Provided is a method of signalling a command to a water heating appliance remote from a controllable water outlet fed from the appliance via a water supply installation, the method comprising: monitoring the water supply that feeds the controllable water outlet; detecting a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlating the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detecting a match above a stored threshold; interpreting the match as a command. It is thus possible to manipulate a tap, or other controllable water outlet, to signal to a processor so that the temperature or flow rate of water supplied by the outlet can be increased. Thus a water supply system may have default flow and temperature levels designed for economy and low water usage, but a user can on demand override one or both of these limitations without the necessity of needing to go to the appliance to reset it. The water heating appliance is preferably an instantaneous water heating appliance. Also provided is a water supply installation including a water heating appliance, a controllable water outlet remote from the appliance, a water supply line arranged to feed the controllable water outlet with heated water from the appliance, and at least one sensor to sense a property or state of the water supply line, and a processor coupled to the at least one sensor; the processor being configured to detect a sequence of changes in a property or state of the water supply consequent on operation of the controllable water outlet; correlate the sequence of changes with a stored pattern; detect a match above a stored threshold; interpret the match as a command; and take an action in accordance with the command.

Provided is a method of signalling energy usage to a user of a hot water outlet of a hot water supply system, the hot water supply system including: a thermal energy store that is supplied with energy from a source of renewable energy; a renewable energy source; an auxiliary water heater coupled to a networked energy supply; a flow transducer operable, when a water flow passes through the hot water outlet, to provide flow rate data for the water flow; and a processor coupled to the flow transducer; the hot water supply system being operable, under the control of the processor, to heat water that is to be supplied to the hot water outlet to a target system supply temperature using a selection of one or more of the auxiliary water heater, the renewable energy source, and energy from the thermal energy store.

The present disclosure relates to modulating energy consumption by a water provision system installed in a building, including one or more electrical heating elements operable to heat water, a heat pump configured to transfer thermal energy from outside the building to a thermal energy storage medium inside the building and a control module configured to control operation of the water provision system, the water provision system being configured to provide water heated by the one or more electrical heating elements and/or the thermal energy storage medium to one or more water outlets, This can include: determining a level of energy demands of a geographical region comprising the building; and upon determining that the level of energy demands is high, controlling the water provision system to switch from using the one or more electrical heating elements to the thermal energy storage medium for provision of heated water.

The present disclosure relates to modulating energy consumption by a water provision system installed in a building, including one or more electrical heating elements operable to heat water, a heat pump configured to transfer thermal energy from outside the building to a thermal energy storage medium inside the building and a control module configured to control operation of the water provision system, the water provision system being configured to provide water heated by the one or more electrical heating elements and/or the thermal energy storage medium to one or more water outlets, This can include: determining a level of energy demands of a geographical region comprising the building; and upon determining that the level of energy demands is high, controlling the water provision system to switch from using the one or more electrical heating elements to the thermal energy storage medium for provision of heated water.

A heat-pump water heater includes a refrigerant circuit, a water circuit, and a controller. The refrigerant circuit includes a main circuit and a bypass circuit. The main circuit includes a compressor, a water heat exchanger, a first pressure-reducing device, an air heat exchanger, and an air-sending device. The bypass circuit includes a second pressure-reducing device. The water circuit includes a hot water tank, a water pump, and the water heater exchanger. In a night-time hot-water supply mode, the controller causes the water pump with a lowest frequency set in advance, causes the compressor with a lowest frequency set in advance, and stops the air-sending device.

A storage water heater is provided that allows for improved maintenance of hygiene in a lower part of a hot-water storage tank and in a passage connected to the lower part of the hot-water storage tank. A storage water heater includes a heating device, a hot-water storage tank, a first passage, and a controller. The hot-water storage tank stores hot water. The first passage is connected to a lower part of the hot-water storage tank. The controller is configured to selectively switch between a heat-up operation and a recirculation operation. In the heat-up operation, hot water heated by the heating device is delivered to an upper part of the hot-water storage tank. In the recirculation operation, hot water flowing out from the upper part of the hot-water storage tank is delivered to the lower part of the hot-water storage tank via the first passage.

A device for controlling a water heater comprises a touch interface containing five water temperature modes; a capacitive touch unit including a touch sensing circuit, wherein the capacitive touch unit is configured to the touch interface for sensing user touch; a controller connected to the capacitive touch unit, wherein the controller is configured to switch at once among five water temperature modes according to preset sequence when touch interface senses user touch and sends touch signal; wherein one of five-water temperature modes comprises a water temperature without heating function each of remaining four water temperature modes corresponds to temperature range, and temperature range of two adjacent water temperature modes has certain overlaps.

The present disclosure relates to modulating energy consumption by a water provision system installed in a building, including one or more electrical heating elements operable to heat water, a heat pump configured to transfer thermal energy from outside the building to a thermal energy storage medium inside the building and a control module configured to control operation of the water provision system, the water provision system being configured to provide water heated by the one or more electrical heating elements and/or the thermal energy storage medium to one or more water outlets, This can include: determining a level of energy demands of a geographical region comprising the building; and upon determining that the level of energy demands is high, controlling the water provision system to switch from using the one or more electrical heating elements to the thermal energy storage medium for provision of heated water.

The present disclosure relates to modulating energy consumption by a water provision system installed in a building, including one or more electrical heating elements operable to heat water, a heat pump configured to transfer thermal energy from outside the building to a thermal energy storage medium inside the building and a control module configured to control operation of the water provision system, the water provision system being configured to provide water heated by the one or more electrical heating elements and/or the thermal energy storage medium to one or more water outlets, This can include: determining a level of energy demands of a geographical region comprising the building; and upon determining that the level of energy demands is high, controlling the water provision system to switch from using the one or more electrical heating elements to the thermal energy storage medium for provision of heated water.

The present disclosure discloses a defrosting control method, a central controller and a heating system. The defrosting control method comprises: heating fluid in a flow passage between an inlet and an outlet of a first heat source by a second heat source, at least in a part of process of defrosting by the first heat source; acquiring an operation parameter of the first heat source, wherein the operation parameter comprises a water outlet temperature and/or a water return temperature and/or an operation parameter of a compressor of the first heat source, comparing a current value of the acquired operation parameter with a preset range of the operation parameter, and adjusting a heat exchange amount between the second heat source and the fluid when the acquired current value is within the preset range. The defrosting control method, the central controller and the heating system provided by the present disclosure can improve the defrosting efficiency while considering the heating comfort, and ensure the stable operation of the defrosting process.