The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for backwashing a pool filter, and, more particularly, to a pool filter backwashing assembly.
According to the Association of Pool Spa Professionals, there are 10.4 million residential and 309,000 public swimming pools in the United States (Aug. 27, 2016). While swimming pools come in a variety of shapes and sizes, nearly all of them use a combination of filtration and chemical treatment in order to continually clean the contained large volume of water.
Some basic steps are recommended in order to maintain sparking clean, clear pool water. One such step is to pump water in a continuous cycle from the pool through a filter of a properly sized filtration system, which is then sent back into the pool. A pump acts as the center of the circulation system, moving water from the pool through the filter for removal of any dirt or debris prior to returning the water into the pool.
Backwashing is a vital part of the overall process and necessary to ensure that the filtering system operates properly. Backwashing is a method of reversing the flow of water through the filter, thereby flushing out contaminants from the filter. Typically, backwashing is accomplished by connecting a waste hose to an outlet of the filter and laying the hose out to a designated dump site near the pool. The direction of flow through the filter is then changed so that water flows in reverse through the filter and out the waste hose.
The embodiments herein may be better understood by referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate identically or functionally similar elements, of which:
It should be understood that the above-referenced drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.
According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a pool filter backwash assembly is described that comprises a pool filter extension configured to be connected to a backwash outlet of a pool filter and a backwash shower head configured to convert a backwash stream from the backwash outlet to a spray directed away from the pool filter. In some embodiments, the pool filter backwash assembly further comprises a backwash shower extension and an angled adapter. In particular, the pool filter extension may comprise a filter extender having a first end attached to a pool filter connecter, which is sized for the backwash outlet, and a second end attached to the angled adapter. In addition, the backwash shower extension may comprise a shower extender having a first end attached to the backwash shower head and a second end attached to the angled adapter. Specific embodiments of the pool filter shower backwash assembly are further described below.
In addition, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of backwashing a pool filter is described in which a pool filter backwash assembly is attached to a backwash outlet of a pool filter. The pool filter backwash assembly may comprise a pool filter extension comprising a filter extender having a first end attached to a pool filter connector sized for the backwash outlet, and a second end attached to an angled adapter. The backwash shower extension may comprise a shower extender having a first end attached to a backwash shower head and a second end attached to the angled adapter. In some embodiments of the present method, a backwash stream is formed from the backwash outlet, which is converted, by the backwash shower head, to a spray directed away from the pool filter.
As discussed above, backwashing is an important part of the pool filtering process and is necessary to ensure that the filtering system operates properly. Backwashing reverses the flow of water through the filter, thereby flushing out contaminants from the filter. In general, a waste hose, which may be between 25 and 100 feet long, is connected to an outlet of the filter, such as with a clamp, and is laid out to direct the backwash flow to a designated dump site near the pool and filter, such as the user's lawn. However, the backwash stream is often forced out through the hose at a substantial pressure, causing the area around the exit of the hose to become flooded and eroded, often causing significant damage to the foundation of the lawn. Redirecting the flow to a new location only creates a new hole and adding to the lawn degradation.
In addition, backwash hoses in general can be difficult to maintain and manage, often becoming tangled, knotted, or kinked. A kink in the backwash hose during use creates additional pressure, which can cause the hose to rupture. Furthermore, long hoses can become trip hazards or caught up in a lawn mower if accidentally left out, and can also be difficult to coil or fold for storage.
The techniques described herein provide for a pool filter backwash assembly that, when attached to the backwash outlet of a pool filter, converts a backwash stream from the pool filter into a spray that is directed away from the pool filter. In this way, when the pool filter is set to backwash, the resulting waste water stream is forced under pressure through the pool filter backwash assembly and dispersed gently as a water spray substantially evenly over a designated area of property (e.g., a user's lawn or garden). The angle and direction of the spray can be adjusted as needed at the filter, rather than at the wet designated dump area. In addition, the assembly can be readily disassembled for easy storage.
In more detail, the pool filter backwash assembly comprises a pool filter extension that is configured to be connected to the backwash outlet of the pool filter and a backwash shower head configured to convert a waste stream exiting from the backwash outlet into a spray that is directed away from the pool filter towards a designated dump location. Both the direction of the spray as well as the angle away from pool filter can be varied as desired depending, for example, on the configuration of the pool filter and the location available for the backwash spray, and, in some embodiments, can be adjustable as needed. Thus, for example, in one embodiment, the backwash shower head may be directly attached to pool filter extension, thereby forming a linear extension from the filter in the direction of the dump site. In other embodiments, the shower head may be attached at an angle to the pool filter extension. For example, the backwash shower head may be connected to a backwash shower extension, which itself is connected to the pool filter extension, such as through an angled adapter, thereby forming an angled configuration (such as an L-shape) enabling formation of an upwardly arcing spray. Both the angle from horizontal (and the corresponding angle of arc) as well angle away from the pool filter may vary.
In some embodiments, the pool filter extension comprises a filter extender (e.g. a conduit) having an attached pool filter connector. Any connector appropriately sized for the backwash outlet of the pool filter may be used. For example, the pool filter connector may have a threaded end that can be screwed onto the backwash outlet and may have an opposing end sized to be secured, either temporarily or permanently, onto the filter extender.
Specific embodiments and components of the pool filter backwash assembly of the present disclosure are shown in
Furthermore, in the specific embodiment of
As shown in
As shown, for both embodiments, the pool filter backwash assembly includes a pool filter connector configured to couple to the backwash outlet of a pool filter, thereby securing the assembly on the pool filter. A specific pool filter connector is shown in
In addition, for both embodiments, the shower head (e.g., a spray diffuser), attached either to the filter extender as in
Also, in general, the shower head has an overall shape that changes in size from the conduit end to the diffuser end, changing the flow from the pool filter and creating a spray. For example, in the embodiment shown in
Shower head 120 may be formed using a variety of different methods, in order to provide the desired fanning overall shape. For example, in one embodiment, a cylindrical piece of conduit, such as a short section of a PVC pipe, may be heated at one end and compressed or otherwise deformed to reshape the circular profile into the ellipsoidal profile of the diffuser end. Other techniques, such as extrusion, injection molding, or other forming methods, can also be used, as will be known to one skilled in the art.
Furthermore, the diffuser end of the shower head may further include gratings (e.g., partitioned openings) to produce a lower density, more diffuse spray. In some embodiments, partially hindering the flow out of the shower head may provide a more powerful spray, increasing the distance towards the targeted dump site. However, thinner gratings and wider openings may be preferred, in some embodiments, in order to allow solid materials (e.g., leaves, sand, bugs, etc.) in the backwash flow to exit the shower head and avoid a potential pressure buildup within the pool filter backwash assembly.
In some embodiments, various connections between components may be able to be rotated. For example, as discussed above, the shower head may be rotatably attached to the filter extender or shower extender. In this way, the directionality of the spray may be changed as needed during use. In some embodiments, the shower head may be fixedly attached to the shower extender, and the connection of the shower extender to the angled adaptor may be rotatable. Also, in some embodiments, connections along the filter extender (e.g., between the filter extender and the angled adaptor and/or between the filter extender and the filter connector) may be rotatable. This would enable the height and distance of the spray arc to be changed as needed to spray the backwash flow at the desired target dump area. For example, the spray may be directed away from the pool filter at an angle of from about 10° to about 80° from horizontal, including, from about 20° to about 70° and from 30° to about 60° from horizontal.
In step 615, as described in greater detail above, a backwash stream is formed from the backwash outlet of the pool filter. Formation of the backwash waste stream can vary depending on the type of filter pump of the pool filter. Often, this is accomplished by repositioning a valve in order to reverse the flow of water through the filter. For example, under normal operation, the pump of the pool filter moves water from the pool through from the pool filter region, which is generally filled with sand, and back out into the pool. Formation of a backwash stream may occur by pumping the pool water in the reverse direction through the pool filter region, removing contaminants capture by the filter, to exit through the backwash outlet.
In step 620, as described in greater detail above, the backwash stream from the backwash outlet of the pool filter is converted into a spray. The formed backwash stream may be pumped by the pool filter pump through the pool filter backwash assembly as a high pressure flow, which may then be diverted by the assembly to exit out in a direction away from the pool filter. Furthermore, the backwash stream (e.g., a high pressure waste flow) is converted into a spray, which may be produced by the backwash shower head of the pool filter backwash assembly. In some embodiments, the direction of the spray may be changed prior to or during use. In this way, when the pool filter is set to backwash, the resulting waste water stream forced under pressure through the pool filter backwash assembly is dispersed gently as a water spray substantially evenly over a designated area of an owner's property, which significantly reduces and/or eliminate damage to the property and surrounding area (e.g., flooding, erosion, hole formation, etc.). Procedure 600 then ends at step 625.
It should be noted that while certain steps within procedure 600 may be optional as described above, the steps shown in
As will be appreciated, the above examples are intended only for the understanding of certain aspects of the techniques herein and are not limiting in nature. For example, while the techniques are described primarily with respect to a particular pool filter backwash assembly, the disclosed techniques may be performed with additional or modified components according to further implementations. In addition, while the techniques herein are described primarily with respect to pool filter waste streams, the techniques herein are not limited as such and can be adapted for use in other industries, as well.
Thus, while the foregoing description has been directed to specific embodiments, it will be apparent, however, that other variations and modifications may be made to the described embodiments, with the attainment of some or all of their advantages. Accordingly this description is to be taken only by way of example and not to otherwise limit the scope of the embodiments herein. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the embodiments herein.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190169869 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |