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 heat exchanger tube for transferring a heat of an exhaust gas to a fluid to be heated includes a turn-back portion formed in an intermediate portion of the heat exchanger tube and a reciprocating conduit portion. The reciprocating conduit portion includes a conduit portion leading from a starting end of the heat exchanger tube to the turn-back portion, and a conduit portion leading from the turn-back portion to a terminal end of the heat exchanger tube. A space equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the conduit portions is provided between these conduit portions.

A draft inducer blower assembly for use with a water heater has a housing, a motor, and a fan. The housing has an exhaust volute surrounding the fan and a base adapted to be mounted atop a water heater. The housing has an inlet port adapted to receive exhaust gas from the water heater. The fan is connected to the motor for rotation about a rotation axis. The exhaust volute has a cut-off at a cut-off angle relative to the rotation axis. The exhaust volute has an exhaust outlet passageway that extends to an exhaust port. The exhaust port is lower than the top of the exhaust volute.

There is disclosed a heat-transferring device comprising a buffer tank (1), a reactor vessel (2) in thermal contact with the buffer tank, wherein an active substance is held inside the reactor vessel, a burner (A), a reactor heating loop adapted to transfer heat from the burner to the active substance in the reactor vessel, a reactor cooling loop adapted to transfer heat from the active substance in the reactor vessel to the buffer tank, a volatile liquid reservoir (14) in fluid contact with the reactor vessel, an evaporator (15) in fluid contact with the volatile liquid reservoir, a volatile liquid in the volatile liquid reservoir, with the ability to be absorbed by the active substance at a first temperature and desorbed by the active substance at a higher temperature, an exhaust gas pipe (10,11,12) from the burner to the volatile liquid reservoir to heat it.

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 vent attachment facilitates attaching a coaxial air intake and exhaust vent of a tankless water heater to a Category I vent, such as B-vent. The vent attachment comprises a first end with a coaxial connector comprising a central exhaust pathway and a circumferential air intake pathway. The vent attachment also comprises a second end with a tubular exhaust vent connector in fluid communication with the central exhaust pathway. The vent attachment further comprises a frame that encloses the central exhaust pathway and comprises a mesh configured to provide fluid communication through the frame with the air intake pathway. Additionally, operation of the tankless water heater is modified to ensure that the exhaust generated is suitable for venting through a Category I vent. The tankless water heater maintains a high fuel consumption rate such that the temperature of hot water produced increases throughout each of a plurality of burner stages.

Water heaters, baffles for water heaters, and methods for manufacturing such baffles are disclosed, One baffle includes a core, an outer wall, and a plurality of fins. The outer wall surrounds the core and defines at least one flow path between the outer wall and the core. The plurality of fins extend from the outer wall toward the core. Each of the plurality of fins has a serpentine shape. One method for manufacturing a baffle includes extruding at least one portion of the baffle in one piece, the at least one portion of the baffle having an at least partially cylindrical outer wall u and a plurality of fins extending inward from the outer wall, each of the plurality of fins having a serpentine shape. One water heating system includes a burner, a vent, at least one flue tube, and at least one baffle as described above.

A vent attachment facilitates attaching a coaxial air intake and exhaust vent of a tankless water heater to a Category I vent, such as B-vent. The vent attachment comprises a first end with a coaxial connector comprising a central exhaust pathway and a circumferential air intake pathway. The vent attachment also comprises a second end with a tubular exhaust vent connector in fluid communication with the central exhaust pathway. The vent attachment further comprises a frame that encloses the central exhaust pathway and comprises a mesh configured to provide fluid communication through the frame with the air intake pathway. Additionally, operation of the tankless water heater is modified to ensure that the exhaust generated is suitable for venting through a Category I vent. The tankless water heater maintains a high fuel consumption rate such that the temperature of hot water produced increases throughout each of a plurality of burner stages.

A gas fueled water heater appliance may include a tank for storage of water, a chamber wall, a gas burner, a gas conduit, a support post, and a guide bracket. The chamber wall may define a combustion chamber and a conduit hole. The gas burner may be positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber. The gas conduit may extend from the gas burner and through the conduit hole. The support post may be fixed to the gas burner within the combustion chamber. The guide bracket may be mounted within the combustion chamber and define a mounting point. The guide bracket may be in selective engagement with the support post at the mounting point. The guide bracket may include a pair of lateral arms extending outward from the mounting point toward the chamber wall to guide the support post to the mounting point.

A heat balancing system for a natural draft gas burning appliance having a flue. When the appliance is in a standby mode, a main burner is shut off and the pilot light remains on. Temperature in the heat exchanger (e.g., temperature of water in a heater tank) may be decreased or increased, respectively, by opening or closing a damper in a flue as needed. If opening the damper does not sufficiently reduce the temperature of the heat exchanger, then the pilot light may be shut off to further reduce the temperature. The pilot light may be turned on again to bring up the temperature. There may be a control or controller to operate the damper to maintain the temperature of the exchanger within a certain range. Electrical power may be provided for the system from a power line, a storage device, or other source.