Spa Heating and Cooling System

Abstract

A spa is provide with a heat pump for both heating and cooling the water contained in the spa tub. The heat pump uses the existing water pump of the hydrotherapy system to circulate the water through the water heat exchanger of the heat pump. Condensation produced by the heat pump is pumped into the spa tub. Components of the heat pump and water pump are acoustically isolated for noise reduction. Electronic noise reduction may be implemented. Co-generated heat is used to heat the air to produce warm therapeutic bubbles and to feed an ozonator. In addition, an auxiliary electrical resistance heater is arranged in combination with the heat pump for rapid water heating.

1 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure; and    c) a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, and a four-way valve arranged in series such that the heat pump is configured for both heating and cooling at the water heat exchanger,    wherein the water pump circulates water contained by the tub through the water heat exchanger to heat or cool the water.    
     
     
         2 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said ambient heat exchanger is an air source heat exchanger.    
     
     
         3 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said ambient heat exchanger is a ground source heat exchanger.    
     
     
         4 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cabinet surrounding said spa tub, wherein said ambient heat exchanger is mounted external said cabinet.    
     
     
         5 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an electric resistance heater, 
 the water pump and plumbing are adapted to circulate water through both the water heat exchanger and the electric resistance heater.  
   
     
     
         6 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a timer which activates said heat pump to bring water within the tub to a set temperature at a set time.    
     
     
         7 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for reducing noise generated by said ambient heat exchanger.    
     
     
         8 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring condensate produced at the ambient heat exchanger to the tub.    
     
     
         9 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an ozonator that supplies a source of ozone to water in the tub, wherein said compressor of said heat pump produces dry air which is fed to said ozonator.    
     
     
         10 . A spa tub system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cabinet surrounding a portion of the tub such that a space is defined between said tub and said cabinet; and    a diverter, 
 wherein during a heating mode said air in said space is warmer than ambient outside said cabinet, said diverter diverts said air in said space to said ambient heat exchanger.  
   
     
     
         11 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted in the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure;    c) a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an ambient heat exchanger, arranged in series; and    d) an electric resistance heater, wherein the water pump and plumbing are configured to circulate water through both the water heat exchanger and the electric resistance heater.    
     
     
         12 . A spa tub system according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a timer which activates at least one of said heat pump and said resistance heater to bring water within the tub to a set temperature at a set time.    
     
     
         13 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted in the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure;    c) a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger; and    d) means for transferring condensate produced by said ambient heat exchanger to said spa tub.    
     
     
         14 . A spa tub system according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said means includes plumbing coupling said condensate reservoir to a source of negative pressure.    
     
     
         15 . A spa tub system according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said means includes a pump coupled to a condensate reservoir.    
     
     
         16 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a cabinet surrounding the tub;    c) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure;    d) a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger; and    e) noise reduction means for reducing the noise produced by said heat pump.    
     
     
         17 . A spa tub system according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said noise reduction means includes acoustic isolation of the heat pump relative to the spa tub wall and cabinet.    
     
     
         18 . A spa tub system according to  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said noise reduction means includes an electronic noise reduction system.    
     
     
         19 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a cabinet surrounding said tub such that a space is defined between said tub and said cabinet;    c) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in said tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure;    d) a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger for heating and cooling water in said tub; and    e) a diverter, wherein when during a heating mode said air in said space is warmer than ambient outside said cabinet, said diverter diverts said air in said space to said ambient heat exchanger.    
     
     
         20 . A spa tub system, comprising: 
 a) a spa tub;    b) a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the spa tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from said suction fitting through the plumbing and back into said tub through said jet assemblies under pressure;    c) a heat pump for heating and cooling water in said tub, said heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, said compressor providing a source of dry air; and    d) an ozonator for providing a supply of ozone to water in the tub, wherein said cool side of said ambient heat exchanger supplies dry air to said ozonator.    
     
     
         21 . An improvement in a spa tub system including a spa tub, a hydrotherapy system including a plurality of jet assemblies mounted within the tub, a suction fitting mounted in the tub, plumbing coupling said jet assemblies, and a water pump that can circulate water from the suction fitting through the plumbing and back into the tub through the jet assemblies under pressure, and a electric resistance heater to heat water as the water is circulated by the water pump, the improvement comprising: 
 a heat pump including a compressor, a water heat exchanger, an expansion device, an ambient heat exchanger, and a four-way valve, with operation of the four-way valve providing reversible flow paths through the heat exchanger which in one direction effect a warming mode and in an opposite direction effect a cooling mode,    the heat pump arranged relative to the water pump and plumbing such that the water pump circulates water contained by the tub through the water heat exchanger.    
     
     
         22 . The improvement of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 means for transferring condensate produced by said ambient heat exchanger to said spa tub.    
     
     
         23 . An electronic control system for delivering power in a spa tub system that includes a spa tub intended to hold water, a heat pump, an electric resistance heater, said control system comprising: 
 a) a main power relay having ON and OFF positions;    b) a compressor relay having ON and OFF positions;    c) a heating/cooling mode relay having ON and OFF positions; and    d) a turbo mode relay having ON and OFF positions, 
 wherein when the main power, compressor and turbo mode relays are in the OFF position, no power is provided by the relays to either the heat pump or the resistance heater,  
 wherein when the main power relay is in the ON position, the compressor relay is in the ON position, and the heating/cooling mode relay is in a position for heating, the control system powers the heat pump for heating the water in the spa tub, and  
 wherein when the main power relay is in the ON position, the compressor relay is in the ON position, the heating/cooling mode relay is in a position for heating, and the turbo mode relay is in the ON position, the control system powers both the heat pump and the resistance heater for heating the water in the spa tub.  
   
     
     
         24 . An electronic control system according to  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a user interface at which a user may set a temperature at which the spa tub water is to be heated or cooled; and    a thermostat, 
 wherein when the main power relay is in the ON position, and the thermostat and set temperature indicate substantially a common temperature, the compressor relay is in the OFF position so as to neither heat nor cool the water in the spa tub.  
   
     
     
         25 . An electronic control system according to  claim 23 , wherein: 
 when the main power rely is in the ON position, the compressor relay is in the ON position, and the heating/cooling mode relay is in a position for cooling, the control system powers the heat pump for cooling the water in the spa tub.    
     
     
         26 . An electronic control system according to  claim 23 , wherein: 
 when the main power rely is in the ON position, the compressor relay is in the OFF position, and the turbo mode relay is in the ON position, the control system powers the resistance heater and not the heat pump for heating the water in the spa tub.    
     
     
         27 . An electronic control system according to  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 a user interface at which a user may set a temperature at which the spa tub water is to be heated or cooled;    a thermostat that feedbacks to the control system the temperature of water in the spa tub; and    timer means for activating the control system to automatically bring water in the tub to the set temperature at a set time.