valve and faucet housing, an exterior surface, and a generally cylindrical interior;
• and
• a generally cylindrical split stem at least a portion which is configured to be rotatably held within the interior of said cartridge body having a spindle configured to receive the faucet handle, said split stem, comprising:
• an upper stem sized so as to be received within said cartridge body and configured to be capable of being rotated when the spindle is turned, and having an upper end adjacent to the spindle and a lower end generally opposite the upper end adjacent to the cartridge body valve end with an interior cavity extending therefrom into the upper stem toward the upper stem upper end, the upper stem configured to extend toward the valve end of the cartridge body when the spindle is rotated to close the valve and retract from the valve end when the spindle is rotated to open the valve;
• a lower stem having an upper end configured so that a portion of it can be slidably received into the interior of said cartridge body at its valve end and adjacent to the lower end of the upper stem with a piston affixed thereto;
• and
• a spring that is capable of compressing when the pressure of the fluid in the valve exceeds a predetermined pressure,
• wherein the piston, cavity and spring have diameters such that the cavity can receive slidably the piston and have lengths such that the lower end of the upper stem and the upper end of the lower stem form a gap when the spring is fully extended.

A method of preventing pipes in a building plumbing system from bursting, comprising the step of:

• disposing a fluid control valve system for use with a fluid having a pressure in fluid communication with the building plumbing system, the fluid control valve system, comprising:
• a faucet housing having a handle and an outlet for delivering fluid from the building plumbing system;
• a control valve having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with each other and the control valve outlet in fluid communication with the faucet housing outlet;
• and
• a cartridge disposed in fluid communication with said control valve within said faucet housing in between the faucet inlet and the faucet outlet, comprising:
• a body having a stem end, a valve end capable of being held in fluid communication with said fluid control valve and faucet housing, an exterior surface, and a generally cylindrical interior;
• and
• a generally cylindrical split stem at least a portion which is configured to be rotatably held within the interior of said cartridge body having a spindle configured to receive the faucet handle, said split stem, comprising:
• an upper stem sized so as to be received within said cartridge body and configured to be capable of being rotated when the spindle is turned, and having an upper end adjacent to the spindle and a lower end generally opposite the upper end adjacent to the cartridge body valve end with an interior cavity extending therefrom into the upper stem toward the upper stem upper end, the upper stem configured to extend toward the valve end of the cartridge body when the spindle is rotated to close the valve and retract from the valve end when the spindle is rotated to open the valve;
• a lower stem having an upper end configured so that a portion of it can be slidably received into the interior of said cartridge body at its valve end and adjacent to the lower end of the upper stem with a piston affixed thereto;
• and
• a spring that is capable of compressing when the pressure of the fluid in the valve exceeds a predetermined pressure,
• wherein the piston, cavity and spring have diameters such that the cavity can receive slidably the piston and have lengths such that the lower end of the upper stem and the upper end of the lower stem form a gap when the spring is fully extended.