Sealed access assembly for water heaters

An assembly for a water heater comprising:

• a main burner fuel supply line adapted to connect between a fuel control valve and a main burner:
• a pilot fuel supply line adapted to connect between said fuel control valve and a pilot burner:
• a plate through which said main burner fuel supply line and said pilot fuel supply line pass in a sealed condition, said plate adapted to sealingly engage a side portion of a combustion chamber of said water heater;
• a heat sensor line connected to a heat sensor adapted to connect to said fuel control valve and positioned to sense heat from said pilot burner, said heat sensor passing through said plate in a sealed condition, wherein said heat sensor line is sealed to said plate with a seal connector, said seal connector comprising:
• a seal base sized and shaped to closely fit through an opening in said plate and having a flange extending outwardly therefrom to sealingly engage a portion of a surface of said plate, said seal base having an opening extending therethrough, at least a portion of which is sized such that said heat sensor line is capable of extending therethrough;
• a compression nut being sized and shaped to closely fit within said opening in said seal base and having a central opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive said heat sensor line, said central opening having a seal seat;
• a compression ferrule sized and shaped on an inner surface of an opening extending therethrough to closely fit around said heat sensor line and on its outer surface to closely fit within said opening in said compression nut, and having a seal surface to sealingly engage said seal seat;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped clip having a pair of legs oriented to engage a pair of grooves extending along side portions of said seal base adjacent said flange, said legs having a thickness that, when added to the thickness of said plate, is larger than the width of said grooves such that when said seal base is positioned in said opening in said plate and said legs are positioned in said grooves, said flange forcibly sealingly engages said surface of said plate.

An assembly for a water heater comprising:

• a main burner fuel supply line adapted to connect between a fuel control valve and a main burner;
• a pilot fuel supply line adapted to connect between said fuel control valve and a pilot burner;
• a heat sensor line connected to a heat sensor adapted to connect to said fuel control valve and positioned to sense heat from said pilot burner;
• an igniter line connected to an igniter positioned proximate said pilot burner and connected to an igniter initiator;
• and
• a sealed one-piece plate through which said main burner fuel supply line and said pilot fuel supply line pass in a sealed condition, said plate adapted to engage and seal in an outer surface of a side portion of a combustion chamber of said water heater along an entire perimeter of an opening defined therein to prevent extraneous fumes from entering the combustion chamber.

Apparatus for sealing at least one line entering into a water heater combustion chamber comprising:

• a seal base sized and shaped to closely fit through an opening in a wall portion of combustion chamber said and having a flange extending outwardly therefrom to sealingly engage a surface of said wall portion, said seal base having an opening extending therethrough, at least a portion of which is sized such that said line is capable of extending therethrough;
• a compression nut being sized and shaped to closely fit within said opening in said seal base and having a central opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive said line, said central opening having a seal seat;
• a compression ferrule sized and shaped on an inner surface of an opening extending therethrough to closely fit around said line and on its outer surface to closely fit within said opening in said compression nut, and having a seal surface to sealingly engage said seal seat;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped clip having a pair of legs oriented to engage a pair of grooves extending along side portions of said seal base adjacent said flange, said legs having a thickness that, when added to the thickness of said wall portion, is larger than the width of said grooves such that when said seal base is positioned in said opening in said wall portion and said legs are positioned in said grooves, said flange forcibly sealingly engages said surface of said wall portion.

A water heater comprising:

• a water container;
• a combustion chamber containing a main burner and a pilot burner positioned to heat water in said water container and having an opening through which combustion air passes and a side wall;
• a main burner fuel supply line adapted to connect between a fuel control valve and a main burner;
• a pilot fuel supply line adapted to connect between said fuel control valve and a pilot burner;
• a heat sensor line connected to a heat sensor and adapted to connect to said fuel control valve and positioned to sense heat from said pilot burner;
• an igniter line connected to an igniter positioned proximate said pilot burner and connected to an igniter initiator;
• and
• a removable sealed one-piece plate through which said main burner fuel supply line, said pilot fuel supply line, said heat sensor line and said igniter line pass in a sealed condition, said plate adapted to engage and seal said opening in an outer surface of said side wall along an entire perimeter of said opening to prevent extraneous fumes from entering the combustion chamber.

A water heater comprising:

• a water container;
• a combustion chamber containing a main burner and a pilot burner positioned to heat water in said water container and having a side wall;
• a main burner fuel supply line adapted to connect between a fuel control valve and a main burner;
• a pilot fuel supply line adapted to connect between said fuel control valve and a pilot burner;
• a heat sensor line connected to a heat sensor and adapted to connect to said fuel control valve and positioned to sense heat from said pilot burner;
• an igniter line connected to an igniter positioned proximate said pilot burner and connected to an igniter initiator;
• and
• a removable plate through which said main burner fuel supply line, said pilot fuel supply line, said heat sensor line and said igniter line pass in a sealed condition, said plate adapted to sealingly engage said side wall,
• wherein said heat sensor line is sealed to said plate with a seal connector, said seal connector comprising:
• a seal base sized and shaped to closely fit through an opening in said plate and having a flange extending outwardly therefrom to sealingly engage a portion of a surface of said plate, said seal base having an opening extending therethrough, at least a portion of which is sized such that said heat sensor detection line is capable of extending therethrough;
• a compression nut being sized and shaped to closely fit within said opening in said seal base and having a central opening extending therethrough sized and shaped to receive said heat sensor line, said central opening having a seal seat;
• a compression ferrule sized and shaped on an inner surface of an opening extending therethrough to closely fit around said heat sensor line and on its outer surface to closely fit within said opening in said compression nut, and having a seal surface to sealingly engage said seal seat;
• and
• a substantially U-shaped clip having a pair of legs oriented to engage a pair of grooves extending along side portions of said seal base adjacent said flange, said legs having a thickness that, when added to the thickness of said plate, is larger than the width of said grooves such that when said seal base is positioned in said opening in said plate and said legs are positioned in said grooves, said flange forcibly sealingly engages said surface of said plate.

A water heater comprising:

• a water container;
• a combustion chamber containing a main burner and a pilot burner positioned to heat water in said water container and having a side wall;
• a main burner fuel supply line adapted to connect between a fuel control valve and a main burner;
• a pilot fuel supply line adapted to connect between said fuel control valve and a pilot burner;
• and
• a sealed one-piece plate through which said main burner fuel supply line and said pilot fuel supply line, pass in a sealed condition, said plate adapted to engage and seal in an outer surface of said side wall along an entire perimeter of an opening defined therein to prevent extraneous fumes from entering the combustion chamber.