A water heater appliance includes a tank and a heated water conduit extending from the tank. A mixing valve is coupled to the heated water conduit, and a heat trap is mounted to the heated water conduit upstream of the mixing valve. The heat trap includes a membrane disposed within the heated water conduit. The membrane of the heat trap may assist with obstructing recirculation of heated water from the tank into the heated water conduit.

When hot water supply and room heating are requested simultaneously, a hot water supply operation, by which energy saving is achieved without impairing the comfortability in a room, is performed. A heat-pump apparatus of a variable operation capacity type, a primary water circuit, a hot water tank, a room heater, and a controller are provided. The controller sets a hot water supply operation completion target time in the case of a requests for a simultaneous hot water supply and room heating operation, based on a temperature difference between the outdoor air temperature and the indoor temperature, and determines the rotation speed of the compressor in the hot water supply operation completion target time set.

A sealed refrigeration system and appliance are provided. The sealed refrigeration system may include a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a check valve assembly. The compressor may be operable to compress refrigerant, while the condenser may be disposed in downstream fluid communication with the compressor to condense refrigerant received from the compressor. The evaporator may be disposed in fluid communication between the condenser and the compressor. The check valve assembly may be disposed in fluid communication between at least two components of the sealed refrigeration system. The check valve assembly may include a valve body defining a circuit inlet, a circuit outlet, and a charge port. The circuit outlet may be downstream from the circuit inlet to direct refrigerant therefrom. The charge port may be between the circuit inlet and the circuit outlet to receive refrigerant therethrough.

A refrigeration cycle apparatus includes: a refrigeration cycle circuit including a compressor, a four-way valve, a heat source side heat exchanger, a heat source side pressure-reducing mechanism, an indoor side pressure-reducing mechanism, and an indoor side heat exchanger, and a hot water supply refrigerant circuit branching off from between the compressor and the four-way valve, including a hot water supply side heat exchanger and a hot water supply side pressure-reducing mechanism in order, and connected between the heat source side pressure-reducing mechanism and the indoor side pressure-reducing mechanism, wherein when a refrigerant state value on at least one of a low pressure side of the refrigeration cycle circuit and a discharge side of the compressor becomes a refrigerant collection start state value, a refrigerant collecting operation that collects refrigerant accumulated in the hot water supply refrigerant circuit into the refrigeration cycle circuit is started.

Controlling heating and cooling in a conditioned space utilizes a fluid circulating in a thermally conductive structure in fluid connection with a hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and a ground heat exchanger. Air is moved past the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger, the air having fresh air supply and stale air exhaust. Sensors located throughout the conditioned space send data to a controller. User input to the controller sets the desired set point temperature and humidity. Based upon the set point temperature and humidity and sensor data, the controller sends signals to various devices to manipulate the flow of the fluid and the air in order to achieve the desired set point temperature and humidity in the conditioned space. The temperature of the fluid is kept less than the dew point at the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and the temperature of the fluid is kept greater than the dew point at the thermally conductive structure.

Controlling heating and cooling in a conditioned space utilizes a fluid circulating in a thermally conductive structure in fluid connection with a hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and a ground heat exchanger. Air is moved past the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger, the air having fresh air supply and stale air exhaust. Sensors located throughout the conditioned space send data to a controller. User input to the controller sets the desired set point temperature and humidity. Based upon the set point temperature and humidity and sensor data, the controller sends signals to various devices to manipulate the flow of the fluid and the air in order to achieve the desired set point temperature and humidity in the conditioned space. The temperature of the fluid is kept less than the dew point at the hydronic-to-air heat exchanger and the temperature of the fluid is kept greater than the dew point at the thermally conductive structure.

A system for space heating or cooling a heated space includes a heat pump including a refrigeration circuit for transferring heat between a heat source and a heat load for heating and cooling operations. A controller controls the heat pump to perform the heating and cooling operations. A user interface receives user inputs, wherein the user inputs include an indication of discomfort based on temperature. The controller creates a profile for a minimum comfortable temperature level and a maximum comfortable temperature level, and the controller controls the heat pump to perform the heating and cooling operations in accordance with the profiles for the minimum and maximum comfortable temperature levels. The controller may generate an optimized heat demand plan in accordance with predictions of outdoor and indoor temperature, cost, and demand. The plan is optimized to cost-effectively maintain the temperature of the heated space within the comfortable temperature range defined by the profiles.

An apparatus and method for controlling the heating of an airflow. According to certain embodiments, the temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger and the speed of a compressor are used to determine a blower speed for a variable speed indoor air blower. The selected blower speed may facilitate a flow of air across a second, indoor heat exchanger at an indoor volumetric flow rate that heats the airflow to a leaving air temperature. The leaving air temperature may at least seek to attain the temperature of a variable target leaving air temperature that is adjusted based on changes in outdoor ambient temperatures. Additionally, according to certain embodiments, the blower speed may be based on an indoor volumetric airflow rate that is determined, at least in part, on a determined system heating capacity and a temperature at the outdoor heat exchanger.

Embodiments include systems and methods for heating water and cooling air simultaneously, as well as other simultaneous heating and cooling operations. An example variable refrigerant flow conditioning system includes an outdoor unit having a compressor, a condenser coil, and a fan, a water heater coupled to the outdoor unit, a first air conditioning unit coupled to the outdoor unit, and a controller. The controller may be configured to determine that a cooling mode is active during a first time interval, cause vapor refrigerant to be directed from the outdoor unit to the water heater and liquid refrigerant to be directed from the outdoor unit to the first air conditioning unit, determine that an air heating mode is active during a second time interval, and cause the vapor refrigerant to be directed from the outdoor unit to both the water heater and the first air conditioning unit.

A method for defrosting an evaporator of a water heater appliance is provided. The method includes initiating a defrost cycle of the water heater appliance, deactivating a compressor of the water heater appliance during the defrost cycle of the water heater appliance, and operating a fan of the water heater appliance during the defrost cycle of the water heater appliance. A related water heater appliance is also provided.