The Water Heater Industry Joint Research and Development Consortium

Emerson Electric Company

Rheem Manufacturing Company

Bradford White Corporation

Larry D Kidd

Eric M Lannes

Gordon W Stretch

Gary A Elder

John H Scanlon

James T Campbell

Bruce A Hotton

James W Mears

Thomas E Archibald

James M Martin

Michael W Gordon

Garrett L Doss

Raheel A Chaudhry

Jozef Boros

John S Haefner

G Scott Vogel

Jacob H Hall

R Dale Shropshire

Mark A Taylor

John P Langmead

A method of controlling water heater pilot flame ignition includes receiving, by a controller of a water heater, a user input and controlling a pilot gas valve to start a gas flow to a pilot burner in response to the user input. The method further includes, in response to the user input, controlling, by the controller, an igniter to generate an ignition spark for lighting a pilot flame. The method also includes controlling, by the controller, the pilot gas valve to maintain the gas flow to the pilot burner if the pilot flame is lit.

Water heater pilot operation

A control for a water heater is provided that comprises a pressure switch for sensing a predetermined level of airflow sufficient for maintaining proper burner operation, and a temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water in the tank. The control further comprises a processor for controlling the operation of the burner to maintain the water temperature above a predetermined value. When the processor receives a signal from the pressure switch indicating an insufficient level of airflow, the processor shuts down the burner and subsequently attempts to restart the burner. The processor will also lock-out further burner operation after a predetermined number of consecutive shut downs occurs before the water is heated to a desired temperature during a single call for heating.

System and methods for controlling a water heater

A gas-fired water heater is provided with a combustion shutoff system which precludes further combustion within the water heater's combustion chamber in response to a combustion temperature therein reaching a predetermined level correlated to and indicative of a predetermined, undesirably high concentration of carbon monoxide present in the combustion chamber. In various illustrated embodiments thereof, the combustion shutoff system is operative to terminate further combustion air inflow to the combustion chamber, or terminate further fuel flow to the burner portion of the water heater.

Fuel-fired heating appliance with temperature-based fuel shutoff system

A gas-fired water heater has a combustion chamber with a bottom wall defined by a perforated flame arrestor plate forming a portion of a flow path through which combustion air may be supplied to a burner structure within the combustion chamber. During firing of the water heater a combustion air shutoff system having a heat-frangible temperature sensing structure disposed within the combustion chamber senses an undesirable temperature increase in the combustion chamber, caused by for example a partial blockage of the flow path, and responsively terminates further air flow into the combustion chamber, thereby shutting down the burner, prior to the creation in the combustion chamber of a predetermined elevated concentration of carbon monoxide.

Combustion air shutoff apparatus for a fuel-fired heating appliance

Methods of operating a fuel-fired heating apparatus

Fuel-fired heating appliance with combustion air shutoff system having frangible temperature sensing structure

A gas-fired water heater has a combustion chamber with a bottom wall defined by a perforated flame arrestor plate forming a portion of a flow path through which combustion air may be supplied to a burner s structure within the combustion chamber. During firing of the water heater a combustion air shutoff system senses an undesirable temperature increase in the combustion chamber, caused by for example a partial blockage of the flow path, and responsively terminates further air flow into the combustion chamber, thereby shutting down the burner, prior to the creation in the combustion chamber of a predetermined elevated concentration of carbon monoxide.

Fuel-fired heating appliance with combustion chamber temperature-sensing combustion air shutoff system

A fuel-fired heating appliance, representatively a gas-fired water heater, has a combustion chamber with an outer wall portion defined by a perforated flame arrestor plate having specially configured louvered combustion air intake openings through which combustion air is flowed into the combustion chamber. The louvered openings function to cause the entering combustion air to undergo directional changes as it inwardly traverses the openings and impart turbulence to the air entering the combustion chamber in a manner substantially inhibiting foreign matter blockage of the plate openings, providing an even combustion air inflow across the perforated plate area, and providing the plate with improved operational temperature uniformity along its sides.

Fuel-fired heating appliance with louvered combustion chamber flame arrestor plate

A fuel-fired heating appliance, representatively a gas-fired water heater, has a combustion chamber in a lower end portion thereof, and fuel burner apparatus having main and pilot burner portions is operatively disposed in the combustion chamber. During operation of the water heater combustion air is supplied to the burner apparatus only via a duct structure having an inlet elevated relative to the floor or other horizontal support surface upon which the water heater rests. A flammable vapor sensor is mounted on the lower end portion of the water heater, externally of the combustion air supply duct structure and at an elevation lower than that of its elevated inlet, and is operatively connected to burner control circuitry which, in turn, is coupled to the burner apparatus. In the event flammable vapors are generated near the floor adjacent the water heater, the vapor sensor operates to detect such vapors and responsively disables the burner apparatus via the control circuitry. The difference in elevation between the vapor sensor and the elevated combustion air inlet gives the sensor additional time to detect and respond to flammable vapors before they upwardly reach the elevated combustion air inlet.

Fuel-fired liquid heating appliance with burner shut-off system

Growing community of inventors

Nashville, MI, United States of America

Larry D Kidd