An external control unit to be connected between a power source and an electrically driven pump to act as a smart switch to convert a “dumb” pump into a smart pump. The control system of this invention comprises a microcontroller-operated switch, located between the power source and the pump, or other fluid flow control device to be operated by electricity, and which can be programmed to record usage data of, e.g., hot water, by the household; it sets up the operating times in accordance with such usage. A temperature sensor is connected to the microcontroller to sense a temperature change, in a hot water system is turned on, by measuring an increase in temperature to indicate flow through the hot water pipe, and to record such data. This will determine, in the context of a hot water system, when the pump should be activated to bring up hot water.

A water preconditioner system comprising a user interface for manually or automatically receiving inputs from a user, a mixing assembly including a plurality of control valves coupled to hot and cold water supply lines, and a controller in communication with the plurality of control valves and the user interface for controlling the operation of the system. The controller is configured to operate in a plurality of modes to precondition the water to one of a desired preset water dispensing temperature or a target temperature different from the desired preset water dispensing temperature.

A water heater is provided that heats water in a storage tank and discharges the heated water. The water heater includes a storage tank configured to store water, at least one first temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the water stored in the storage tank, a second temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature related to an outside of the water heater, a first heat exchanger comprising at least one heating element configured to heat the water, a second heat exchanger comprising a heat pump system and configured to heat the water, and a controller configured to control at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger based on a temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor and a set water temperature.

A dehumidifier/cooling apparatus for use in a room having an elevated temperature and/or humidity is provided which utilizes the natural coolness of tap water to condense water vapor from the air or merely cool the air. The tap water line is diverted into a heat exchanger upstream of a hot water heater to dehumidify and/or cool the air in the room the air and remove the latent heat given off during condensation to cool and/or dehumidify the room air and to pre-heat the water entering the hot water heater. An air moving device powered solely by water moving through the tap water line directs a flow of air through the heat exchanger.

The instant hot water system CONTROL PANEL for new homes is an on-demand controller for a common residential water pump, installed at the hot water supply/recirculation hot water pipe line back to the regular residential gas or electric water heater, with push button switches in every bathroom, kitchen, laundry room etc. to pump hot water at the touch of said button; from the water heater to faucets throughout the house and dispense the hot water to the user, with no waiting time and very minimal cold water waste down the drain because the hot water has already reached every single faucet in the house as the users with the push of a button demanded it.

An instant hot water delivery system includes a thermal storage bin that receives hot water from a water heater via a hot water supply conduit and stores the hot water therein. The thermal storage bin is disposed adjacent a point of demand to deliver the hot water instantly to the point of demand responsive to a demand. The thermal storage bin is configured to retain a thermal energy of the hot water for a prolonged period using a phase change material. When the hot water stored in the thermal storage bin cools down below a threshold temperature, the cooled down hot water is recirculated to the water heater via a cold water supply conduit using a crossover valve. The recirculation is based on thermosiphon. Fresh hot water from the water heater replaces the cooled down hot water that is displaced from the thermal storage bin.

A tankless water heater and manifold system is provided. The system includes a self-contained unit for providing hot water distribution throughout the system. The unit includes a tankless water heater having a hot water outlet pipe with outlet ports that function as a built-in manifold for distributing water directly from the unit through hot water lines that connect each plumbing fixture in the system directly to the unit.

The disclosed technology includes an on-demand water heater which uses an electric heat source to heat the water. The on-demand water heater can have a low fluid capacity heating chamber which has an inlet and an outlet, an electric heat source for heating the water, and a controller to control the electric heat source and maintain the temperature of the water at a predetermined temperature setting. The on-demand water heater can be powered by a direct current power source. The on-demand water heater can also utilize a solar thermal system to provide additional heat to the water.

A first conduit having a cylindrical upper entrance region with the axis of the cylindrical region oriented vertically, which accepts incoming downwardly flowing hot drain water, a central region of said first conduit below the said entrance region having a conical shape of increasing diameter, reaching a maximum diameter 2-7 times larger than the upper region, the shape then transitioning to a decreasing diameter area of a conical shape, the shape transitioning to a cylindrical lower region with a diameter similar to the upper region diameter; a second conduit for the flow of the shower cold water supply, with a diameter 10-40 times smaller than the maximum diameter of the drain water conduit, and a length 10-40 times longer than the vertical length of the drain water conduit, the second conduit tightly wrapped around the first conduit and in close thermal contact with the first conduit.

An improved, wholly mechanical, valve unit is provided to automatically allow for flow between a high temperature liquid line and a cooler temperature liquid line in order to maintain the immediate availability of hot liquid immediately upstream of the valve, especially for hot water used in a building. The valve unit of the present invention includes a thermally-activated, bi-metal, or more broadly bi-flexive, valve disc, and a smaller diameter valve seat that concentrically contacts the valve disc intermediate the outer circumference and the center of the disc. The bi-flexive disc is provided two-sided, circumferential support, thus substantially equalizing the pressure against both sides of the disc, even when in the closed valve position between the higher temperature, higher pressure, hot water line and the lower pressure cold water line. The valve opens when the temperature differential across the valve disc decreases below a preset amount.