Rinnai America Corporation

Matthew Ryan Dettmering

Scott Gilman Humphrey

Michael Scott Knoblett

Jason William Siler

Ansley Houston

Taylor Lamb

A hot water circulation system comprises a water heater having a cold-water inlet and a hot water outlet. A water pump circulates water through the water heater to produce hot water. The hot water is circulated to a thermal bypass valve, which is configured to close when hot water contacts a heat activated seal. A bypass circuit is coupled between the hot water outlet and the cold water inlet of the water heater. The bypass circuit prevents hot water from circulating from the hot water outlet to the cold-water inlet when the thermal bypass valve is open and promotes circulating hot water from the hot water outlet to the cold water inlet when the thermal bypass valve is closed. Upon a temperature sensor sensing hot water entering the cold-water inlet, the water heater turns of the water pump.

Integrated recirculation pump for non-condensing water heater

A hybrid tank and tankless hot water system with an inlet bypass and an outlet bypass are configurable between a hybrid heater configuration and an on-demand configuration. In the hybrid heater configuration, the inlet bypass supplies cold water to a cold water inlet of a storage tank and the outlet bypass supplies hot water from an outlet manifold to a recirculation inlet of the storage tank. In an on-demand configuration, the inlet bypass supplies cold water to a cold water manifold for directly providing cold water to hot water heaters and the outlet bypass supplies hot water from the outlet manifold directly to a system hot water outlet. In the bypass configuration, a storage tank and/or recirculation pump are fluidically isolated from one or more hot water heaters to facilitate their maintenance, repair, replacement while still supplying hot water on demand from the hot water heaters.

Hybrid water system with an inlet and outlet bypass

Bracket

To facilitate a wall-mounted installation of multi-unit water heaters in a location with limited clear wall space, spacer brackets may be installed on the wall to extend a mounting surface away from a plane of the wall. A mounting bracket may be attached to the mounting surface of the spacer brackets. To reduce installation time and costs, a plurality of water heaters may be affixed to a frame prior to installation. A hot water, cold water, and fuel supply manifolds may be coupled to each hot water outlet, cold water inlet, and fuel supply inlet, respectively, of the plurality of water heaters. The mounting bracket comprises a mounting shelf configured to receive the frame, thereby securing the multi-unit water heater system to the wall. The multi-unit water heating system, the spacer brackets, and the mounting bracket may be provided as a kit.

Multi-unit water heater flexible mounting system

Mounting bracket

A hot water supply system decouples an intelligent hot water storage system from a water heating engine system. The water heating engine system includes a plurality of instantaneous water heaters that provide for redundant operation for improved reliability. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a storage tank that encloses a volume for storage of water. The intelligent hot water storage system includes a recirculation loop driven by an integrated pump and operated by an integrated controller. By positioning the tank recirculation outlet and inlet farther apart from each other, additional usable volume of hot water is provided by the intelligent hot water storage system. Isolation valves positioned on the input and output of a recirculation pump in the recirculation loop facilitate repair or replacement of the recirculation pump. The hot water system provides for increased capacity while providing redundant heating engines in a smaller floor space than conventional systems.

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Newnan, GA, United States of America

Matthew Ryan Dettmering