초록 ▼

A tankless electric water heater includes a housing provided with a plurality of separate serially connected heating chambers defining a water flow path from a cold water inlet port to a heated water outlet port. Each chamber is provided with a separate electric immersion heating element and a separ

A tankless electric water heater includes a housing provided with a plurality of separate serially connected heating chambers defining a water flow path from a cold water inlet port to a heated water outlet port. Each chamber is provided with a separate electric immersion heating element and a separate temperature sensor for producing a signal indicative of the water temperature in that chamber. The heating element of each chamber is independently controlled by a control system responsive to signals from each of the temperature sensors and the signal produced by an water outlet temperature selector so that the heating element in a chamber is energized only if the sensed water temperature in that chamber is less than the desired outlet water temperature. The number of heating elements energized is proportional to the flow rate, necessary water temperature and heating capability of the heating elements, thus eliminating the problem of overheating at low flow rates.

대표청구항 ▼

A water heater comprising: (a) a housing, including heater inlet and outlet ports adapted to receive and discharge, respectively, water to be heated and circulated along a flow path through the housing; (b) the housing including a plurality of heating chambers, serially connected along the flow path

A water heater comprising: (a) a housing, including heater inlet and outlet ports adapted to receive and discharge, respectively, water to be heated and circulated along a flow path through the housing; (b) the housing including a plurality of heating chambers, serially connected along the flow path; (c) each chamber including an inlet and outlet; (d) a separate heating means and a separate temperature sensing means for each chamber, the temperature sensing means producing a signal indicative of the water temperature in the chamber; (e) an outlet temperature selecting means for producing a signal indicative of a desired temperature for water flowing through the outlet port; and (f) control means connected to each heating means and responsive to the signals produced by each of the temperature sensing means and to the signal produced by the outlet temperature selectivng means for individually controlling the energization of each of said separate heating means to maintain the water flowing through the outlet port at a desired temperature by energizing the heating means in each chamber only if the temperature of the water in that chamber as sensed by the temperature sensing means in that chamber is below the desired outlet temperature as selected by said outlet temperature selecting means.