Rheem Manufacturing Company

Bradford White Corporation

Timothy D Scott

William Jason Hall

Raheel A Chaudhry

Gregory M Welk

Joseph D Gardner

Jozef Boros

Matthew S Park

Troy E Trant

Eric M Lannes

Michael W Gordon

Michael C Mitchell

Christopher P Stafford

Brad Windon

Brian Shaw

Christopher Stafford

Qian Zhang

Piyush Porwal

Ashwin Rao

Scott Michael Cline

Hector J Donastorg

Rodney K Pugh

William T McLemore

Ross Campbell

Jason Sutherland

Darrell Rodriguez

Timothy Rothwell

Troy Trant

Michael Gordon

A water heater includes a leak detection system. The leak detection system includes a leak sensor assembly that is disposed in a bottom pan of the water heater. The leak sensor assembly includes a sensor housing that has a sensor channel that is formed therein such that the sensor channel is disposed at an elevation from a base of the bottom pan when the sensor housing is disposed on the base of the bottom pan. Further, the leak sensor assembly includes a leak sensor that is disposed in the sensor channel of the sensor housing. The leak sensor detects water that leaks from the water heater and accumulates in the bottom pan when a level of the water in the bottom pan rises to the elevation of the sensor channel and the leak sensor that is disposed therein.

Leak detection sensor assemblies for water heaters

An electric water heater has upper and lower electric resistance type heating elements respectively controlled by a single pole, double throw upper thermostat and a single pole, single throw lower thermostat. The upper and lower thermostats are operatively interconnected by a wiring harness having outer conductor end portions that are connected to a terminal block portion of an external junction box to provide the water heater with a variety of heating element operating modes without having to replace either of the thermostats, vary the wiring harness interconnections therebetween, or vary the connection between the outer conductor end portions and the terminal block. The water heater may thus be advantageously manufactured in a single variant that may be easily and quickly modified in the field to selectively alter the heating element control mode of the water heater.

Field conversion electric water heater

A conduit fitting for an exhaust duct includes a conduit and a condensate trap. The conduit fitting defines an interior space partitioned into an upper conduit and a lower condensate reservoir. The condensate reservoir can be configured to contain a neutralizing agent for neutralizing acidic condensate prior to it exiting the reservoir.

Conduit fitting with integrated condensate trap

An integrated valve and flow sensor for a water heater can have a valve body that includes a valve and a flow sensor for measuring the flow of water through the valve. The integrated valve and flow sensor can be disposed within a fitting that can be attached to a water heater. An actuator for opening and closing the valve can be attached to the fitting. A diffuser can also be attached to the fitting.

Water heater inlet fitting, flow sensor, shut off valve and diffuser

A fuel-fired water heater having a top water outlet includes a water tank and a top cover assembly having the top water outlet to output water from the water tank. The water heater further includes a multi-pass heat exchanger that includes flue tubes positioned in the water tank. The water heater also includes a first plenum and a second plenum at a top end portion of the water heater. The first plenum provides a first hot gas flow path from a first set of the flue tubes to a second set of the flue tubes, and the second plenum provides a second hot gas flow path from a third set of the flue tubes to a fourth set of the flue tubes.

Water heater with top water outlet

A water heater with a leak detection system includes a leak sensor assembly that is disposed in an insulation cavity between an inner storage tank and an outer protective jacket of the water heater. The leak sensor assembly is configured to detect water that leaks from the storage tank. Further, the water heater includes a barrier that is disposed in the insulation cavity and wrapped around the inner storage tank to channel the water that leaks from the storage tank towards the leak sensor assembly, and prevent the water that leaks from the storage tank from flowing through an insulation material that is disposed in the insulation cavity.

Leak detection system for water heaters

A water heater has a tank, a burner, and a heat exchanger within the tank interior volume that has three tubes. The burner exhausts gas into the first tube. The second tube is non-linear, and the third tube connects the first tube with the second tube. The cross-sectional area of the first tube is greater than the cross-sectional area of the third tube. The cross-sectional area of the third tube is greater than the cross-sectional area of the second tube.

High efficiency gas-fired water heater

Water heater top cap assembly

A direct spark igniter for a fuel-fired heating appliance is provided with enhanced ignition performance in environments having substantial levels of both moisture and pollution. Such enhanced ignition performance is representatively achieved by the combination of (1) forming external annular ribs on the ceramic body portion of the igniter; (2) extending a top end of the igniter electrode rod into the body portion; (3) bending the igniter electrode and ground rods and angling them toward one another; and (4) knurling external side surfaces on lower end portions of the igniter electrode and ground rods.

Water resistant direct spark igniter

A flue system is provided for a water heater having improved heat exchange efficiency. The flue system includes an upstream heat exchange portion having at least one substantially vertical flue tube. The flue system also includes a downstream heat exchange portion having at least one substantially vertical flue tube. The upstream heat exchange portion provides a first pass for heat exchange with water in a water heater. The downstream heat exchange portion provides a second pass for heat exchange with water in the water heater.

High efficiency water heater

A cold water inlet for a tank of a water heater is provided. The inlet includes an inlet conduit configured to extend toward a flue extending upwardly through the tank. The inlet conduit includes a proximal, intermediate, and distal conduit portion, the distal portion terminating at a closed end configured to reduce the amount of the water flow directed toward the flue. The cold water inlet further includes flow openings defined in the distal portion to permit the water flow to exit the inlet conduit. Deflectors are positioned along the distal portion proximal respective ones of the flow openings, and are oriented for deflecting the water flow. The closed end and the deflectors of the inlet conduit coact, as the water flows into the tank, to direct the water flow away from the flue and toward the side wall and bottom of the tank, thereby reducing an accumulation of scale.

Cold water inlet for reducing accumulation of scale

A burner is disclosed, comprising: a burner body and a burner lid coupled to the burner body so as to form a plurality of gas ports in a substantially circular and substantially planar arrangement, said gas ports being interposed between the burner body and the burner lid and adapted to have a corresponding array of flames extending from the gas ports during combustion of a fuel gas. The burner also comprises an air shield member co-formed to and extending radially from the burner body or the burner lid; and a plurality of flame partitions, each flame partition being co-formed to the air shield member and extending radially from the air shield member along an axis, the flame partitions being spaced around the air shield member so that each flame partition is in substantial radial alignment with at least one gas port, each flame partition comprising a first tab and a second tab, the first tab and the second tab being connected along the axis and extending radially from the axis such that the first and second tabs are substantially perpendicular, wherein at least one of the tabs extends in a direction that would intersect a plane formed by the substantially planar arrangement of gas ports.

Growing community of inventors

Tallassee, AL, United States of America

Timothy D Scott