A diffuser for a water heater fill tubes having a tube wall with an outside diameter. The diffuser includes an elongated flexible diffuser body for positioning at the outlet end of the fill tube. The diffuser body has a sealing end for sealing with an outside surface of the fill tube wall closest to the inlet end of the fill tube, and an open end for positioning at an end closest to the outlet end of the fill tube. The open end has a diameter larger than an outside diameter of the tube wall, thereby creating an diffuser water outlet opening between the diffuser body and the tube wall for redirecting radial water flow emanating from the fill tube water outlet opening(s) toward the diffuser outlet opening. A fill tube assembly for a water heater, a water heater, and a method for heating water are also disclosed.

A hot water supply system decouples an intelligent hot water storage system from a water heating engine system. The water heating engine system includes a plurality of instantaneous water heaters that provide for redundant operation for improved reliability. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a storage tank that encloses a volume for storage of water. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a recirculation loop driven by an integrated pump and operated by an integrated controller. By positioning the tank recirculation outlet and inlet farther apart from each other, additional usable volume of hot water is provided by the intelligent hot water storage system. Isolation valves positioned on the input and output of a recirculation pump in the recirculation loop facilitate repair or replacement of the recirculation pump. The hot water system provides for increased capacity while providing redundant heating engines in a smaller floor space than conventional systems.

A heat exchanger for a water heater having a burner includes an outer tube extending longitudinally along a centerline from a first end adjacent the burner to a second end. Indentations are formed along the length of the outer tube and extend towards the centerline. An inner member extends through the outer tube and between the indentations such that flue gases from the burner flow in a passage between the inner member and the outer tube from the first end to the second end of the outer tube.

A combined heat and power system generates energy and efficiently captures a percentage of such energy that would otherwise be lost to, among other things, control the temperature and humidity of a house or dwelling.

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.

An atmospheric gas water heater includes a burner assembly. The burner assembly includes a burner having a body, and a screen member coupled to the body. A conduit is fluidly connected to the body. The conduit has an open end configured to receive gas and air. The flow of gas and air from the open end through the conduit to the body and past the screen member is defined as a downstream direction. The screen member defines a zone of combustion. The gas and the air is 100% premixed together upstream of the zone of combustion. The body of the burner has a first segment extending between a first end and a second end, and second and third segments extending from the first segment. The second segment and the third segment extend parallel to and spaced apart from each other to form a U-shape.

A burner assembly includes a plurality of burner units including, on front sides thereof, fuel inlets through which fuel is introduced into the plurality of burner units, in which the plurality of burner units cause a combustion reaction using the introduced fuel, a case to which the plurality of burner units are coupled with a predetermined separation distance therebetween, and a flow passage guide that is coupled to a front side of the case and that includes a plurality of fuel openings corresponding to the fuel inlets of the plurality of burner units, and the flow passage guide is implemented as separate from the case.

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger pipe enabling heat exchange between fluid flowing through the pipe and fluid existing outside the pipe, and a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger pipe. In particular, the present invention relates to a heat exchanger pipe that improves a heat exchange rate by making flow of fluid through the pipe more active and increasing a contact amount, that has an improved contact characteristic and a sealing characteristic between an outer pipe and an insert inserted in the outer pipe in the process of manufacturing, and that is easily manufactured; and a method of manufacturing the heat exchanger pipe.

A water heater control system the water heater system comprising a rechargeable and non-rechargeable power source. In one or more examples, a controller such as a microcontroller of the water heater system is configured to receive power from the non-rechargeable power source and does not receive power from the rechargeable power source. Various other components of the water heater system are configured to receive power from the rechargeable power source. The system may comprise an energy storage system electrically connected to a pilot valve operator and electrically isolated from a main valve operator. The controller may be configured to recognize a call for main burner operation and may also be configured to check an available voltage of the energy storage system against a setpoint.

Provided is an anode assembly cap for selective interconnection to a tank, for example. The anode assembly cap generally includes a flange with interconnected wall configured to surround at least a portion of an anode. When installed, the anode assembly facilitates electron transfer from the tank/anode assembly interface. The anode assembly creates a closed system with respect to the tank, wherein information transfer associated with the interconnection between the anode assembly and the storage tank is minimized or prevented.