Single-piece refractory for a water heating assembly

A unitary housing for a water heating assembly, the unitary housing comprising:

• a top having a burner aperture extending therethrough, the top configured to receive at least a portion of a burner;
• and
• a plurality of sidewalls forming a central cavity of the unitary housing, each of the plurality of sidewalls having a first end extending from the top and a second end configured to contact a heat exchanger,
• wherein one or more of the plurality of sidewalls comprises a protrusion extending laterally along an inside surface of one of the plurality of sidewalls, the protrusion being configured to deform upon contact with a plurality of fins of the heat exchanger to create a seal between the heat exchanger and the unitary housing, and
• wherein the unitary housing is configured to retain heat produced by the burner.

A water heater system comprising:

• a blower configured to move a mixture of air and fuel;
• an igniter configured to ignite the mixture of air and fuel;
• a burner configured to produce a controlled flame created by igniting the mixture of air and fuel;
• a heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat transfer from the controlled flame to a fluid flowing through the heat exchanger;
• and
• a refractory configured to attach to the burner and the heat exchanger and retain the heat as the heat is directed from the burner and toward the heat exchanger, wherein the refractory comprises:
• a unitary ceramic housing comprising:
• a refractory top having a burner aperture extending therethrough configured to receive at least a portion of the burner, and an igniter aperture extending therethrough configured to receive the igniter;
• and
• a plurality of sidewalls forming a central cavity of the ceramic housing, each of the plurality of sidewalls having a first end extending from the refractory top and a second end disposed proximate the heat exchanger, wherein a sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls comprises a protrusion extending laterally along an inside surface of the sidewall, the protrusion being configured to contact the heat exchanger.