Combined refrigerator water heater

A combined refrigerator-water heating system comprising at least one insulated food storage compartment;

• an insulated water storage compartment;
• a refrigeration system including a compressor, an evaporator heat exchanger for cooling said food storage compartment, a condenser for heating said water storage compartment including a controllable heat exchanger for discharging heat from said water storage compartment to ambient air when a temperature of said water storage compartment exceeds a predetermined temperature for reliable compressor operation, a flow restriction/expansion device, and piping connecting said compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator in a series flow loop;
• a resistance electric heating element for heating said water storage compartment;
• and control means for determining periods of on and off peak electric use in response to a time of day signal, for activating said compressor in response to cooling demand from said food storage compartment, and for activating said electric heating element in response to at least one of heating demand from said water storage compartment and a time-of-day signal to bias resistance electric water heating operation toward times of off-peak electric use.

A combined refrigerator-water heating comprising at least one insulated food storage compartment;

• an insulated water storage compartment;
• a refrigeration system including a compressor, an evaporator heat exchanger for cooling said food storage compartment, a condenser for heating said water storage compartment, a flow restriction/expansion device, and piping connecting said compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator in a series flow loop;
• a resistance electric heating element for heating said water storage compartment;
• and control means for determining periods of on and off peak electric use in response to a time of day signal, for activating said compressor in response to cooling demand from said food storage compartment, and for activating said electric heating element in response to at least one of heating demand from said water storage compartment and a time-of-day signal to bias resistance electric water heating operation toward times of off-peak electric use, wherein said control means controls activation of said resistance electric heating element to preclude simultaneous operation of said compressor and said resistance heating element during programmable periods of on peak electrical use.

A combined refrigerator-water heating system comprising at least one insulated food storage compartment;

• an insulated water storage compartment;
• a refrigeration system including a compressor, an evaporator heat exchanger for cooling said food storage compartment, a condenser for heating said water storage compartment, a flow restriction/expansion device, and piping connecting said compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator in a series flow loop;
• a resistance electric heating element for heating said water storage compartment;
• and control means for determining periods of on and off peak electric use in response to a time of day signal, for activating said compressor in response to cooling demand from said food storage compartment, and for activating said electric heating element in response to at least one of heating demand from said water storage compartment and a time-of-day signal to bias resistance electric water heating operation toward times of off-peak electric use;
• wherein said water storage compartment comprises an outer insulated storage tank containing water at atmospheric pressure, an inner pressurized water tank immersed within said outer storage tank, a pressurized linear water tube conveying supply water through a surface of said outer tank, passing through and in extended heat exchange relationship with said water at atmospheric pressure, and into said inner tank, a pressurized water exit tube from said inner tank passing through a surface of said outer tank, a condenser heat exchange tube passing through and in extended heat exchange relationship with said water at atmospheric pressure, and said resistance electric heating element.

A combined refrigerator-water heating system comprising an insulated freezer compartment and a fresh food storage compartment;

• an insulated water storage compartment;
• first and second refrigeration systems, each including a compressor, an evaporator heat exchanger, a condenser heat exchanger for heating said water storage compartment, a flow restriction expansion device, and piping connecting said compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator in a series flow loop, wherein said evaporator for said first refrigeration system cools said freezer compartment, and said evaporator for said second refrigeration system cools said fresh food storage compartment;
• a resistance electric heating element for heating said insulated water compartment;
• and control means for determining periods of on and off-peak electric use in response to a time of day signal, for activating said compressors in response to cooling demand from said freezer and fresh food compartments, and for activating said electric heating element in response to at least one of heating demand from said water storage compartment and a time-of-day signal to bias resistance electric water heating operation toward times of off-peak electric use.

A combined refrigerator-water heating system comprising at least one insulated food storage compartment;

• an insulated water storage compartment;
• a refrigeration system including a compressor, an evaporator heat exchanger configured to alternately cool said food storage compartment and ambient air, a condenser configured to heat said water storage compartment, a flow restriction/expansion device, and piping connecting said compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator in a series flow loop;
• a resistance electric heating element for heating said water storage compartment;
• and control means for determining periods of on and off-peak electric use in response to a time of day signal, for activating said compressor alternately in response to cooling demand from said food storage compartment with said evaporator cooling said food storage compartment and heating demand from said water storage compartment with said evaporator cooling ambient air, and for activating said electric heating element in response to one of heating demand from said water storage compartment and a time-of-day signal to bias resistance electric water heating operation toward periods of off-peak electric use.