Systems And Methods For Controlling A Water Heater

• US 20080078337A1
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Haefner, John, Vogel, G., Donnelly, Donald, Evans, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 122/446
• CPC Class Codes: F22D 1/12 Control devices, e.g. for regulating steam temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23M 11/02 Preventing emission of flames or hot gases, or admission of air, through working or charging apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F23M 2900/11021 Means for avoiding accidental fires in rooms where the combustion device is located
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2225/10 stack temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/20 Warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/26 for clogging air inlet
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 2231/28 preventing flash-back or blow-back
• CPC Class Codes: F23N 5/242 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 1/205 with furnace tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/174 Supplying heated water with desired temperature or desired range of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/184 Preventing harm to users from exposure to heated water, e.g. scalding
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/20 characterised by control inputs
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/223 in the water storage tank
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/242 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/31 of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/36 of burners
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/395 Information to users, e.g. alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/421 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 15/464 using local wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1836 using fluid fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/2035 : using fluid fuel

Abstract

A control for a water heater is provided that comprises a pressure switch for sensing a predetermined level of airflow sufficient for maintaining proper burner operation, and a temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water in the tank. The control further comprises a processor for controlling the operation of the burner to maintain the water temperature above a predetermined value. When the processor receives a signal from the pressure switch or temperature switch indicating a malfunction, the processor shuts down the burner and subsequently attempts to restart the burner. The processor will lock-out further burner operation after a predetermined number of consecutive shut downs occurs, and will communicate any malfunction information to a remote display device.

Claims

1. A controller for a gas-fired water heater appliance having a flame arrestor in the air inlet to the burner, the appliance comprising:

a pressure switch that closes upon sensing at least a predetermined level of airflow;

a temperature switch that opens upon sensing a flue temperature above a predetermined temperature; and

a processor for controlling the operation of the burner for heating the water in the tank to a desired temperature, the processor being further connected to the pressure switch and the temperature switch to sense burner shut down resulting from opening of either the temperature switch or pressure switch, wherein the processor locks out burner operation when a predetermined number of consecutive shut downs occurs before the water is heated to the desired temperature.

2. The control of claim 1 wherein the processor discontinues further burner operation after a predetermined number of shut downs in which the burner is shut down as a result of an open temperature switch.

3. The control of claim 2 wherein the predetermined number of consecutive shut downs is at least two shut downs.

4. The control of claim 1 wherein the processor discontinues further burner operation after a predetermined number of shut-downs in which the burner is shut down for more than a predetermined time period as a result of an open temperature switch.

5. The controller of claim 2 wherein the processor discontinues further operation of the burner until the processor is reset.

6. The controller of claim 2 further comprising a universal serial bus interface adapted to connect to a universal serial bus device that communicates to the processor information relating to a service provider that includes at least a name and phone number of the service provider, where upon discontinuing further burner operation the processor subsequently communicates the information relating to a service provider for communication to a display device.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to retrieve information relating to the number of occurrences of an open temperature switch, and is configured to respond by communicating information relating to the number of occurrences of an open temperature switch through the universal serial bus interface in a manner such that the information may be stored in a universal serial bus flash memory device connected to the universal serial bus interface.

8. A controller for a gas-fired water heater appliance having a flame arrestor in the air inlet to the burner, the appliance comprising:

a pressure switch that closes to complete an electrical circuit when sensing a predetermined level of airflow sufficient for maintaining proper burner operation;

a water temperature sensor;

a universal serial bus interface adapted to connect to a universal serial bus device; and

a processor connected to the universal serial bus and configured to receive information relating to a service provider that includes at least a name and phone number of the service provider, from an electronic memory in communication with the universal serial bus interface, the processor being connected to the water temperature sensor and connected to the burner for controlling the operation of the burner for heating the water in the tank to a desired temperature, the processor being further connected to the pressure switch to detect an insufficient level of airflow such that the burner is shut down within a predetermined time of initiating burner operation as a result of an open pressure switch, wherein the processor discontinues further burner operation after the occurrence of a predetermined number of shut downs before the water being heated reaches the desired temperature, and subsequently communicates information of the discontinued operation and the stored information relating to a service provider to an external device.

9. The controller of claim 8 wherein the processor discontinues further operation of the burner until the processor is reset.

10. The controller of claim 8 wherein the predetermined number of consecutive shut downs is at least two shut downs, and the predetermined time period is in the range of about 150 seconds to about 210 seconds.

11. The controller of claim 8 further comprising a temperature switch that opens upon sensing a flue temperature above a predetermined temperature, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the sensing of a flue temperature above the predetermined threshold.

12. The controller of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to communicate wireless signals, and the external device is a thermostat that is configured to receive the wireless signals and to display the information relating to a service provider to the thermostat display.

13. The controller of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to retrieve information relating to the number of occurrences of an open pressure switch, and is configured to respond by communicating information relating to the number of occurrences of an open pressure switch through the universal serial bus interface in a manner such that the information may be stored in a universal serial bus flash memory device connected to the universal serial bus interface.

14. A controller for a gas-fired water heater appliance having a flame arrestor in the air inlet to the burner, the appliance comprising:

a pressure switch that closes to complete an electrical circuit when sensing a predetermined level of airflow sufficient for maintaining proper burner operation;

a water temperature sensor;

a universal serial bus interface adapted to connect to a universal serial bus device;

a display device; and

a processor connected to the universal serial bus and configured to receive information relating to a service provider that includes at least a name and phone number of the service provider, from an electronic memory in communication with the universal serial bus interface, the processor being connected to the water temperature sensor and connected to the burner for controlling the operation of the burner for heating the water in the tank to a desired temperature, the processor being further connected to the pressure switch to detect an insufficient level of airflow such that the burner is shut down within a predetermined time of initiating burner operation as a result of an open pressure switch, wherein the processor discontinues further burner operation after the occurrence of a predetermined number of shut downs before the water being heated reaches the desired temperature, and subsequently communicates the discontinued operation to a display device, and retrieves the stored information relating to a service provider for communication to a display device.

15. The controller of claim 14 wherein the processor discontinues further operation of the burner until the processor is reset.

16. The controller of claim 14 wherein the predetermined number of consecutive shut downs is at least two shut downs, and the predetermined time period is in the range of about 150 seconds to about 210 seconds.

17. The controller of claim 14 wherein the controller is configured to communicate wireless signals to an external thermostat that is configured to receive the wireless signals and to display the information relating to a service provider to the thermostat display.

18. The controller of claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to receive a request to retrieve information relating to the number of occurrences of an open pressure switch, and is configured to respond by communicating information relating to the number of occurrences of an open pressure switch through the universal serial bus interface in a manner such that the information may be stored in a universal serial bus flash memory device connected to the universal serial bus interface.

19. A remote display device comprising:

a receiver;

a display device; and

a processor in communication with the display device and the receiver, the processor being configured to receive only signals transmitted by a water heater controller with which the remote display device is associated with, whereupon receipt of a signal transmitted from a water heater controller the processor responsively displays on the display device information relating to at least one operational or non-operational characteristic of the water heater.

20. The remote display device of claim 19, further comprising a universal serial bus interface adapted to connect to a universal serial bus device, such that a universal serial bus device connected thereto communicates to the processor information relating to a service provider that includes at least a name and phone number of the service provider, where upon receipt of a signal transmitted from a water heater controller the processor responsively displays on the display device the information relating to a service provider.