An oil boiler includes an outer container having openings at opposite ends, a combustion chamber that covers an opening at an upper end of the outer container and in which a combustion reaction occurs, a lower cover that covers an opening at a lower end of the outer container, a plurality of flue tubes to heat heating water flowing in the outer container by guiding combustion gas, a burner including a fuel nozzle that sprays fuel, an air nozzle that injects air, and a spark plug that ignites a mixture of the fuel and the air, and a flame tube part that defines a tube space by surrounding a partial space in which the mixture is ignited, the flame tube part including a flame tube having an open lower end and a recirculation hole formed through the flame tube such that the combustion gas is introduced into the flame tube.

A water heater is provided that can suppress backflow (entry) of drainage water into a fan from downstream of the fan in a path of a flow of combustion gas. The fan includes a fan case, an impeller housed within the fan case, a drive source attached to the fan case so as to drive the impeller, and a rotation shaft connecting the impeller and the drive source. An exhaust connection portion has a connection portion case and is provided with an exhaust port for emitting combustion gas delivered from the fan to outside of the water heater. The exhaust connection portion also has a drainage water discharge portion for discharging drainage water accumulated downstream of the fan in the path of the flow of combustion gas.

The present invention becomes possible to employ a main microprocessor with a relatively lower number of input ports, whereby while maintaining the performance and function of a water heater, the cost of a control apparatus is cut down. Some of sensors, adapted for measurement of various parameters which are for use in operational control of the water heater and in need of immediate response, are connected to a main microprocessor 31. The other sensors that are not in need of an immediate response, such as an ambient temperature sensor 36, are connected only to a sub microprocessor 32 if the main microprocessor 31 does not have any extra analog signal input port. The sub microprocessor converts an analog signal from the sensor 36 which is connected only to the sub microprocessor into digital data. And the sub microprocessor transmits the digital data to the main microprocessor through communication therewith.

A tankless water heater includes a scale control module (SCM). The SCM is mounted inside or outside of a cabinet which encloses a heat exchanger and source of heat of the water heater. The SCM may include a connector and a cartridge removably attaching to the connector or may only include a cartridge permanently affixed to the tankless water heater. The tankless water heater includes a continuous water pathway inside the cabinet to supply water to all components of the tankless water heater, including the SCM. The tankless water heater receives supply water at its inlet, treats the supply water in the SCM to generate treated water having reduced scale-forming characteristics compared to the supply water, and heats the treated water in the heat exchanger to generate heated treated water.

A heated flue includes a flue section configured to be fluidly coupled to an exhaust outlet of a boiler. At least one heater is mechanically coupled to the flue section to heat an exhaust gas flowing within. A sensor is mechanically coupled to the flue section or disposed within the flue section. The sensor is configured to measure a parameter of the exhaust gas flowing within. A controller is operatively coupled to the at least one heater and the sensor. The controller is configured to control a temperature of the exhaust gas based on the parameter. A method to vent a condensing boiler into a non-condensing rated stack is also described.

A condensing boiler condensate discharge device includes a hollow body having a peripheral wall, a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end. An inflow opening is provided in the peripheral wall and extends starting from the first longitudinal end in the direction of the second longitudinal end. A drain opening is provided in the peripheral wall. A separating wall is provided within the hollow body and extends from the first longitudinal end in the direction of the second longitudinal end and has a free end. The separating wall divides the hollow body into a condensate receiving channel, and a condensate discharge channel. The condensate receiving channel and the condensate discharge channel are flow-connected to each other via a passage. The drain opening and the inflow opening are arranged to be overlapping with an overlap length as viewed in the longitudinal direction.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, and/or manufacture that is configured for operably releasing condensate received from a condensate-producing unit toward a drain without allowing a substantial quantity of gas to flow through the system, machine, device, and/or manufacture, those embodiments including a float and/or a housing.

A connected-type hot-water supply system includes hot-water supply apparatuses connected in parallel and a control means. The control means sets one main hot-water supply apparatus and sub-hot-water supply apparatuses, and performs leveling control of cumulative loads of the hot-water supply apparatuses by setting the main hot-water supply apparatus based on sequential rotation among the hot-water supply apparatuses. The control means includes a failure sign response mode in which it is determined whether there is a failure sign respectively for components of the hot-water supply apparatuses, and when a component of a part of hot-water supply apparatuses is a failure sign component determined to have a failure sign, a main use time of a hot-water supply apparatus having the failure sign component is increased, and the main use time is a main use time of serving as the main hot-water supply apparatus in the leveling control.

A condensate collector (40) for use in water heating apparatus (10). The apparatus (10) includes a liquid storage tank (12), a combustion chamber (20), a flue (26) disposed above the combustion chamber (20), and, a condensate collector (40). The condensate collector (40) includes a receptacle (42) positioned in an entry end (28) of the flue (26), a discharge outlet (53) for discharging condensate collected in the receptacle (42) for subsequent transfer to a drain.

A condensate drain system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a heat exchanger having a plurality of tubes configured to receive ambient air and fluidly coupled to a drain via a conduit, a valve positioned along the conduit between the plurality of tubes and the drain, where the valve is configured to enable a flow of condensate from within the plurality of tubes toward the drain in an open position and the block the flow in a closed position, and a controller configured to adjust a position of the valve based on feedback indicative of an operational state of the HVAC system.