US20110030135A1

US20110030135A1 - Heat snorkel

Info

Publication number: US20110030135A1
Application number: US12/799,652
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Hargrave Riley; Terri Delaney Riley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-29
Filing date: 2010-04-29
Publication date: 2011-02-10

Abstract

The Original Heat Snorkel, Heat Snorkel Pro and Heat Snorkel Tube are swimming pool components that when used together, in conjunction with a swimming pool heater, have a primary function of heating a swimming pool's water at a faster, more efficient rate than previously realized.

In addition, there are several other uses including the ability to rotate the return jet 360° and lock it in place, slow algae growth, improve circulation of chemicals when maintaining a pool, cooling the pool water through evaporative cooling, heated body massages, an exit ramp for any animal/critter who may become trapped in the pool, and a valuable winterization tool.

Description

The Original Heat Snorkel—FIG. 1, Heat Snorkel Pro—FIG. 2, and Heat Snorkel Tube—FIG. 3, are swimming pool components that when used together, in conjunction with a swimming pool heater, have a primary function of heating a swimming pool's water at a faster, more efficient rate than previously realized.
The Original Heat Snorkel, Heat Snorkel Pro and Heat Snorkel Tube are adaptable fixtures consisting of plastic (pipe or hose) or metal (pipe or hose) or any other materials, that are assembled by either screwed joints or glued joints that attach to one or more existing swimming pool return jets, with the ability to rotate 360 degrees, and lock into any position.
Once the product is assembled at the manufacturer per FIG. 1—Original Heat Snorkel, FIG. 2—Heat Snorkel Pro, and FIG. 3—Heat Snorkel Tube, and is delivered to the end user, the user can then proceed with installation:

ORIGINAL HEAT SNORKEL AND HEAT SNORKEL PRO

1. Turn pool pump “Off” before beginning.
2. Select a return jet to install your Heat Snorkel product.
3. When you receive your Heat Snorkel product(s), it is completely assembled. Before beginning the install, you must first unscrew your return jet eyelet from the wall housing. If the eyelet comes off without the eyelet housing you will also need to remove the eyelet housing, using the provided removal tool. After the eyelet and housing are removed, you can begin to install your new Heat Snorkel(s).
4. With the Original Heat Snorkel and the Heat Snorkel Pro, unscrew the top elbow (opposite end of the eyelet jet) from the Heat Snorkel body.
5. Screw the elbow into your wall return*
*We recommend you wrap Teflon tape around the threaded area of the elbow before installing. This will help you adjust or remove the elbow at a later time. Do not over-tighten the elbow, 4 to 5 turns should be good. Also, make sure you have not cross-threaded the elbow, before you begin tightening it. Leave the elbow pointing up, in order to screw the Heat Snorkel body back into the elbow.
6. Screw the Heat Snorkel body back into the elbow, being careful not to cross thread before screwing in all the way. Rotate the Snorkel down into the water. Using the lock ring located near the top elbow of the Heat Snorkel, tighten the Snorkel in any position. Don't forget to loosen the lock ring before moving to a new position.

Heat Snorkel Tube

1. Upon completion of Installation Step #6 for the Original Heat Snorkel and/or Heat Snorkel Pro, you can now install your Heat Snorkel Tube.
2. Remove the return jet eyelet located at the base of your Original Heat Snorkel or Heat Snorkel Pro.
3. Install the return jet eyelet at the base of the Heat Snorkel Tube (see FIG. 3).
4. Using the elbow located at the opposite end of the return jet eyelet of the Heat Snorkel Tube, attach the Heat Snorkel Tube to the Original Heat Snorkel/Heat Snorkel Pro by screwing the elbow into the threaded elbow.
5. Do not over-tighten, 4 or 5 turns should be good. Also, be sure not to cross thread the connection before you begin to tighten it.
6. With the tube pointing down towards the deep end, the Heat Snorkel products are ready for use.
7. Turn your pump back “ON”, and start enjoying the many benefits of Heat Snorkel Technology.

TITLE OF INVENTION

The Heat Snorkel, the Heat Snorkel Pro and the Heat Snorkel Tube

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

We are not claiming the benefit of any prior filed copending nonprovisional applications.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

To the best of our knowledge, there are currently no funded projects of this type of energy saving product for specific use with a swimming pool.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The inventor has owned a swimming pool for many years, which has included the use of a pool heater, and has seen the cost of heating a pool rise significantly. After evaluating the basic design of a pool, specifically the return lines, it was determined that by designing an adaptable device for the return jets, the water flow could be redirected from near the surface of the pool, and instead, directed towards the bottom of the pool, reducing the cost of heating a pool, and also reducing energy consumption. These adaptable devices allow the pool owner the ability to locate their return jet at any location within a 360 degree radius, which up until now, has been unavailable. The Heat Snorkel Pro, with its velocity control capability (see FIG. 2), performs the same functions as the Original Heat Snorkel, but can also provide water movement and circulation at the bottom layers of the pool and the upper layers of the pool simultaneously.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By redirecting the point of injection of the pool water towards the bottom of the pool when running a pool heater, the function of heating a pool becomes much more efficient. Using Heat Snorkel technology to reach the desired temperature of the pool water, the run time of the pool heater is reduced from days, to instead, running the pool heater for hours. The benefits of this time reduction include a reduction of propane gas and natural gas use for gas pool heaters, a reduction of electricity use for electric heat pump pool heaters, and a reduced use of electricity to run any pool pump, as well as wear and tear on the pool pump itself.
Using the Heat Snorkel without a pool heater also provides many other benefits (please see “Detailed Description of The Invention” below).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1—Original Heat Snorkel

An adaptable device consisting of plastic (pipe or hose) or metal (pipe or hose) or any other material, that attaches to an existing swimming pool return jet, with the ability to lock in any 360° position, and redirect the flow of the circulating water towards the bottom of the pool.

FIG. 2—Heat Snorkel Pro

An adaptable device consisting of plastic (pipe or hose) or metal (pipe or hose) or any other material, that attaches to an existing swimming pool return jet, with the ability to lock in any 360° position, and redirect the flow of the circulating water towards the bottom of the pool and the top of the pool, simultaneously.

FIG. 3—Heat Snorkel Tube

An adaptable device consisting of plastic (pipe or hose) or metal (pipe or hose) or any other material, that attaches to either The Original Heat Snorkel or The Heat Snorkel Pro, to extend the water flow to deeper depths of the swimming pool, increasing efficiencies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Original Heat Snorkel, Heat Snorkel Pro and Heat Snorkel Tube are defined as adaptable devices that are primarily used to redirect the existing output of a swimming pools circulation system closer to the bottom layers of the pool to increase the pools heating efficiency by relocating the point of injection. Due to pool designs, in some cases where there is a 45 degree drop in the deep end of the pool, the use of the Heat Snorkel Tube allows the user the ability to extend the Heat Snorkel's reach closer to the bottom of the pool's deep end.
Today's swimming pools are very inefficient and costly with regard to heating up and maintaining. The typical pool circulation system pumps water from the large drain in the deep end of the pool, and the skimmer located at the top of the pool, delivering the water to the filter, then through the heater and out to the return jets. Releasing this heated water approximately 8″ to 12″ below the water's surface is very inefficient, due to the fact that heat rises. This means that about 90% of the thermal energy is instantly released into the air above the pool, shortly after being released through the traditional return jets location. This lengthy and wasteful energy process continues until the thermostat reaches the desired water temperature, even though the water in the lower depths of the pool are still much cooler. By placing the Heat Snorkels on a pool's existing return jet(s), the function of a pool heater is achieved in a fraction of the time, through better stratification, mixing and rising through a much larger body of water, allowing the warmer water the ability to permeate into much more cool water, much faster. The cost of fuel, use of electricity, and wear and tear on the pool pump are all reduced dramatically.
Included in the design of the Heat Snorkel, is the function of a 360° rotation of the product, with the ability to lock it in place at any position, once it is installed on the return jet. Through this function, the following eco-friendly and consumer friendly uses are also available, with and without a pool heater.
1. In a “Down” Position

- a. With the water now flowing closer to the bottom of the pool, there is a reduction of algae growth and dead spots. This is due to the fact that standard placement of the swimming pool return jets do not have the ability to move, or release water movement close to the bottom of the pool. They are typically located within 8-10″ below the surface of the pool water. With this reduction of algae growth, less chemical products would need to be used by consumers, less containers for the chemical products would need to be manufactured, and finally, the need to dispose of, or recycle these containers would be less.
- b. By providing improved circulation from the bottom of the pool up towards the surface of the pool, chemical mixing for pool maintenance now becomes more efficient. This increased efficiency of time will help to reduce the time required to run the pool pump, thus using less electricity and less wear and tear of the pool pump. Additionally, when using the Heat Snorkel Pro, circulation of the pool water is achieved at both the bottom of the pool, and at the surface of the water simultaneously through the throttle body by pass.

2. In an “Up” Position

- a. In the summer months when the pool water is very warm, by rotating the Heat Snorkel in an “Up” Position during the night or early morning, the pool water can be aerated in the cool night air, and by using evaporative cooling it can then be recirculated back into the pool, and reduce the pool temperature.
- b. While the pool heater is “On”, the Heat Snorkel provides therapeutic back, neck and body massages. The Heat Snorkel can be adjusted at any desired level to accommodate any height required.

3. In a “Ramp” Position

- a. In this position, the Heat Snorkel becomes an exit ramp out of the pool for any insect/amphibian/arachnid who may become trapped in the pool.
- b. Winterization Tool—by installing Original Heat Snorkels, not the Heat Snorkel Pro, on every return jet in the pool, and positioning each of them in a “Ramp” position, the Original Heat Snorkel now becomes an eco-friendly winterization tool. Once in position, the pool owner can then remove the water in the circulation lines by either vacuuming or blowing the water out of the lines, then plug the ends of the Heat Snorkels that are exposed to the air with a winterization cap, and finally, continue with the end of the season pool closing. There is now no need to remove any water from the pool in the winter, and no need to refill the pool with water in the spring. This procedure saves the pool owner and the environment thousands of gallons of water annually.

Claims

1. By injecting heated swimming pool water closer to the bottom layers of the pool, the Original Heat Snorkel, the Heat Snorkel Pro, and the Heat Snorkel Tube will dramatically reduce the use of propane gas and natural gas in gas pool heaters, reduce electricity use when using electric heat pump pool heaters, and extend the invested cost of the fuel and electricity required to run a pool pump heater to heat a swimming pools water to a designated temperature. Currently, the standard design of a swimming pools circulation system includes injecting water through the pools return jets 8″-10″ below the surface of the water, allowing thermal energy to rise up and out into the air above the pool. By injecting the heated water down close to the bottom of the pool, the heated water then has the ability to permeate more thoroughly into the entire body of cold water in the pool at a faster rate, than if the water was injected closer to the pools surface.

There are several other claims for the Heat Snorkel, Heat Snorkel Pro, and Heat Snorkel Tube including:

2. the ability to rotate the swimming pool return jet 360° and lock it in place,

3. slow algae growth on the floor of the swimming pool,

4. improve circulation of chemicals when maintaining a swimming pool,

5. cooling the pool water through evaporative cooling,

6. heated body massages,

7. an exit ramp for any animal/critter who may become trapped in the swimming pool,

8. and a valuable winterization tool.

All of these claims are discussed in the “Detailed Description Of The Invention” above.

9. When using the Heat Snorkel Pro with velocity control, it will provide water movement and circulation at the bottom layers of the pool, as well as the upper layers of the pool, simultaneously.