An apparatus and method for heating water using a tank or a tankless water heater with improved electronic control.

A thermostatic device for a pipeline of a sanitary water supply or dispensing system and including a temperature meter which detects the temperature of the sanitary water entering the thermostatic device, a flow regulator which regulates a rate of sanitary water exiting from the device, and a control unit. The flow regulator operates in a first operating mode and a second operating mode. The first operating mode is a steady-state operating mode. The second operating mode is a steady-state setting operating mode in which the flow rate of sanitary water leaving the thermostatic device is a minimum flow rate. The control unit is configured to acquire, receive and/or calculate a reference temperature and arrange the switching of the operating mode when the temperature meter detects a temperature of the sanitary water greater than the reference temperature.

Disclosed is a method for detecting domestic hot water use by a sanitary fitting during an observation period by analysing data relative to volumes of water passing through a water meter, the method including: receiving a first item of data, noted V1, representing the maximum volume of fluid measured over a predetermined period, preferably equal to 5 minutes; receiving a second item of data, noted V2, representing the maximum volume of fluid measured by the meter during another predetermined period, preferably equal to 15 minutes; and detecting that domestic hot water has been used when V1>15 litres and V220 litres.

There are provided systems and methods for monitoring a property using a system of sensor units in one or more premises on the property that can interface with respective utilities entering the premises or being generated by appliances on the premises with a minimal of effort and without requiring modification of the utility's equipment or the appliance. The systems and methods are connectable to a cloud-based monitoring, analytics and notification system via a long range network connection directly from one or more of the sensor units. The system of sensors can also incorporate primary and secondary units with at least one primary unit capable of communicating directly to the cloud-based system/server via a long-range connection with the secondary units sending data to the cloud via the primary unit by communicating at the property via a short-range communication connection. There are also provided various sensor units for specifically monitoring water flow and water leakage, flooding, sump pump operability, levels within water softeners and other fluid containing vessels, electrical power usage, furnace operations, among others as described herein.

The present disclosure relates to a method for detecting an unusual condition of a gas appliance, and a water heating device. The method for detecting the unusual condition of the gas appliance equipped with a heat generator including a burner to which gas is supplied as a fuel includes a first step of obtaining a required heating value that the burner has to output to create a predetermined state, a second step of obtaining an indicated heating value corresponding to a control value transmitted to the heat generator for control of the heat generator in the predetermined state, and a third step of determining whether the gas is unusually used, based on the required heating value and the indicated heating value.

A water heating system can include a water heater having a tank, and a first temperature sensor disposed toward a top end of the tank to measure a first temperature and a second temperature sensor disposed toward a bottom end of the tank to measure a second temperature. The water heating system can further include a controller communicably coupled to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, where the controller determines an amount of heated water in the tank based on a plurality of algorithms and measurements made by the first and second temperature sensors. The plurality of algorithms solves for at least one calculated temperature for at least one point between a first location of the first temperature sensor and a second location of the second temperature sensor, where the at least one calculated temperature is used to determine the amount of heated water in the tank.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for metering water are disclosed. In some implementations, audio energy corresponding to a flow of material in a pipe that meets a threshold audio energy is detected using a sensor of a batter-operated device connected to the pipe. One or more components of the battery-operated device are activated in response to detecting the audio energy that meets the threshold audio energy. Audio data corresponding to the flow of material in the pipe is collected using the sensor in response to detecting the audio energy that meets the threshold audio energy. The audio data is analyzed using a processing component of the batter-operated device to determine one or more events. An indication of the one or more events is transmitted to an external computing system in response to determining the one or more events.

In a control device, an instruction acquirer acquires an instruction to suppress in a specified period supplying of generated power generated by power generator installed in a power-consuming area to a commercial electrical power system. Upon the instruction acquirer acquiring the instruction, a water heater controller commands a water heater installed in the power-consuming area to perform a water heat-up operation when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the specified period.

A settings data storage stores unique serial numbers and information regarding a plurality of patterns for alternately switching between normal operation for operating at high capacity and suppressed operation for operating at low capacity each unit time. A pattern specifier determines information for a pattern set in accordance with even and odd serial numbers. A water-heating heat amount determiner determines a heat amount necessary for water heating. A water heating scheduler establishes a water heating plan based on information regarding the pattern determined by the pattern determiner and the water-heating heat amount as determined by the water-heating heat amount determiner. A water heating controller alternately switches between normal operating and suppressed operation to heat water in accordance with the water heating plan established by the water heating scheduler.

A system and method for providing hot water to a point of use such as a shower. Waste warm water from said point of use passes through a heat exchanger, where it initially warms incoming mains water, typically to about 34 C. The initially warmed water is heated to its final temperature, typically about 42 C., in a smart boiler. The smart boiler, which typically has a volume of about 40 liters, comprises two chambers with a flexible barrier therebetween. Each chamber is separately heated as needed. Hot water is drawn from one of the two chambers; simultaneously, the other chamber fills with initially warmed water and is heated to its final temperature. When the volume of water in the chamber from which water is being drawn reaches a minimum, the system begins to fill that chamber and to draw water from the other one.