A drain pan utilizing an open front and a trench includes a bottom pan member, the trench, a drain hole, and a trench cover. The bottom pan member includes the open front. The trench is positioned below the bottom pan member adjacent the open front of the bottom pan member of the drain pan. The trench is configured to capture fluid flowing onto the bottom pan member of the drain pan and before the fluid flows out of the open front. The drain hole is in communication with the trench. The drain hole is configured to evacuate any fluid from the bottom pan member that flows into the trench. The trench cover is configured for providing a flat trench surface over the trench. The trench cover includes perforations to allow fluid to flow into the trench from the bottom pan member of the drain pan.

This disclosure is related to devices, systems, and techniques for outputting an alarm signal in response to detecting a leak in a water heater device. For example, a water heater device includes a leak sensor, an intermittent pilot light, and a circuit. The circuit includes processing circuitry configured to receive, from the leak sensor, an electrical signal including information indicative of a leak in the water heater device, activate, based on the electrical signal including information indicative of the leak, an alarm device, where the alarm device is powered for at least a period of time by a power source, where the power source is configured to receive energy from a thermoelectric device, and maintain an amount of energy stored by the power source so that the amount of energy is sufficient for the power source to supply energy to the alarm device.

An appliance containment device may include a shell having a shell floor and a shell wall, and a cover having a cover floor and a cover wall. The cover wall and shell wall may be coupled together. A first mat may be coupled to the cover floor. A container cavity for receiving portions of an appliance may be formed above the cover floor and shell floor, and the cavity may be bounded horizontally by the shell wall and cover wall. Lower portions of an appliance may be positioned in the container cavity. Optionally, the device may include an encasement which may be positioned around the upper portions of the appliance with lower portions of the encasement extending into the container cavity, thereby allowing the device to encase the appliance within the shell, cover, and encasement.

Overflow protection and monitoring devices capable of coupling to a drainage pan and may include: a drainage line; a base, the base including an input port; a dry section; and a wet section, the input port capable of coupling to the drainage pan; a base cover, the base cover removably coupled to the base, the base cover including a base cover output port capable of coupling to the drainage line; a fluid displacement mechanism located in the wet section, the fluid displacement mechanism including a fluid displacement mechanism output port; a fluid detection mechanism located in the wet section; and a base attachment, the base attachment coupled to the fluid displacement mechanism output port and the base cover output port, the base attachment including an air relief port and back-flow preventer; a control unit capable of energizing the fluid displacement mechanism upon receiving a signal from the fluid detection mechanism.

A safe water heater comprises a housing assembly, a box assembly, and a water inlet and outlet assembly. The housing assembly comprises a first housing with a mounting cavity. The box assembly comprises a water tank with a water-containing cavity. The water inlet and outlet assembly comprises a water inlet subassembly and a water outlet subassembly. The water inlet subassembly comprises a second water inlet pipe communicating with the water-containing cavity, a first water inlet pipe able to communicate with outside, and a leak-proof mechanism. The leak-proof mechanism is capable of sealing a water inlet of the second water inlet pipe.

A structure for detecting a leak, wherein the structure is supported upon a supporting surface, the structure including a leak detector; and a bottom-facing surface comprising an inverted depression in which the leak detector is disposed, the inverted depression is configured to be suitable for inducing capillary actions in a liquid collected on the supporting surface, wherein when the inverted depression comes in contact with the liquid at its periphery, the liquid is drawn to the leak detector to be detected.

A condensate trap for a furnace system includes a trap inlet configured to receive combusted gases, a condensate chamber coupled to the trap inlet and configured to trap condensate, a trap outlet coupled to the condensate chamber and configured to exhaust the combusted gases, a header box inlet configured to receive condensate from a header box, and a condensate outlet configured to drain condensate from the condensate chamber. Combusted gas that passes through the condensate trap provides heat to condensate within the condensate trap to thaw frozen condensate or to prevent condensate from freezing.

A condensate trap for a furnace system includes a trap inlet configured to receive combusted gases, a condensate chamber coupled to the trap inlet and configured to trap condensate, a trap outlet coupled to the condensate chamber and configured to exhaust the combusted gases, a header box inlet configured to receive condensate from a header box, and a condensate outlet configured to drain condensate from the condensate chamber. Combusted gas that passes through the condensate trap provides heat to condensate within the condensate trap to thaw frozen condensate or to prevent condensate from freezing.

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, and/or manufacture that is configured for operably releasing condensate from a furnace combustion gas containment system without allowing a substantial quantity of drain air to enter the condensate producing system from a drain or a substantial quantity of combustion gas to flow through the system, machine, device, and/or manufacture.

An appliance containment device may include a shell having a shell floor and a shell wall, and a cover having a cover floor and a cover wall. The cover wall and shell wall may be coupled together. A first mat may be coupled to the cover floor. A container cavity for receiving portions of an appliance may be formed above the cover floor and shell floor, and the cavity may be bounded horizontally by the shell wall and cover wall. Lower portions of an appliance may be positioned in the container cavity. Optionally, the device may include an encasement which may be positioned around the upper portions of the appliance with lower portions of the encasement extending into the container cavity, thereby allowing the device to encase the appliance within the shell, cover, and encasement.