Arrangement for softening drinking water

Abstract

An arrangement (10) for softening drinking water, comprising (a) a housing with an inlet (16) connected to a drinking water supply and an outlet (18) for softened drinking water; (b) a softening device arranged between the inlet (16) and the outlet (18) for softening the drinking water; (c) a blending valve (54) for mixing softened drinking water and unsoftened raw water; (d) a motor for adjusting the blending valve (54) to a selected mixing ratio of softened drinking water and raw water; (e) a controller (55) for controlling the motor, characterized in that (f) a server (110) is included, on which data on the hardness of the drinking water supplied by waterworks at the respective geographical position of the arrangement are stored, and a data connection (136, 138, 140, 142) of the controller (55) to the server via a network (112). (110) is included;wherein (g) the server (110) is connected via further data connections (136, 138, 140, 142) to further controllers (55) which control co-acting blending valves (54).;

Description

Technical field The invention relates to an arrangement for softening drinking water comprising (a) a housing with an inlet connected to a drinking water supply and an outlet for softened drinking water; (b) a softening device arranged between the inlet and outlet for softening the drinking water; (c) a blending valve for mixing softened drinking water and unsoftened raw water; (d) a motor for adjusting the blending valve to a selected mixing ratio of softened drinking water and raw water; (e) a control unit for controlling the motor. Excessive calcium in drinking water leads to deposits in fittings, appliances, and pipes. It is therefore desirable to reduce the calcium content in drinking water, represented by its "hardness." One method for this uses ion exchangers. Calcium ions in the drinking water are bound to the ion exchanger and replaced by harmless cations. The ion exchanger material can be regenerated by flushing. However, other methods for softening water also exist. For the purposes of this invention, the specific method of softening is irrelevant. State of the art Ion exchange devices are widely known. EP 2684 849 A1 (BWT AG) discloses an ion exchanger in cartridge form. In such an ion exchanger, all the drinking water is passed through the ion exchange granules. There are systems in which only a portion of the water passes through the ion exchanger. This reduces the calcium content, but does not completely remove the calcium. In this way, the ion exchange material remains effective for a longer period. Untreated raw water and softened water from the ion exchanger are combined in a blending valve, so that the water is mixed and available at the outlet with reduced hardness. An example of such a system is disclosed in DE 10 2012 007 589 A1, DE 10 2009 011 132 A1, and DE 10 2008 045 354 B3 (Judo Wasseraufbereitung GmbH). The desired hardness level (setpoint) can be entered manually or remotely at the blending valve's control unit. The raw water hardness is determined beforehand by titrimetric analysis, obtained from the water supplier, or determined using an integrated conductivity sensor.The required mixing ratio of softened water and raw water is determined from the desired hardness level and the raw water hardness, and the blending valve is adjusted accordingly by the control unit. A known arrangement of the applicant is disclosed in DE 20 2009 008 421 U1. A disadvantage of the known methods is that determining the raw water hardness is cumbersome. Not every plumber is able to perform titrimetric analyses. The necessary chemicals and equipment are costly. Obtaining the values ​​from the water supplier is also time-consuming, and updating the values ​​is impractical. The methods described in the aforementioned publications therefore use a conductivity sensor. The calcium content in the water can be deduced from the conductivity using a stored table or graph. However, using a conductivity sensor is expensive and prone to errors. This is because there are regions where the water also contains other ions in significant quantities that contribute to conductivity. In these regions, the measurement result is correspondingly distorted. Disclosure of the invention The object of the invention is to create a cost-effective arrangement for softening drinking water of the type mentioned above, with which a high accuracy of the set hardness level is achieved while simultaneously providing high ease of use. According to the invention, the problem is solved by (f) comprising a server on which data on the hardness of the drinking water supplied by waterworks at the respective geographical position of the arrangement are stored and a data connection of the controller to the server via a network is included; wherein (g) the server is connected via further data connections to further controllers which control synchronous blending valves. With such a system, the raw water hardness level can be set and updated automatically. The hardness data is stored and managed centrally, for example, at the manufacturer's location. Therefore, the hardness level does not need to be measured or requested on-site during installation. A complex measuring setup for conductivity measurement is also unnecessary. The control system can conveniently retrieve or receive the data from the server via the network, such as a telephone connection or the internet. In particular, the data is not maintained locally, but centrally. The average user of a water softener typically has neither the interest nor the necessary knowledge to regularly check and update the hardness level. Hiring a professional installer incurs costs. The system accesses current data on the server via the data connection.This server provides data for a large number of systems. Therefore, the effort required for data maintenance is worthwhile. The resulting costs are spread across a large number of users and thus remain low. The server data can be obtained from the waterworks or, where available, downloaded from the internet. Alternatively, data collection for each region can be arranged through the local field staff. These staff members have the necessary expertise and provide the water hardness reading at the tap, not at the waterworks. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a user interface is provided for inputting and / or displaying a desired hardness level at the outlet. The user interface can be a remote control, an application on a mobile device, or another device with a wireless connection. A user interface with suitable software enables not only the input and display of the hardness level, but also, for example, an evaluation of its progression, etc. The user interface can, in particular, be implemented in an application ("app") designed to control other devices, such as leakage protection systems. In one embodiment of the invention, a table or function set is provided in which each pair of set hardness level and raw water hardness is assigned a value representing the position of the blending valve. The table or function set can be stored on the server or in the controller's memory. It is understood that a functional relationship can also be stored in any other suitable way. Furthermore, other factors that might necessitate a different setting of the blending valve can be taken into account. One such factor is, for example, the degree of wear of the ion exchanger, which can be represented by the flow rate. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the data connection and the server can also be used by leakage protection devices and / or other fittings in heating or drinking water installations. The data connection is then not used specifically for querying the water hardness, but for setting up and controlling entire heating and / or drinking water installations. This can also be done, in particular, via an application on a mobile device or a web application. Embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims. One exemplary embodiment is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a top view of an adapter fitting for connecting an ion exchanger assembly, which is flanged to a pipe with a filter. Fig. 2 is a partially cut-away side view of the assembly from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the assembly from Fig. 1 along a sectioning plane through the pipe and perpendicular to that in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the assembly from Fig. 1 along a sectioning plane parallel to the pipe at the level of the connections for the ion exchanger assembly and the blending valve with the ion exchanger assembly connected. Fig. 5 shows the view from Fig. 4 with the ion exchanger assembly disconnected. Fig. 6 is a section along section line CC in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows the view from Fig. 1 with the ion exchanger assembly disconnected. Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of the principle for providing data on the hardness of drinking water supplied by waterworks.Figure 9 is a detailed section of the blending valve. Description of the exemplary embodiment Fig. 1 shows an adapter fitting, generally designated 10. The adapter fitting 10 is flanged to a flange connection 14 via a flange 12. The flange connection 14 has an inlet 16 and an outlet 18. The inlet 16 and outlet 18 are used to connect the flange connection to a pipeline (not shown). The adapter fitting 10 has a further flange connection 20. A drinking water filter 22 is connected to this flange connection 20. Water flows from the inlet 16 through the adapter fitting 10 to the filter 22, where it is filtered. The filtered water flows back into the adapter fitting 10 and is then passed through an ion exchanger (not shown) as described below. The water softened in the ion exchanger flows back through the adapter fitting 10 and from there to the outlet 18. The type of flange connections 12 and 20 is shown in Fig. 2. The inlet 16 is centrally located and connected to a central chamber 24 of the adapter fitting 10. The outlet 18 is located outside the inlet 16 in the transition area 26 and is separated from it. The outlet 18 is connected via the transition area 26 to an outlet annular space 28 arranged around the central chamber 24. The adapter fitting 10 and the connection of the flange connection 14 have a flat surface in the connection area and are rotatably flanged together with a union nut 30 and a gasket 32. The connection flange 20 for the filter 22, located on the side facing away from the pipeline, is designed in a similar manner. The filter inlet is centrally located and connected to the tubular central chamber 24. The filter 22 outlet is coaxially designed as an annular space 34 and transitions into the inlet annular space 36 in the adapter fitting. The connection flange 20 is also flat and is flanged together with a union nut 38 and a seal 39. The connection flanges 12 and 20 are arranged parallel to each other, so that the adapter fitting sits between the pipeline and the filter 22. This results in a particularly simple and compact installation. The water initially flows into the central chamber 24 and from there through the middle section into the filter 22. The filtered water flows externally into the inlet annular space 36. The inlet annular space 36 is connected to an outlet 40. This can be seen in Figures 3 and 4. The outlet 40 opens into a nozzle 42, which is integrally formed with the housing 46 of the adapter fitting 10 and can be closed with a ball valve 44. Parallel to the outlet 40, an inlet 48 is provided. The inlet 48 opens into a nozzle 50, which is integrally formed with the housing 46 of the adapter fitting 10 and can be closed with a ball valve 52. Any ion exchanger assembly can be connected to outlet 40 and inlet 48. Such a connection can be made, for example, using a hose connection. Figures 1, 2, 3 to 4 show the situation with ball valves 44 and 52 open. Figures 5, 6 to 7 show the situation when ball valves 44 and 52 are closed. In this case, the ion exchanger assembly is disconnected and can be replaced or serviced. The softened water coming from the ion exchanger assembly during operation flows through the inlet 48 to the outlet annular space 28, as can be clearly seen in Fig. 3. From there it flows through the outer annular space in the flange 12 to the outlet 18. A blending valve, generally designated 54, is provided between the inlet annular space 36 and the outlet annular space 28. The blending valve 54 is shown in detail in Fig. 9. A nozzle 56 is integrally formed on the housing 46 on the side opposite the outlet 40 and inlet 48 (above in the illustrations). The inlet annular space 36 and the outlet annular space 28 open into the cavity formed by the nozzle 56, as shown in Fig. 2. A tubular valve sleeve 58 is inserted into the nozzle 56 and sealed against it. The valve sleeve 58 is freely rotatable within the nozzle 56. The wall of the valve sleeve 58 closes the bypass openings formed by the transitions between the annular spaces 36 and 28 and the interior of the nozzle. An opening 68 is formed in the wall of the valve sleeve in the lower, axial region. The opening 68 has the same diameter along its circumference. The opening 68 is designed such that the opening between the outlet annular space 28 and the interior of the nozzle 56 is always open. A further opening 70 is formed in the wall of the valve sleeve 58. The opening 70 is clearly visible in Fig. 2 and Fig. 9. The opening 70 is located at a different angle, but at the same height as the opening 68. The opening 70 tapers to a point around its circumference. The diameter decreases. In some angular positions, the opening 70 overlaps the transition area between the inlet annular space 36 and the interior of the nozzle 56. Depending on the angular position of the valve sleeve 58, the flow cross-section of the blending valve 54 formed by the opening 70 is opened to a greater or lesser extent. Through openings 70 and 68, non-decalcified water flows from the inlet annular space to the outlet annular space. The blending valve 54 controls the amount of water flowing through this bypass. In other words, the mixing ratio between demineralized and non-decalcified water can be adjusted via the angular position of the valve sleeve 56. The valve sleeve 56 is driven by a motor, which adjusts the mixing ratio. The motor is controlled by a controller 55. When the ion exchanger assembly is disconnected as described above, only untreated, calcareous water flows through the blending valve. Opening 70 is then rotated to the position with maximum flow cross-section. This ensures a continuous water supply even during maintenance. Unlike other designs, the blending valve acts as both a blending and a diverting valve. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating how data on the hardness of the drinking water supplied by waterworks are used to set a desired mixing ratio. In Figure 8, 110 denotes a server. In this example, the server is located at the manufacturer of water softening systems and is managed and maintained by them. It is understood that the server could also be located at a commercial IT provider. Server 110 is connected to the internet 112 via a data line 150. Several buildings 114, 116, 118, and 120 are also connected to the internet via data lines 136, 138, 140, and 142. Buildings 114 and 116 are supplied with drinking water by a waterworks 122. Drinking water lines 146 and 152 are provided for this purpose. It is understood that waterworks 122 supplies not just two buildings, but significantly more. In this embodiment, only two buildings are shown for clarity. Further buildings 118 and 120 in other regions are supplied by other waterworks 124 and 126. Drinking water lines 144 and 148 are provided for this purpose. Again, only two further waterworks are shown for clarity. It is understood that the invention can be used with considerably more waterworks and buildings. Waterworks 122, 124, and 126 regularly test the drinking water quality of the water they supply. This includes determining the calcium content, which can be expressed, for example, in "German degrees of hardness." The waterworks publish these values, or they can be requested. The requested hardness values ​​are stored in a database on server 110 and updated regularly. This is represented by arrows 128, 130, and 132. Water softening systems, described in detail above, are located in buildings 114, 116, 118, and 120. In these systems, the drinking water is softened, for example, using an ion exchanger and mixed with raw water via a blending valve. The desired hardness level can be set at the outlet. The position of the blending valve is adjustable by a motor equipped with a control unit 55. The control unit 55 is connected to server 110 via the internet (112). This connection is represented by links 136, 138, 140, and 142. To adjust the blending valve, the desired water hardness is entered via a user interface. For example, a medium hardness of 8 dH is desirable in private households. In industrial applications, however, a low hardness below 0.5 dH may be required. In this embodiment, the user interface is a software application ("app") installed on a mobile device or an internet-connected computer. The app also allows users to query and view current settings and make changes via the internet. Additionally or alternatively, a control unit with buttons and a display is provided on the water softener, allowing for on-site adjustments. It goes without saying that standard security measures are in place to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to the devices and the server. In addition to setting the desired water hardness level, the exact location is determined. Any conceivable method of location determination is suitable for this purpose. The location can be easily entered by providing the postal code, address, or a name of the waterworks. Alternatively, the location can be determined using GPS tracking. A tracking device can be installed on the water softener for this purpose. A cost-effective and precise method can also be achieved using a mobile device equipped with GPS. The location is then transmitted via the internet to the water softener's control unit (55). Every waterworks has a well-defined geographical supply area. This is stored on the server. Therefore, if the waterworks is not explicitly specified, the supplying waterworks and the corresponding water hardness level can be determined from the geographical location and the supply area. When new settings are made on a water softener, the control unit 55 establishes a connection to server 110 via the internet. There, the current hardness level of the raw water is read. Based on the desired hardness level and the raw water hardness, the corresponding setting of the blending valve is determined. This corresponds to a pre-stored motor position, which is then activated. The setting is checked at regular intervals. For this purpose, the current raw water hardness is queried from the server. If the raw water hardness changes, the position of the blending valve is adjusted accordingly.

Claims

Arrangement (10) for softening drinking water comprising (a) a housing with an inlet (16) connected to a drinking water supply and an outlet (18) for softened drinking water; (b) a softening device arranged between the inlet (16) and the outlet (18) for softening the drinking water; (c) a blending valve (54) for mixing softened drinking water and unsoftened raw water; (d) a motor for adjusting the blending valve (54) to a selected mixing ratio of softened drinking water and raw water; (e) a controller (55) for controlling the motor, characterized in that (f) a server (110) is included, on which data on the hardness of the drinking water supplied by waterworks at the respective geographical position of the arrangement are stored, and a data connection (136, 138, 140, 142) of the controller (55) to the server via a network (112) is provided. (110) is included;wherein (g) the server (110) is connected via further data connections (136, 138, 140, 142) to further controllers (55) which control co-acting blending valves (54).; Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized by a user interface for inputting and / or displaying a desired degree of hardness at the outlet. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the user interface is formed by a remote control, an application on a mobile terminal or another device with a wireless connection. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a table or set of functions in which each pair of set hardness and raw water hardness is assigned a value representing the position of the blending valve, which is stored in the server (110) or in a memory of the controller (55). Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data connection (136, 138, 140, 142) and the server (110) can additionally be used by leakage protection devices and / or other fittings in heating or drinking water installations.

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