Rheem Manufacturing Company

Jeffrey M Haney

Qian Zhang

Gregory M Welk

Ozzie Missoum

Phillip W Stephens

James W Brown

Willie E Smith

Edward L Spraley

A fuel-fired water heater has a single pass condensing-type heat exchanger disposed within its water storage tank portion. The heat exchanger includes a primary non-condensing portion defined by a combustion chamber positioned in an upper interior portion of the tank and having a spaced series of vertical tubes depending therefrom. A secondary condensing portion of the heat exchanger is defined by a plenum having a top side connected to the bottom ends of the vertical tubes, and a bottom side from which a downwardly coiled flue tube depends. A fuel burner generates hot combustion gases that are sequentially flowed into the combustion chamber and then downwardly through the balance of the heat exchanger in a single pass.

Single pass fuel-fired fluid heating/storage device

A fuel-fired commercial water heater has upper and lower communicated tank portions which are separated by a plenum forming a vertically intermediate portion of a dual pass condensing type heat exchanger. A lower portion of the heat exchanger is defined by a series of vertical flue tubes extending through the lower tank and intercommunicating the plenum with a combustion chamber disposed beneath the lower tank and having a fuel burner with a discharge portion communicated therewith. An upper portion of the heat exchanger is defined by a vertical flue pipe, disposed in the upper tank, that extends upwardly from the plenum and then coils downwardly around itself and horizontally exits the upper tank. During firing of water heater the burner flows flue gases sequentially through the lower tank flue tubes, the plenum, and the upper tank coiled flue pipe structure.

Fuel-fired dual tank water heater having dual pass condensing type heat exchanger

A water heater is protectively packaged for shipment and handling by respectively inserting upper and lower end portions thereof in recesses in facing padded sides of upper and lower end assemblies having, on their opposite sides, spaced pluralities of parallel support rail members. The water heater and associated end assemblies are enclosed within a cardboard box having a vertical side wall portion spaced horizontally outwardly from the water heater, and vertically elongated reinforcing members extend along interior corner portions of the box between the upper and lower end assemblies and form therewith a vertical load path facilitating the stacking of water heaters packaged in this manner. The box has a closed upper end portion within which the upper end portion is disposed, and an open lower end portion having an opposing pair of downwardly projecting tabs which are removably secured to outer side portions of an outer pair of support rail members on the lower end assembly in a manner leaving the opposite ends of the support members exposed. By simply disconnecting the lower box tabs from their associated support rails, the box can be vertically removed to expose the water heater for field modification if necessary. The packaged water heater may be lifted using either a fork lift or a pair of conventional squeeze plates.

Carton/pad packing assembly for a water heater

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Montgomery, AL, United States of America

Jeffrey M Haney