Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Water heating system

Water heating system description/claims

This disclosure relates to a water heating system that has both residential and commercial applications.

It has long been a goal in the water heater industry to continue to improve so-called “first hour ratings.” The first hour rating is an approximation of the usable hot water that a water heater can supply within an hour that begins with the water heater being fully heated. Beyond first hour ratings, it has also been desired to obtain a substantially continuous supply of hot water. Increasing the first hour rating, establishing substantially continuous hot water and at the same time decreasing overall energy usage is desirable.

This disclosure relates to water heating systems including a water container having a cold water inlet that connects to a water supply, a hot water outlet, a water heater outlet and a water heater inlet, an instantaneous water heater mounted to the water container and having a tank supply inlet connected to the water heater outlet, a tank supply outlet connected to the water heater inlet, a burner, and a heat exchanger located adjacent the burner between the tank supply inlet and the tank supply outlet, a pump connected between the water container and the instantaneous water heater that moves water between the water container and the instantaneous water heater, and a controller that operates the pump and the burner.

This disclosure also relates methods of heating water with a water heating system, including causing hot water to flow outwardly of the water container through the hot water outlet, sensing temperature of water in the water container, engaging the pump and igniting the burner.

This disclosure further relates methods of substantially maintaining a selected temperature of water in the water container of the water heating system, including sensing temperature of the water in the water container, comparing a sensed water temperature to a selected water set temperature, engaging the pump if the sensed water temperature is less than the selected water set temperature and igniting the burner.

This disclosure also further relates methods of preventing water in the water heating system from freezing including sensing temperature of water proximate to or in the heat exchanger, comparing the sensed water temperature to a first selected water temperature, and comparing the sensed water temperature to a second selected water temperature if the sensed water temperature is less than the first selected water temperature: engaging the pump if the sensed water temperature is greater than the second selected water temperature, sensing temperature of water in the water container, comparing the water container sensed temperature to a third selected water temperature and disengaging the pump if the water container sensed temperature is greater than the third selected water temperature, or engaging the pump if the sensed water temperature is less than the second selected water temperature, sensing temperature of water proximate to or in the heat exchanger, comparing sensed heat exchanger water temperature to the third selected water temperature and disengaging the pump in the sensed heater exchanger water temperature is greater than the third selected water temperature.

This disclosure also further relates to a water heater system comprising: a burner unit adapted to heat water; a water container associated with the burner unit and having a cold water inlet and a hot water outlet; and a controller that operates the burner to maintain the temperature of water in the water container above about 100° F. when at least about 2.5 gpm of heated water is substantially continuously removed from the water container for at least about 15 minutes.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a water heating system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front elevational view of the water heating system of FIG. 1 with the instantaneous water heater removed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the water container shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a schematic partial sectional view of a water tank.

FIG. 5 is a schematic partial sectional view of the tank of FIG. 4 with various dimensions.

FIG. 6 is an exploded top view of two water heater inlets.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front elevational view of the instantaneous water heater of FIG. 1 with the front cover removed.

FIG. 8 is a schematic wire diagram of the water heating system.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a sheet of material used to form a mounting bracket that may be used in accordance with the water heating system.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

• What Is a Patent?
• What Is a Trademark or Servicemark?
• What Is a Copyright?
• Patent Laws