Water heating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10240818-B2
Application number	US-201715783278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2017
Priority date	Oct 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

A controller is configured to set total stop in which operations of all of a plurality of water heaters are stopped when an abnormal condition of a fan or an abnormal condition in communication is sensed in any of the plurality of water heaters while at least one of the plurality of water heaters is operating. The controller is further configured not to set total stop when an abnormal condition of the fan or an abnormal condition in communication is sensed in at least one of the plurality of water heaters while a sensing element for sensing a backflow of an exhaust from an exhaust path assembly is connected to the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water heating system comprising:
a plurality of water heaters connected in parallel with respect to a hot water supply path; and
a controller which controls the plurality of water heaters,
each of the plurality of water heaters including
a combustion portion configured to generate an exhaust by burning a fuel,
an exhaust path connected to an exhaust path assembly which collectively guides the exhaust from each of the water heaters,
a fan configured to supply air for combustion to the combustion portion and to send the exhaust in the exhaust path to the exhaust path assembly, and
a hot water supply control unit which controls the combustion portion and the fan,

while at least one of the plurality of water heaters is operating, the controller being configured to drive the fan of each of the water heaters and to monitor for an abnormal condition of each fan and an abnormal condition in communication between the controller and each hot water supply control unit, and
the controller being further configured
to check connection between the controller and a sensing element for sensing a backflow of the exhaust from the exhaust path assembly,
to set total stop in which all of the plurality of water heaters are turned off when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed in any of the plurality of water heaters while the sensing element is not connected to the controller, and
not to set total stop when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication in at least one of the plurality of water heaters is sensed while the sensing element is connected to the controller and no backflow of the exhaust is sensed.

2. The water heating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller turns off a water heater of which abnormal condition has been sensed when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed in any of the plurality of water heaters while the sensing element is connected to the controller.

3. The water heating system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hot water supply control unit of any one of the plurality of water heaters functions as the controller.

4. The water heating system according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller determines whether the sensing element is connected to the controller based on a signal for checking an operation of the sensing element from the sensing element, and determines, based on such determination, whether to set total stop when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed.

5. The water heating system according to claim 4 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

6. The water heating system according to claim 3 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

7. The water heating system according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller determines whether the sensing element is connected to the controller based on a signal for checking an operation of the sensing element from the sensing element, and determines, based on such determination, whether to set total stop when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed.

8. The water heating system according to claim 7 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

9. The water heating system according to claim 2 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

10. The water heating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the hot water supply control unit of any one of the plurality of water heaters functions as the controller.

11. The water heating system according to claim 10 , wherein
the controller determines whether the sensing element is connected to the controller based on a signal for checking an operation of the sensing element from the sensing element, and determines, based on such determination, whether to set total stop when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed.

12. The water heating system according to claim 11 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

13. The water heating system according to claim 10 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

14. The water heating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines whether the sensing element is connected to the controller based on a signal for checking an operation of the sensing element from the sensing element, and determines, based on such determination, whether to set total stop when at least one of the abnormal condition of the fan and the abnormal condition in communication is sensed.

15. The water heating system according to claim 14 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

16. The water heating system according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensing element is an alarm unit configured to detect carbon monoxide and to output an alarm.

Assignees

• Noritz Corp

Inventors

• Muko Takao
• Okamoto Shinichi

Classifications

• F23N2237/02

  two or more burners · CPC title

• F23N2231/28

  preventing flash-back or blow-back · CPC title

• F23N2241/04

  Heating water · CPC title

• F23N5/242

  using electronic means · CPC title

• F23J11/12

  Smoke conduit systems for factories or large buildings · CPC title