Methods of operating a water heater appliance
AssigneeHaier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
InventorsPaul Goodjohn, Gregory L. Hutchison, Alan George Constance
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A water heater appliance includes a tank and a mixing valve. A method of operating the water heater appliance includes receiving temperature sensor data indicative of a water temperature within a water conduit fluidly coupled to the tank. Additionally, the method includes measuring the water temperature within the water conduit based on the received temperature sensor data. Furthermore, the method includes operating a recirculation pump based on the measured water temperature within the water conduit.
Claims16
A method of operating a water heater appliance, the water heater appliance comprising a tank and a mixing valve, the method comprising:
- determining, with a controller, that a supply of heated water is required at a user end point;
- receiving, with the controller, temperature sensor data indicative of a water temperature within a tank inlet conduit of the water heater appliance, the tank inlet conduit providing a flow of water into at least one of the tank for heating or directly to the mixing valve for mixing with heated water from the tank, the flow of water provided comprising a mixture of recirculated water and water from a water source;
- measuring, with the controller, the water temperature within the tank inlet conduit based on the received temperature sensor data;
- and
- operating, with the controller, a recirculation pump based on the measured water temperature within the tank inlet conduit, the recirculation pump configured to pump the recirculated water to the tank inlet conduit.
A method of operating a water heater appliance, the water heater appliance comprising a tank and a mixing valve, the method comprising:
- receiving, with a controller, temperature sensor data indicative of a water temperature within a water conduit fluidly coupled to the tank of the water heater appliance;
- measuring, with the controller, the water temperature within the water conduit based on the received temperature sensor data;
- and
- operating, with the controller, a recirculation pump based on the measured water temperature within the water conduit, the recirculation pump configured to pump recirculated water to a tank inlet conduit, the tank inlet conduit providing a flow of water into at least one of the tank for heating or the mixing valve for mixing with heated water from the tank, the flow of water provided comprising a mixture of the recirculated water and water from a water source.
A water heater appliance for coupling to a plumbing system, the plumbing system comprising a user end point at which water is supplied to a user, a recirculation conduit fluidly coupled between the user end point and the water heater appliance for providing a flow of recirculated water to the water heater appliance, and a recirculation pump configured to pump the recirculated water through the recirculation conduit, the water heater appliance comprising:
- a tank for holding a volume of water therein for heating;
- a tank outlet conduit fluidly coupled to the tank and a mixing valve of the water heater appliance for providing a flow of heated water from the tank to the mixing valve, the mixing valve operable to adjust a ratio of the flow of recirculated water and the flow of heated water provided to the user end point;
- a temperature sensor configured to generate data indicative of a water temperature within the water heater appliance;
- a controller operatively coupled to the recirculation pump and the temperature sensor, the controller configured to:
- operate the recirculation pump based on the data generated by the temperature sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.