This looks to be a promising year for father and son, Jim and Brian Patterson, owners of JB Solutions, Inc as their two products for home humidifier and water systems have cleared the US patent process.
Jim Patterson is the owner of Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling, a HVAC company located in the Pioneer Valley. His son, Brian, came up with the innovative product idea that lead to their first product
offering, the HVACIV, and eventually evolved into JB Solutions. The company now has two products that it is preparing to launch, The HVACIV® — an automated biocide injection system for condensate drains — and the HumidicycleTM system, a device that recycles the water that is typically wasted during flow through humidifier operation, conserving 16 oz. per minute.
Regular readers of Contracting Business will remember Jim Patterson as a frequent winner of its annual Quality Home Comfort Awards competitions.
The idea first struck Brian after seeing the damage caused to a client’s house when an air conditioning trap clogged and flooded the entire second floor ceiling. He began his research and couldn’t find any products that actively prevented this from happening. Products that are commonly used for this purpose are short-lived and can release harsh chemicals into the environment. He also discovered the potential danger in the growth of biofilms, molds and bacteria in these systems due to the moist environment.
Brian began designing the HVACIV, an automated drain treatment system that attacks and prevents the biofilm growth in air conditioning, dehumidifier and ventilator drains, traps, and associated piping that can lead to health issues and property damage from flooding. His design puts an active treatment system in place that provides months of effective and environmentally-friendly preventative maintenance. It uses a control system that monitors the thermostat operation and determines the most opportune time to inject the biocide.
During the research and development process, JB Solutions also turned its attention to water conservation within the HVAC industry. Humidifiers are commonplace in home heating systems to maintain a comfortable environment during the cold, dry winter season. Waste occurs when surplus water intended for the humidification process is not utilized and is expended as wastewater.
Determined to solve this issue, the team designed the HumidicycleTM system which pairs with the HVACIV to capture, clean and recycle the water back through the system. The average flow through furnace / air handler humidifier wastes up to 16 ounces of water every minute of operation and thousands of gallons per household annually. JB Solutions believes eliminating this reckless waste will help conserve and protect drinking water, a valuable natural resource.
Brian Patterson is confident that HVACIV will be a successful product. "Over the past decade, so much attention has gone into making homes ‘more efficient’ from insulation modifications to on-demand water heaters and mini-split units," he said. "These are all great progressions towards a more efficient home system, yet the HVAC industry seems to have left water conservation and the preservation of the home itself as an afterthought. JB Solution’s products, the HVACIV and Humidicycle , preserve Earth’s most valuable resource while also helping to combat dangerous airborne pathogens and limit the risk of HVAC water damage.”
The Pattersons believe having these systems in place on a home’s comfort system will provide an unprecedented level of security that has yet to be offered in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry.
Beta test sites for the Pattersons’ products have resulted in some amazing conservation data. A recent Humidicycle system shaved a client’s water use by 2,860 gallons in eight weeks of operation. Based on this data, millions of gallons of drinking water could be saved annually and the benefits extend beyond water conservation alone. There would be reduced volumes of waste in our septic and city sewer systems, potential reduced home heating costs as homes feel warmer when the humidity levels are higher, allowing the thermostats to be set lower, and clients with water filtration systems will enjoy longer filter life.
“As you can see,” Jim said, “water conservation is just the tip of the iceberg!”
Moving forward in 2018, JB Solutions will partner with their contracting firm — Orchard Valley Heating and Cooling — to install units for homeowners in the Western Mass area. JB Solutions plans to release more information on the potential for contractor and distributor partnerships in the coming months.
“We have been working very hard to get these products to market for the past two years,” Jim Patterson said. “Now we can finally start seeing the impacts they will bring to homeowners and businesses in the
Northeast and eventually throughout the entire US.”