# US 2016/0258652 A1 · Water heater and method of controlling a water heater

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- Number: US 2016/0258652 A1
- Document ID: US20160258652A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/640,834
- Filed: 2015-03-06
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-06
- Assignees: Stiebel Eltron GmbH & Co.KG
- Applicants: Stiebel Eltron GmbH & Co.KG
- Inventors: Hubert NOLTE; Frank Stiebel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160258652A1

## CPC

- F24H 9/455: {for water heaters}
- C23F 13/005: {Anodic protection}
- C23F 13/04: Controlling or regulating desired parameters
- F24H 1/203: {with electrodes}
- F24H 9/2021: {Storage heaters}
- F24H 9/45: for preventing galvanic corrosion, e.g. cathodic or electrolytic means
- F24H 15/156: Reducing the quantity of energy consumed; Increasing efficiency
- F24H 15/395: Information to users, e.g. alarms
- H05B 3/82: Fixedly-mounted immersion heaters
- F24H 15/132: Preventing the operation of water heaters with low water levels, e.g. dry-firing
- F24H 15/20: characterised by control inputs
- F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22)
- C23F: NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE (working metal by laser beams B23K26/00; desurfacing by applying flames B23K7/00; working of metal by electro-erosion B23H; producing decorative effects by removing surface material, e.g. by engraving, by etching, B44C1/22; electrolytic etching or polishing C25F); INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASS C23 AND AT LEAST ONE PROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A water heater is provided which comprises a water storage tank made of enameled metal, an anode electrode (e.g. an anode rod) at least partly inside the water storage tank and a corrosion protection unit configured to impress current into the anode to provide a corrosion protection for the water storage tank. The corrosion protection unit further comprises a microprocessor configured to control the impressing of the current to the anode electrode during impression process cycles and to control the operation of the corrosion protection. The corrosion protection unit furthermore comprises a battery unit or an accumulator unit configured to supply energy to the microprocessor during grid power outages. The microprocessor is configured to activate the power saving mode during grid power outages during which an amount of impressed current and/or an impression process cycle is reduced.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A water heater, comprising:
a water storage tank made of enameled metal;
an anode electrode arranged at least partly inside the water storage tank; and
a corrosion protection unit configured to impress current into the anode electrode during impression process cycles to provide a corrosion protection for the water storage tank;
wherein said corrosion protection unit comprises:
a microprocessor configured to control the impressing of current to the anode electrode and to control operation of the corrosion protection; and
a battery unit or accumulator unit configured to supply energy to the microprocessor during grid power outages;
wherein said microprocessors is configured to activate a power saving mode during grid power outage; and
wherein, in the power saving mode, an amount of impressed current and/or a number of impression process cycles is reduced.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The water heater according to claim 1, further comprising:
a display;
wherein said microprocessor is configured to control an illumination of the display during the power saving mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The water heater according to claim 2, further comprising:
a button configured to activate an illumination of the display for a period of time during the power saving mode.

### Claim 4

A method of controlling a water heater having a water storage tank made of enameled metal, an anode electrode at least partly inside the water storage tank, and a battery unit or accumulator unit configured to supply energy during grid power outages, comprising the steps of:
impressing current during impression process cycles using an anode electrode to provide a corrosion protection for the water storage tank;
controlling the impressing of current to the anode electrode and controlling operation of the corrosion protection; and
activating a power saving mode during grid power outage;
wherein, in the power saving mode, an amount of impressed current and/or a number of impression process cycles is reduced.