Water heater with integral thermal mixing valve assembly and method

A water heater with an integral thermal mixing valve assembly comprising:

• a tank configured to accept and hold an amount of an associated cold water;
• a cold water inlet passage to provide communication between a cold water source and the tank, the cold water source supplying the associated cold water to the tank from an independent source;
• a heater to modify the temperature of the associated cold water held within the tank to a specified temperature of hot water;
• a thermal mixing valve mounted within a wetted, pressurized portion of the tank and adjacent to a top surface of the tank, the thermal mixing valve comprising a cold water bypass conduit fluidly coupled to the cold water inlet passage allowing the associated cold water to communicate with the thermal mixing valve, and a hot water inlet allowing the hot water from the tank to communicate with the thermal mixing valve, the thermal mixing valve being configured to mix the hot water from the tank with the associated cold water to provide a discharge water at a specified temperature;
• at least one adjustment member mourned to the thermal mixing valve to manipulate the specified temperature of the discharge water, the at least one adjustment member extending from the thermal mixing valve through the wall of the tank to an area outside of the tank;
• a discharge output passage extending from the thermal mixing valve and configured tank to supply the discharge water from the thermal mixing valve to a first portion of an associated domestic water system;
• a hot water output passage extending from the tank configured to provide hot water from the tank to a second portion of the associated domestic water system;
• and
• an output passage that combines the hot water from the tank with the charge from the thermal mixing valve.