Provided is a method of disinfecting a hot water supply system having a plurality of controllable hot-water outlets and a water heating arrangement including an energy store comprising a phase change material that has a phase transition temperature of less than 60 Celsius, the method comprising: informing an operator of a future disinfection event; increasing a hot water supply temperature from a pre-event temperature of less than 60 Celsius to a disinfection temperature; providing a signal to the operator to cause the operator to open a first of the hot water outlets; providing a signal to the operator to close the first outlet after a disinfection period; providing a signal to the operator to open another hot water outlet; providing a signal to the operator to close the another hot water outlet after a disinfection period; and repeating the signalling to the operator to open and then, after a disinfection period, to close each of the plurality of controllable hot-water outlets; reducing the hot water supply temperature to the pre-event temperature of less than 60 Celsius from the disinfection temperature; and indicating to the operator the completion of the disinfection event. A corresponding hot water supply system is also provided, the system preferably including a heat pump.

A fluid heating system including a heating chamber that receives fluid and heats the fluid to provide heated fluid, a dispensing device that dispenses the heated fluid, the dispensing device encompassing the heating chamber, a thermostatic control device that regulates a power supply to the heating chamber, an energy recovery device that harvests mechanical energy provided by a flow of the heated fluid from the heating chamber to the dispensing device and generates electrical energy to power the thermostatic control device, a pressure regulating valve, wherein in a closed position, passage for the heated fluid is prevented between the heating chamber and the drain when a pressure in the heating chamber is below a predetermined pressure threshold and passage for the heated fluid is provided between the heating chamber and the drain when the pressure in the heating chamber is above the predetermined pressure threshold.

A faucet assembly comprises: a water supply pipeline comprising a water outlet pipeline section and a water inlet pipeline section connected to each other, wherein the water inlet pipeline section contains a throat section with smaller cross sectional diameter; a shell made of hard materials and wrapped around the throat section, so as to define a closed space that contains air around the throat section, while the throat section has an opening to the closed space; a flexible membrane wrapping layer made of elastic materials and is hermetically sealed on the inner side of the shell, so that the closed space that contains air has an elastic, retractable and sealed boundary; a heater connected in series to the inlet pipeline section and is positioned in the upstream of the shell along the water outlet direction, to heat the water that is about to flow into the throat section.

A water heater (10) is suitable for point-of-use applications. The water heater includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller connected to the first and second temperature sensors. The controller is configured to receive the signals generated by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and to detect a flow condition of water within the heat without using mechanical flow detection means and without supplying stand-by heating by adding an absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the first temperature sensor to the absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the second temperature sensor to yield a sum and then comparing the sum to a reference temperature.

A water heater (10) is suitable for point-of-use applications. The water heater includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller connected to the first and second temperature sensors. The controller is configured to receive the signals generated by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and to detect a flow condition of water within the heat without using mechanical flow detection means and without supplying stand-by heating by adding an absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the first temperature sensor to the absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the second temperature sensor to yield a sum and then comparing the sum to a reference temperature.

A fluid control device includes a housing and a fluid temperature control assembly. The housing includes a first inlet, a second inlet for receiving a fluid, and a first outlet through which a fluid of a third temperature flows. The fluid temperature control assembly is in the housing, with apertures for regulating fluid communication between a mixing cavity and the first inlet of the housing, apertures communicating with the first outlet. The fluid temperature control assembly modifies properties of the apertures for regulating the amount of fluid having a first temperature relative to the amount of fluid having a second temperature with the mixing cavity, thereby maintaining the fluid discharged from the first outlet at a predetermined temperature.

A fluid heating system may be installed for residential and commercial use, and may deliver fluid at consistent high temperatures for cooking, sterilizing tools or utensils, hot beverages and the like, without a limit on the number of consecutive discharges of fluid. The fluid heating system is installed with a tankless fluid heating device that includes an inlet port, an outlet port, at least one heat source connected with the inlet port, and a valve connecting the at least one heat source to the outlet port. A temperature sensor is downstream of the at least one heat source and connected to the valve. Another temperature sensor is on the heat source to enable it to be kept at an elevated temperature. The valve is operated so that an entire volume of a fluid discharge from the fluid heating system is delivered at a user-specified temperature on demand, for every demand.

A water dispenser including a heat-exchanger, a heater, a water-storage tank, and a faucet is provided mainly. The heat-exchanger has a first/second guiding-channel, a first inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the first guiding-channel, and a second inlet/outlet communicated with two ends of the second guiding-channel. The water flows into the heat-exchanger through the first inlet, and flows out of the heat-exchanger through the first outlet. Two ends of the heater are communicated with the first outlet and the second inlet, and the water flowed out of the first outlet is heated by the heater. The heated water flows into the heat-exchanger through the second inlet, and flows out of the heat-exchanger through the second outlet. The water-storage tank is used to storage the water flowed out of the second outlet. The faucet is communicated with the water-storage tank and the heater respectively.

A water heater (10) is suitable for point-of-use applications. The water heater includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller connected to the first and second temperature sensors. The controller is configured to receive the signals generated by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor and to detect a flow condition of water within the heat without using mechanical flow detection means and without supplying stand-by heating by adding an absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the first temperature sensor to the absolute value of the sensed change in temperature of water at the second temperature sensor to yield a sum and then comparing the sum to a reference temperature.

There is herein defined phase change material (PCM) battery designs which are heated. More particularly, there is described integrally and/or internally located heating devices (e.g. electrical heating devices) in a range of heat batteries containing PCM. In particular, there is described a PCM heat battery comprising: a PCM enclosure capable of holding PCM; PCM located in the enclosure; an electronic control system for the PCM heat battery; a heating device located in the PCM heat battery; wherein the heating device is capable of heating and/or charging the PCM.