Facilities dosing system

Abstract

A facilities dosing system comprises a signal-actuated valve controlling a flow of hot water from a water heater to one or more water fixtures that drain to one or more drainage conduits, and a controller configured to trigger opening of the signal-actuated valve, allowing for flushing with the hot water of the drainage conduits from the one or more water fixtures over a controlled period of time. A facilities dosing method comprises electronically controlling, by a system comprising a controller, flow of hot water from a water heater to a plurality of water fixtures that have automatically-allowed drainage to drainage conduits, and cyclically electronically triggering, by the system, the electronic controlling, for repeated flushing of the drainage conduits with the hot water, comprising bypassing cold water cisterns feeding the water fixtures.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a signal-actuated valve controlling a flow of hot water from a water heater to one or more water fixtures that drain to one or more drainage conduits; and   a controller configured to trigger opening of the signal-actuated valve, allowing for flushing with the hot water of the drainage conduits from the one or more water fixtures over a controlled period of time.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of flow-controllable sparge conduits coupled to the signal-actuated valve for receiving the hot water, wherein, the plurality of flow-controllable sparge conduits deliver the hot water to water outlets of the water fixtures and thus to the drainage conduits.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the water outlets receive the hot water from the sparge conduits and non-heated water from primary flow conduits extending from respective cisterns. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of flow-limiting valves that are configured to control a flow of the hot water from the signal-actuated valve to the water fixtures.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the flow-limiting valves are electronically-adjustable to adjust flow through a set of sparge conduits commonly coupled to and extending from the signal-actuated valve. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to repeatedly trigger the opening of the signal-actuated valve to cause repeated openings during a second period of time, other than the controlled period of time, of non-access to the one or more water fixtures by customer user entities. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller, based on communicative access by an administrator user device, receives a signal directing the controller to trigger on-demand opening of the signal-actuated valve. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicatively couple to a computer device for controlling the controlled period of time. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a water fixture of the one or more water fixtures is a urinal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the water heater; and   separate electrical adaptors electronically-coupled to the water heater and to the controller.   
     
     
         11 . A system, comprising:
 a sparge conduit arranged to feed a water fixture from a water heater while bypassing a water cistern of the water fixture; and   a flow control device coupled along a path of flow between the water heater and a water outlet of the water fixture,   wherein flow to the sparge conduit from the water heater is controllable by the flow control device to control repeated flow of hot water, from the water heater, to a drainage conduit of the water fixture, over an electronically-specified time period.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 additional sparge conduits, other than the sparge conduit, wherein the additional sparge conduits and the sparge conduit are commonly extending from the flow control device to separate water fixtures, other than the water fixture.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the sparge conduit is arranged to commonly feed the water outlet along with a primary flow conduit that feeds non-heated water to the water outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a flow limiter provided at the sparge conduit that is adjustable to allow less than full flow to the water fixture from the water heater.   
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 electronically controlling, by a system comprising a controller, flow of hot water from a water heater to a plurality of water fixtures that have automatically-allowed drainage to drainage conduits; and   cyclically electronically triggering, by the system, the electronic controlling, for repeated flushing of the drainage conduits with the hot water, comprising bypassing cold water cisterns feeding the water fixtures.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the electronic controlling comprises:
 controlling, by the system, a flow control device, by the controller, wherein the controlling of the flow control device commonly allows or disallows the flow of hot water to a plurality of sparge conduits bypassing the cold water cisterns.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 electronically controlling, by the system, by the controller or by another controller, an extent to which flow of the hot water is limited through the sparge conduits by flow limiting valves.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 triggering, by the system, on-demand flushing of the drainage conduits with the hot water, based on sensor feedback to the system.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 executing, by the system, the electronic control, over a first specified range of time; and   executing, by the system, the cyclical electronic triggering for a specified number of cycles, the first specified range of time, over a second range of time that is longer than the first specified range of time.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 executing, by the system, the cyclical electronic triggering over the second range of time corresponding to a period of non-access to the plurality of water fixtures by customer user entities.