Transparent Drain Pipe Sections for Commercial Washer Leak Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial washing machines often experience chronic drain issues, leading to significant water and energy wastage due to leaks, which are not readily detected and result in costly losses of resources and linen damage.
Innovation Solution
A transparent drain pipe section is installed downstream from the solenoid valve and upstream from the drain, allowing operators to visually confirm if water is leaking, and an access port for testing chemical characteristics, enabling early detection and repair of leaks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a traditional opaque drain pipe is used, then the device complexity is reduced and manufacturing cost is lower, but water leakage cannot be detected and water wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pipe is made transparent instead of opaque, allowing visual detection of water leakage. This transparency enables operators to see through the pipe wall and detect leaks at the solenoid valve or drain line, preventing water wastage without adding mechanical complexity to the system.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the drain pipe is made transparent, then water leakage can be visually detected, but the manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pipe is made transparent instead of opaque, allowing visual detection of water leakage. This transparency enables operators to see through the pipe wall and detect leaks at the solenoid valve or drain line, preventing water wastage without adding mechanical complexity to the system.
3Loss of substance
If no access port is provided in the drain pipe, then the device complexity is reduced, but chemical testing of wash water becomes difficult and resource conservation is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The drain pipe is segmented with an access port that allows insertion of test strips to check chemical characteristics of wash water. This segmentation enables monitoring of detergent and bleach levels without requiring complex sampling systems or disassembling the entire drain pipe.
4Loss of energy
If leaks are not detected early, then operational simplicity is maintained, but water and energy wastage increases and linen damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent drain pipe allows visual detection of water leakage, enabling operators to see through the pipe wall and detect leaks at the solenoid valve or drain line, preventing water and energy wastage associated with heating and re-washing linens.
Solution Approach 2:
The drain pipe is segmented with an access port that allows insertion of test strips to check chemical characteristics of wash water. This segmentation enables monitoring of detergent and bleach levels without requiring complex sampling systems or disassembling the entire drain pipe.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and related methods for conserving various resources, such as, but not limited to, water, laundry chemicals, natural gas, electricity, linen, labor, and wear on equipment (e.g., a solenoid valve of a commercial washing machine drain line). The inventor has spent the past 14 years in the industrial chemical field, allowing him to access and service commercial washing machines, and has discovered that drain issues relative to such commercial washing machines result in enormous losses to such institutions that process a large volume of laundry. Such typical institutions include, but are not limited to, hotels, hospitals, prisons, universities, colleges, laundries, and nursing homes. By replacing a portion of the opaque drain pipe section between the valve and the floor drain, operators and technicians can quickly determine if a leak is occurring, and take corrective action. An access port may also be provided to test characteristics of discharged wash water.