A residential and commercial hot water and steam boiler safety system and device that includes at least one hollow pipe, with one plugged or sealed end and a fitting on the other end for connecting the pipe in a substantially vertical mounting position, and at least one two float switch disposed in the pipe and electrically connected in series with a limit switch in the boiler, where the pipe is adopted for the flow and accumulation of water, so that float switch activates as the pipe fills with water and shuts off the boiler by turning off the gas valve, promoting safer boiler and steam boiler operation. Additional float switches positioned above or below in the hollow pipe may provide additional functions, such as a warning light and sound to the owner, or a notification via a telephone or cell phone system or through the home network or Wi-Fi system.

A water heater system includes a water heater having a first water outlet and a second water outlet. The water heater system further includes a flow detection device coupled to the first water outlet to detect a water flow through the first water outlet. The water heater system also includes a flow control valve fluidly coupled to the second water outlet. The flow control valve is configured to control a flow of water through the second water outlet based on whether the water flow through the first water outlet is detected by the flow detection device.

A residential and commercial hot water and steam boiler safety system and device that includes at least one hollow pipe, with one plugged or sealed end and a fitting on the other end for connecting the pipe in a substantially vertical mounting position, and at least one two float switch disposed in the pipe and electrically connected in series with a limit switch in the boiler, where the pipe is adopted for the flow and accumulation of water, so that float switch activates as the pipe fills with water and shuts off the boiler by turning off the gas valve, promoting safer boiler and steam boiler operation. Additional float switches positioned above or below in the hollow pipe may provide additional functions, such as a warning light and sound to the owner, or a notification via a telephone or cell phone system or through the home network or Wi-Fi system.

A micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) system includes a liquid cooled variable speed genset that is located to the exterior of a building and that is provides heat and power to the interior of the building. The genset may be configured to output an electrical supply of between approximately between 500W and 40 kW. A coolant loop may extend from the exterior genset to the interior of a building and is configured to reclaim heat from one or more sources of waste heat at the engine, generator, oil and/or exhaust. The reclaimed heat is then transferred, directly or indirectly, to the air flow path of a building heating system. In one embodiment, the reclaimed heat is transferred to a liquid circuit via a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and thence to the cold air intake of a forced air furnace via a liquid-to-air heat exchanger. A thermostat may control heat transfer from the mCHP to the heating system.

A liquid heating system includes an instantaneous heater (18) having an inlet (20) connected to a reservoir (62). The outlet (22) of the heater is connected to fixtures (72) which use the heated liquid, and is also connected through a return connection (30) to the reservoir. In an idle mode, a pump 40 draws liquid from the reservoir (62), so that the liquid circulates through the heater and back to the reservoir. A controller (52) actuates the heater to heat the liquid to a first setpoint temperature, so that the liquid in the reservoir stabilizes at the first setpoint temperature. In a supply mode, some or all of the heated liquid flows from the outlet to the fixtures (72). Cold liquid is admitted from a supply (60) to the reservoir, and cold liquid desirably also is supplied to the heater inlet along with liquid from the reservoir, so that the heater inlet receives a combination of these. The controller controls the proportion of cold liquid to liquid from the reservoir in the combination, so as to maintain the heater at a setpoint heating rate while also maintaining the temperature of liquid discharged from the heater outlet at or near a setpoint temperature.

In a heating and hot water supply device including a burning means, a first heat exchanger, a circulation passage for circulating a heating thermal medium, a circulation pump, a first bypass passage, a second heat exchanger for hot water supply, a hot water supply passage, a second bypass passage bypassing the second heat exchanger, a control unit, and an operating terminal, a distribution means is provided at a branching portion of the first bypass passage and is capable of adjusting its distribution ratio for heating, or hot water supply, or simultaneous heating/hot water supply, a display means of the operating terminal is capable of providing displays corresponding to various types of operation.

A device with a controllable valve for sanitary systems, heating systems or air conditioning systems, a control unit that controls the valve, and a sensor that is connected to the control unit. The sensor is a light sensor that can detect a light signal from visible light, convert the light signal into a sensor signal specific to the light signal, and transmit the light signal to the control unit. The control unit is adapted to control the valve based on the specific sensor signal.

A control system controls a fluid distribution system that includes consumer branches arranged in parallel. Each consumer branch includes a consumer element (31) consuming fluid and/or thermal energy, a regulating device (9) receiving a control value regulating a flow of fluid and/or thermal energy through the consumer branch, and a sensor (11) providing a measured value of the consumer branch. The control system includes a saturation calculation module (21) providing a saturation value, for each operational consumer branch, indicative of the saturation degree of the associated consumer branch, and a saturation compensation module (23) receiving the saturation values and altering a reference value. The altered reference value is based on an initial reference value and the saturation values from all consumer branches. The consumer branch regulating device, of each operational consumer branch, is controllable based on the altered reference value and the measured value of the associated consumer branch.

Automated systems, methods, techniques, processes, products and product components are provided to implement an advanced and energy efficient hot water heating system control scheme that incorporates an advanced hot water reset for the boilers, including condensing boilers in hydronic systems. The advanced controls are provided to substantially enhance combustion (heating) efficiency for the boilers. The disclosed schemes replace conventional linear hot water reset with a device which can stand alone or integrate with boiler control technology or an existing building automation system to create a unique (non-linear) boiler reset curve based on various inputs. The schemes allow boiler control systems to learn and adapt over time maximizing the efficiency of a condensing boiler plant, by providing an independent, intelligent, economical, monitorable and manipulable solution eliminating the need of a head end BAS control system.

A residential and commercial hot water and steam boiler safety system and device that includes at least one hollow pipe, with one plugged or sealed end and a fitting on the other end for connecting the pipe in a substantially vertical mounting position, and at least one two float switch disposed in the pipe and electrically connected in series with a limit switch in the boiler, where the pipe is adopted for the flow and accumulation of water, so that float switch activates as the pipe fills with water and shuts off the boiler by turning off the gas valve, promoting safer boiler and steam boiler operation. Additional float switches positioned above or below in the hollow pipe may provide additional functions, such as a warning light and sound to the owner, or a notification via a telephone or cell phone system or through the home network or Wi-Fi system.