Water heating systems and methods

Abstract

A water heating system comprises a tank, a sensor holding apparatus, a heating element, a bracket, and a controller that is external to the sensor holding apparatus. The sensor holding apparatus is coupled to an electronic temperature sensor, and the heating element is mounted on the tank. The bracket has a hole and a notch. The heating element passes through the hole, and the sensor holding apparatus is inserted into the notch. The controller is configured to control an operational state of the heating element based on the electronic temperature sensor.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 786,326, entitled “Water Heating System and Method,” and filed on Mar. 27, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 908,132, entitled “Water Heating Systems and Methods,” and filed on Mar. 26, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.RELATED ART [0002] For many decades, water heater controllers have been mechanically actuated. In this regard, at least one temperature sensitive switch is typically mounted on a side of a water tank. Thermal stresses within the switch fluctuate as the temperature of the water within the tank changes. If the temperature of water within a region in close proximity to the switch falls below a threshold, referred to as a “lower set point,” mechanical forces caused by thermal stresses in the switch actuate a mechanical component of the switch thereby ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, several problems have been encountered in the design and development of electronically actuated controllers, and many of the problems are heat related.

Moreover, the temperatures within the controller can reach levels that affect the reliability of the controller's electronics.

However, the heat from the other electronics can affect the temperature readings of the temperature sensor, thereby affecting the reliability of the temperature measurements, if the temperature sensor is in close proximity to the other electronics.

However, increasing the size of the controller is generally undesirable for several reasons, including increasing costs.

Further, water tank manufacturers already have assembly lines in place that may need to be changed, at a relatively high cost, if the design of the water tank is changed to accommodate a larger controller that is electronically actuated.

Moreover, it is generally desirable for the size of an electronically actuated controller to be minimized and, in particular, to be at a size similar to or less than the size of conventional controllers that are mechanically actuated, but such a goal can be difficult to realize without a significant impact to reliability in view of the heat related problems described above.

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