A fluid sensing system and approach having a leak sensor. The leak sensor may output a signal when a fluid is detected. The signal may go to an alarm circuit which can sound a warning or alert. The signal may also go to a control interface of a piece of equipment, such as a water heater, to shut off the piece equipment in an event that it is causing a leak of fluid. Also, the sensing system may have a low battery sensor and indicator in case a battery supplying power for the sensing system is running low. The sensing system may be made of analog circuitry and discrete components.

A water heater can include a tank, an inlet line, and an outlet line, where the inlet line provides unheated water to the tank, and where the outlet line draws heated water from the tank for a hot water demand. The water heater can also include a heat pump disposed adjacent to a first portion of the tank, where the heat pump applies heat to transform the unheated water to heated water in the first portion of the tank. The water heater can further include a resistive heating element disposed within a second portion of the tank, where the resistive heating element further applies heat to transform the unheated water to heated water in the second portion of the tank.

A water heater can include a tank. The water heater can also include a heat exchanger that includes multiple flue tube segments disposed within the tank, where the flue tube segments include a thermally-conductive material. The heat exchanger can further include a heating system that heats a fluid to create a heated fluid, where the heating system further circulates the heated fluid through the flue tube segments, where the flue tube segments absorb thermal energy from the heated fluid and subsequently dissipate the thermal energy into the tank to convert the unheated water to the heated water. The water heater can also include a controller coupled to the heating system, where the controller operates the heating system outside of a normal heating cycle when the controller determines that condensation has accumulated in the flue tube segments, where operating the heating system outside of the normal heating cycle removes the condensation.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for water monitoring are disclosed. A system includes one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include determining with a leak sensor that a water leak is occurring at a property; after determining that the water leak is occurring at the property, determining that a water usage profile of a particular water consuming device matches characteristics of the water leak; based on determining that the water usage profile of a particular water consuming device matches characteristics of the water leak, identifying a water consuming device that is likely leaking; and in response to identifying the water consuming device that is likely leaking, performing a system action.

An automatically flushing water heater maintenance system may be provided, the system including a water heater and a water heater controller. The water heater may include an inlet, an outlet, and a flush outlet having a first control valve in flow communication therewith. The first control valve may be configured to control a flow of water and sediment through the flush outlet out of the water heater. The water heater controller may be configured to communicate with the first control valve by transmitting a first control signal to the first control valve, the first control signal configured to cause the first control valve to open or close as part of an automatic flushing process. As a result of the flushing, the useful life of the water heater may be extended, and/or water heater leakage alleviated. Insurance discounts may be provided based upon using the automatic water heater flushing functionality.

A system and method of operating a water supply system with one or more water consuming appliances is provided. The water supply system includes a hot water heater for supplying a flow of heated water through a supply conduit to at least one water consuming appliance. The water consuming appliance receives the flow of heated water and provides an indication of a fault condition if excessive water accumulates in the appliance, which might indicate a malfunction with a drain pump or a water supply valve. A safety shutoff valve is positioned on the supply conduit and is in operative communication with the water consuming appliance. The safety shutoff valve is configured for stopping the flow of heated water when it receives the indication of the fault condition.

In a temperature control apparatus for controlling the temperature of a load by supplying high-temperature circulating liquid to the load, a device in which a helical channel portion of a first heat exchange channel through which circulating liquid flows is housed in a second heat exchange channel formed of a channel space in a hollow shell through which coolant flows is used as a heat exchanger for cooling the circulating liquid, cylindrical members are individually fitted on an inflow channel portion and an outflow channel portion connected to opposite ends of the helical channel portion of the first heat exchange channel, and the cylindrical members are each fixed to the shell of the heat exchanger with a weld.

A water heater includes a leak detection system that is integrated with the water heater. The leak detection system includes a channel that extends circumferentially around the water heater. In one example, the channel is built into the water heater. In another example, the channel is formed by a sensor bracket that is coupled to the water heater. Further, the leak detection system includes a sensor assembly that is configured to detect water that leaks from the water heater. The sensor assembly includes a leak sensor and/or a wicking tube. The wicking tube is disposed around at least a portion of the leak sensor. Further, the wicking tube is disposed in the continuous channel and extends circumferentially along the water heater to create a circumferential area of leak detection around the water heater.

A remote water heater monitoring system is configured to communicate with a plurality of client water heaters over a network. The system processes received data related to the operation of the plurality of client water heaters and identifies one or more baseline trends over time related to water heater performance and/or water heater reliability using the received data from one or more of the client water heaters and identifies one or more abnormalities in the operation of a particular one of the client water heaters based on the baseline trends. An alert is generated for one or more of the abnormalities in the operation of the particular one of the client water heaters and is associated with a corresponding client account.