Various implementations include a water heater system. The system includes a variable speed pump. The variable speed pump has having an inlet and an outlet. The system includes a heat exchanger, having an inlet and an outlet. The heat exchanger outlet is fluidically connected to the variable speed pump inlet. The system includes an output temperature sensor disposed downstream of the heat exchanger outlet. The system includes a controller configured to receive a first temperature reading from the output temperature sensor. The controller is configured to control operation of the variable speed pump to adjust an output flow rate in response to the first temperature reading. The controller is further configured to receive a second temperature reading from a recovery temperature sensor on a storage tank. The controller is configured to turn off the variable speed pump upon a determination that the second temperature reading has reached a maximum temperature.

An electric water heater tank adapted for connection to a controller, the tank including one or more electrical heating elements temperature sensing means mounted on the exterior of the tank wall and adapted to obtain a measurement of the temperature of the water in the tank, the temperature sensing means and each heating element being connected to an externally accessible connection means. The tank can include one or more heating element control means each connected to a corresponding one of the heating elements. The element control means can be connected to the externally accessible connection means.

An electric water heater having a water holding tank defined by a cylindrical side wall, a top wall and a dome-shaped bottom wall. A cold water inlet is disposed for releasing water under pressure in a lower portion of the tank. Two or more resistive heating elements heat water in an upper and lower region of the tank. The lower portion of the cylindrical side wall and the outer circumferential portion of the dome-shape bottom wall form a circumferential cavitated area inside the tank in which sediments deposit forming a bed in which bacteria can proliferate. A conduit is secured about at least a substantial circumferential portion of an outer surface of the cylindrical side wall adjacent the cavitated area. A resistive heating wire is disposed in the conduit and has connection leads extending out of a free open end of the conduit to an access area to provide connection to power terminals and a control for controlling the supply of power to the resistive heating wire.

An electric water heater is described and wherein a bottom resistive heating element extends in at least a portion of the cavitated circumferential area defined inside the tank between the tank side wall and the dome-shaped bottom wall and wherein deposits accumulate to create a culture medium for bacteria growth. The bottom resistive heating element heats water in this cavitated area to a temperature sufficient to sanitize a lower region of said water holding tank and to kill bacteria such as the Legionella bacteria.

Methods and compositions for controlling and monitoring residential and commercial pumping systems. Preferably, the controlling and monitoring functions include a remotely located controller component capable of displaying alerts and/or from which a user may input commands regulating the functioning of the plumbing system. In particularly preferred examples, the plumbing system is an on command hot water system in which hot water availability, use and energy efficiencies and conservation are monitored and maximized.

An electric water heater is described and wherein the bottom portion of the water holding tank is provided with various forms of electric heating elements to heat the water in the lowermost region of the tank adjacent the dome-shaped bottom wall to a temperature sufficient to prevent the proliferation of bacteria growth such as the Legionella bacteria in such lowermost region. The insulating foam support base of the water heater also provides a thermal barrier to the heating elements while biasing the heating element on the dome-shaped bottom wall in a region to insure excellent heat transfer to the cavitated zone surrounding the dome-shaped bottom wall where sedimentary deposits occur to create a culture medium for bacteria growth. In one embodiment a heating wire transfers heat to the lowermost region from the lower end of the surrounding side wall of the tank and access to the heating wire is provided for connection and removal thereof.

A water heater includes a heat exchanger. A controllable three-way proportional valve provides a proportionally controllable flow to the hot water inlet of the heat exchanger and a boiler return water outlet. A mixing tank mixes a cold water and a hot water. The mixing tank provides a time delayed mixed water. A temperature sensor is disposed in or on the mixing tank to measure a temperature of the time delayed mixed water to provide a time delayed mixed water temperature. A feedforward control process running on a processor adjusts a proportional operating position of the controllable three-way proportional valve to regulate a temperature of hot water at the hx domestic hot water outlet based on the temperature of the time delayed mixed water temperature. A method for controlling a hot water temperature of a water heater a water heater using a flowmeter based feedforward control are also described.

A water tank management system that connects either to a hot water tank directly or to an electric panel connected to the tank. The system comprises at least two temperature sensors, each of which is attached on the surface of the hot water tank near respective heating elements. The system comprises a control box which includes a solid-state relay that modulates the flow of electrical power to the heating elements in order to lower the energy used by the tank. The modulation is controlled by a program stored in a memory in the control box or communicated to the control box via an external controller. The system optionally comprises a third temperature sensor placed outdoors to measure the ambient outdoor temperature. With this feature, the system can activate a program to reduce energy consumption when the outdoor ambient temperature is outside a critical temperature range.

This invention relates to a domestic hot water installation (1, 51, 61, 71) comprising a hot water cylinder (3), an external heating circuit (4) such as a boiler (5) in combination with a heat exchanger (7), a pump (9), and a control circuit (11). The control circuit comprises a pair of sensors (15, 17), at least one of which is a temperature sensor, and a programmable controller (13) in communication with the sensors. The programmable controller has a processor (19), an accessible memory (21), and means (23) to operate the pump. The programmable controller monitors the data from the sensors and accurately calculates the amount of hot water that has been delivered to the hot water cylinder. When the correct amount of water, according to a domestic hot water profile, has been delivered to the hot water cylinder, the programmable controller stops hot water from being delivered into the tank by shutting off the pump. By providing such an installation, the amount of hot water delivered can be accurately controlled and waste of energy is minimized.

A toilet includes a basin, a rim, and a heated water cleaning system. The basin includes a bowl. The rim includes a rim aperture in fluid communication with the bowl. The heated water cleaning system includes a heated water delivery channel and a heated water generator. The heated water delivery channel is positioned proximate the rim aperture. The heated water generator is in fluid communication with the heated water delivery channel. The heated water generator is configured to receive water, produce heated water, and provide the heated water to the heated water delivery channel. The heated water generator includes a heated water generator tank and a heater. The heated water generator tank is configured to contain at least one of water or heated water. The heater is positioned within the heated water generator tank.