Water heater appliances and methods for controlling a mixing valve with a park period

A water heater appliance comprising

• a casing:
• a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an inlet and an outlet;
• an inlet conduit mounted to the tank at the inlet of the tank;
• an electric heating system in thermal communication with the tank to heat water within the tank;
• a mixing valve mounted to the casing downstream from the tank;
• and
• a controller operably coupled to the electric heating system and the mixing valve, the controller being configured to initiate a mixing cycle, the mixing cycle comprising
• detecting expiration of a predetermined stasis period,
• detecting a flow demand at the water heater appliance following expiration of the predetermined stasis period,
• directing the mixing valve to a programmed park position in response to detecting the flow demand,
• determining expiration of a park period following directing the mixing valve to the programmed park position, and
• releasing the mixing valve from the programmed park position in response to determining expiration of the park period.

A water heater appliance comprising

• a casing:
• a tank disposed within the casing, the tank defining an inlet and an outlet;
• an inlet conduit mounted to the tank at the inlet of the tank;
• an electric heating system in thermal communication with the tank to heat water within the tank;
• a mixing valve mounted to the casing downstream from the tank the mixing valve comprising a valve body, the valve body comprising a mixed water conduit;
• a mixing conduit temperature sensor mounted to the valve body at the mixed water conduit;
• and
• a controller operably coupled to the electric heating system and the mixing valve, the controller being configured to initiate a mixing cycle, the mixing cycle comprising
• detecting expiration of a predetermined stasis time period,
• detecting a flow demand at the water heater appliance following expiration of the predetermined stasis time period,
• directing the mixing valve to a programmed park position in response to detecting the flow demand,
• determining expiration of a park period following directing the mixing valve to the programmed park position,
• releasing the mixing valve from the programmed park position in response to determining expiration of the park period, and
• directing the mixing valve based on a temperature-dependent feedback loop following releasing the mixing valve from the programmed park position,
• wherein the park period is a predetermined time period initiated with directing the mixing valve to the programmed park position.