Water heater with arrangement for preventing substantial accumulation of sediment and method of operating same
OwnerCharles J. Frasure, Greg A. Frasure +2inventors
InventorsCharles J. Frasure, Greg A. Frasure, Paul J. Frasure, Blake D. Frasure
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic self-cleaning electric or gas water heater has a sloped conical bottom wall and a manifold such that water flowing through the manifold gently washes sediment to the bottom wall. The sediment slides along the bottom wall to a bottom drain. The sediment and water in the tank bottom periodically flow through the drain by operation of a controller which activates a solenoid valve.
Claims25
A water heater comprising a closed tank having a vertical exterior wall arrangement and a bottom portion with a wall extending horizontally and vertically to a normally closed bottom drain, a valve arrangement coupled to the bottom drain for selectively enabling water flowing through the bottom drain to flow through it, a hot water outlet connected to the tank interior, a cold water inlet having a segment in proximity to the horizontally and vertically extending wall, the cold water inlet being arranged so that in response to water being removed from the tank, cold water flows from the inlet into the bottom portion to gently wash sediment in the bottom portion toward the horizontally and vertically extending wall, the horizontally and vertically extending wall being arranged so the washed sediment drifts by gravity to the drain and the drifted sediment accumulates at and in proximity to the drain, and a controller for opening the valve from time to time for removing the washed sediment from the bottom portion via the drain and preventing accumulation of substantial sediment in the tank.
A method of preventing substantial accumulation of sediment in a tank of a residential water heater, the tank having a vertical outer wall arrangement and a bottom portion with a wall extending horizontally and vertically so it tapers to a normally closed bottom drain, a valve arrangement coupled to the bottom drain for selectively enabling water and sediment flowing through the bottom drain to flow through it, a hot water outlet connected to the tank interior, a cold water inlet having a segment in proximity to the bottom portion wall, the method comprising causing cold water to flow through the inlet into the bottom portion to gently wash sediment in the bottom portion toward the horizontally and vertically extending wall in response to water being removed from the tank, causing the washed sediment to drift by gravity along the bottom portion wall to the bottom drain so the drifted sediment accumulates at and in proximity to the drain, and opening the valve from time to time to remove the washed sediment and some water from the bottom portion via the drain and prevent accumulation of substantial sediment in the tank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.