DE102023103542A1 - Condensate drain device for a heater and heater - Google Patents

Abstract

Condensate drainage device (1) for a heater (2), which comprises an inlet nozzle (3), a return stop (4) and a drain siphon (5).

Description

The invention relates to a condensate drain device for a heater and to a heater.

The invention relates in particular to a device for removing aqueous condensate that is produced when oil or gas is burned in condensing boilers. In gas or oil condensing boilers, aqueous condensate is produced when the exhaust gas cools below the dew point. The condensate is removed from the device via an internal siphon. The internal siphon represents a type of system barrier, whereby the condensate is drained away but at the same time exhaust gases are prevented from escaping. A hose can be connected to the siphon on the outside of the device to drain the condensate into the domestic waste water.

The installation of condensing boilers regularly requires a pressure-neutral drainage of the condensate. To do this, a hose is connected to the siphon/condensate drain of the boiler and led at a gradient into an open sanitary siphon. From there, the condensate flows into the building's sewage system. However, this requirement is not always met; instead, the condensate drain of the boiler is connected to the drains of a washing machine and/or dishwasher in an airtight manner (without a sanitary siphon installed in between) at a connection point. This can lead to washing machine and/or dishwasher suds being pushed back into the boiler during the pumping process in these devices, causing damage there.

The object of the present invention is therefore to at least partially overcome the problems described with reference to the prior art. In particular, a pressure-free drainage of the condensate from a condensing boiler should be ensured and - even in the case of incorrect installation - a backflow of liquid from other household appliances into the boiler should be prevented. Preferably, the leakage of waste water into the installation room should also be prevented.

This object is achieved with a condensate drain device for a heating device according to the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are specified in the dependent claims. The features specified in the claims can be combined with one another as desired, in particular with features of other claims, the description or the figures. The description explains the invention and lists further embodiments, in particular in connection with the figures.

This is achieved by a condensate drain device for a heater, which comprises at least one inlet nozzle, a return stop and a drain siphon.

It is preferred that the condensate drain device is designed in the form of a module and/or a structural unit that can be attached outside the heater or to a condensate drain provided there. In particular, the inlet nozzle is configured in such a way that it can be fixed to one end of the condensate drain, and this itself can be equipped with means for fastening. Preferably, there is a pressure-neutral inlet (inlet funnel) for the condensate from the heater, which is provided in particular by a condensate hose leading out of the heater being attached in/to the inlet nozzle, which is connected atmospherically to the environment.

In a (usual) drainage direction of the condensate through the condensate drainage device, the sequence specified here is particularly observed, so that the flow first passes through the inlet nozzle, then the non-return valve and finally the drain siphon. The individual components of the inlet nozzle, non-return valve and drain siphon can be designed directly adjacent to one another, although it is also possible for them to at least partially overlap one another spatially.

The backflow preventer is designed to allow a liquid flow through it only in one direction and in particular to stop or block an opposite liquid flow. The backflow preventer is in particular self-sufficient, i.e. no electric actuator or the like is provided. It is preferred that the backflow preventer is essentially only sensitive to the direction of the liquid flow. The backflow preventer can be designed with an automatic valve that is only permeable in the direction of the condensate drain (drain direction). If a liquid flows against the drain direction (towards the heater), the valve blocks.

The drain siphon is designed in particular to form a gas or odor barrier. The drain siphon can be designed as a tube siphon or (preferably) a bottle siphon. With the bottle siphon, a section of pipe ends in a bottle-shaped container in which there is (always) liquid. This liquid prevents gases from being passed on. Due to its low installation depth, the bottle siphon has advantages during installation.

The backstop may comprise a closure element which, by means of a device is movable. The closure element can in particular be a floating body. The closure element can be guided in the backflow preventer and can move in and against the direction of flow of the condensate. Rotation of the closure element in the backflow preventer can be enabled or blocked. The closure element can be able to be flowed through by the condensate, in particular it can have at least one flow opening. The closure element can be designed in the manner of a plate with a single, in particular central flow opening of a predetermined diameter. "Diameter" should always be understood here as the largest opening width of the opening, because an opening does not have to be circular, but can be circular.

Furthermore, two (end) stops can be provided for the closure element (or its movement), which have different flow openings for the liquid. For example, a (first) stop can be formed adjacent to the inlet nozzle, which forms one or more (first) flow openings with a (first) diameter. For example, a (second) stop can be formed adjacent to the drain siphon, which forms one or more (second) flow openings with a (second) diameter. The closure element can also form one or more (third) flow openings with a (third) diameter. It is preferred that when the closure element rests against the one (second) stop, at least one flow opening is positioned so as to overlap at least one flow opening of the stop, and therefore liquid can flow through the closure element and the (second) stop in this situation. This (passage) situation is assumed by the closure element (independently) when no liquid is draining and/or when liquid encounters the closure element in the direction of drainage. It is preferred that when the closure element is in contact with the other (first) stop, no flow opening is positioned to overlap a flow opening of the stop and therefore liquid cannot flow through the closure element and the (second) stop in this situation. This (blocking) situation is assumed by the closure element (independently) when liquid encounters the closure element in the opposite direction to the (usual) drainage direction.

One of the stops (here the second one adjacent to the drain siphon) can be designed with a line section that extends into a container section of the drain siphon. The line section can extend into the container section of the drain siphon by at least 50%, in particular by at least 50% of its length. In this way, a bottle siphon can be formed in particular. The line section can be designed directly adjacent to a (central) flow opening of the (second) stop, in particular in one piece with it. The line section can taper conically.

The backflow preventer and the drain siphon can be screwed together. For this purpose, areas of the backflow preventer and the drain siphon can be designed with a threaded section (inside or outside) on the circumference, which can be brought into engagement with each other. It is possible for the backflow preventer to be formed with an upper part and a lower part, between which the closure element can be inserted or placed. In this case, it is preferred that the upper part and lower part can also be screwed together (in the same way). Additional connecting means for forming this screw connection are preferably not provided.

According to a further aspect, a heating device is proposed which has a condensate drain which comprises a condensate drain device of the type disclosed here and which opens into a wastewater line of a building. This describes in particular an installed situation of the condensate drain device.

The heater is in particular an oil or gas-fired condensing heater with exhaust gas aftertreatment, in which the exhaust gas is cooled (if necessary temporarily or partially) to below the dew point, so that aqueous condensate is formed and discharged from the heater.

The invention and the technical environment are now explained in detail using the figures. It should be noted that the figures are schematic in nature and are not intended to limit the invention. Individual features from the figures can be extracted and combined with facts from the description or other figures, unless this is explicitly excluded here.

• 1: ein Heizgerät mit einem Kondensatablauf,
• 2: eine Explosionsdarstellung einer Ausführungsvariante der Kondensatablaufvorrichtung,
• 3: eine erlaubte Durchströmung der Kondensatablaufvorrichtung,
• 4: eine gesperrte Durchströmung der Kondensatablaufvorrichtung.

They represent:

• 1 : a heater with a condensate drain,
• 2 : an exploded view of a variant of the condensate drainage device,
• 3 : a permitted flow through the condensate drain device,
• 4 : a blocked flow through the condensate drain device.

1 illustrates a heating device 2 which is designed with an exhaust gas heat exchanger 22, wherein condensate which forms there is first collected in a condensate pan 21 and then drained via a condensate drain 13. Part of the condensate drain is a condensate drain device 1 disclosed here. The water flowing through this condensate drain device 1 is further drained to a waste water line 14 of a housing. It is possible that a siphon (not shown here) is provided in the heating device 2, which is part of the condensate drain 13.

2 shows a variant of a condensate drain device 1 in an exploded view. The 3 and 4 show the assembled state, once in the passage situation and once in the blocking situation. The same reference symbols in the figures mean that the description can be taken from other figure descriptions, but this is not absolutely necessary.

Top in 1 a hose is shown which can represent one end of a condensate drain 13 of the heater or a connection thereto. The end of the hose can be fixed in a funnel-shaped inlet nozzle 3. The inlet nozzle 3 has several rib-like clamping elements 15 which can exert a clamping effect on the peripheral surface of the hose from the outside. The clamping elements 15 can have a further radially inward extension in the insertion direction of the hose in order to adjust or increase the clamping force via the insertion depth. It is also possible for a stopper 24 to be provided which limits the insertion depth. The inlet nozzle 3, the clamping elements 15 and possibly the stopper 24 are preferably designed in one piece, in particular with or made of plastic.

The backstop 4 is arranged underneath. The inlet nozzle 3 and the backstop 4 can be attached to each other with a precise fit by means of a bayonet connection 23.

The backstop 4 is designed in three parts and comprises a backstop upper part 4 (O) and a backstop lower part 4 (U). The upper part of the backstop 4 comprises a first stop 7, which (completely) spans the diameter or flow cross-section or closes it with the exception of the two first flow openings 9 located eccentrically or close to the circumference. Adjacent to the first stop 7 towards the lower part of the backstop 4, a (first) threaded section 19 is provided on the inside.

Below this, a round, plate-shaped closure element 6 is shown, which forms a single, central, third flow opening 11. The outer diameter of the closure element 6 corresponds approximately to an inner diameter of a channel section formed adjacent to the lower part of the backflow preventer 4.

The backflow preventer lower part 4 (U) is again designed in the manner of a pipe section, with an (internal) channel section being provided in an area towards the upper part for receiving or guiding the closure element 6. A further threaded section 19 is formed on the outside of the channel section for screwing to the upper part. A collar-shaped second stop 8 is provided centrally, which forms a single, central, second through-flow opening 10. The diameter of the second through-flow opening 10 can be larger than the diameter of the third through-flow opening 11 of the closure element 6. Adjacent to the second through-flow opening 10, a line section 12 is provided that extends downwards to the drain siphon 5. Concentrically around this, but not over the entire length of the line section 12, the lower part has another threaded section 19 for screwing to the drain siphon 5.

Further below, the drain siphon 5 is shown, which has an internal threaded section 19 for forming a screw connection with the backflow preventer 4. Below this, the container section 20 is formed, for example in the manner of a cylinder with a base 25. This is dimensioned such that it can accommodate at least part of the line section 12 of the backflow preventer 4. A lateral, downwardly inclined outlet 16 is formed in the peripheral wall of the container section 20 at a distance from the base 25, wherein this is at a height that it is positioned laterally adjacent to the protruding line section 12 when the parts are joined or screwed together, as can also be seen from the sketched projection 17 in 3 is illustrated.

3 shows the assembled state of the condensate drain device 1, with the arrows therein illustrating the flow direction of a water flow. If water or condensate flows through the condensate drain device 1 along the usual outlet direction 18, this flow presses the closure element 6 against the second stop 8. The respective flow openings 9, 10 overlap one another and together form a passage for the water. This can then flow through the non-return valve 4 and be discharged via the drain siphon 5 and the outlet 16.

In the (undesirable) case that a liquid flows from the outlet 16 via the outlet siphon 5 penetrates the non-return valve 4, the closure element 6 floats up and is pressed against the first stop 7. Since the first flow openings 9 of the first stop 7 and the third flow opening 11 of the closure element 6 do not overlap, all flow openings 9, 11 are closed and the further flow of the liquid is blocked. The non-return valve 4 is therefore designed as a type of automatic valve that is only permeable in the direction of the condensate drain (drain direction 18). If a liquid flows against the drain direction (towards the heater), the valve closes.

List of reference symbols

1

Condensate drain device

2

heater

3

Inlet nozzle

4

Backstop

5

Drain siphon

6

Locking element

7

first attack

8

second attack

9

first flow opening

10

second flow opening

11

third flow opening

12

Line section

13

Condensate drain

14

sewer line

15

Clamping element

16

Outlet

17

Overhang

18

Flow direction

19

Thread section

20

Container section

21

Condensate tray

22

Exhaust heat exchanger

23

Bayonet connection

24

stopper

25

Floor

Claims (6)

Condensate drainage device (1) for a heater (2), characterized in that it comprises an inlet nozzle (3), a return stop (4) and a drain siphon (5). Condensate drain device (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the non-return valve (4) comprises a closure element (6) which is movable by means of a liquid flowing through the condensate drain device (1). Condensate drain device (1) after Claim 2 , characterized in that two stops (7, 8) are provided for the closure element (6), which have mutually differing flow openings (9, 10) for the liquid. Condensate drain device (1) after Claim 3 , characterized in that one of the stops (7, 8) is designed with a line section (12) which projects into a container section (20) of the drain siphon (5). Condensate drainage device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the non-return valve (4) and the drain siphon (5) can be screwed together. Heating device (2) comprising a condensate drain (13) which comprises a condensate drain device (1) according to one of the preceding claims and opens into a waste water line (14) of a housing.

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