Patent ID: 11859865
Assignee: RINNAI AMERICA CORPORATION
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  Y | IPC F

Claim 15:
16. A method of assembling a hot water heating system, the method comprising:
mounting a spine to a floor or wall, the spine defining a top surface and including:
two or more coupling areas for coupling a water heating unit to the spine, each of the coupling areas including a cold water manifold outlet, a hot water manifold inlet, and a fuel manifold outlet,
a cold water manifold comprising a cold water manifold inlet extending through the top surface of the spine and fluidically coupled to the cold water manifold outlet of each coupling area,
a hot water manifold comprising a hot water manifold outlet extending through the top surface of the spine and fluidically coupled to the hot water manifold inlet of each coupling area, and
a fuel manifold comprising a fuel manifold inlet fluidically coupled to the fuel manifold outlet of each coupling area,
wherein at least one of the coupling areas is located above another coupling area when the spine is oriented with the top surface facing upwardly;

fluidically coupling the cold water manifold inlet to a cold water supply source;
fluidically coupling the hot water manifold outlet to a hot water supply source;
fluidically coupling the fuel manifold inlet to a fuel supply source; and
coupling two or more water heating units to the spine, each of the water heating units coupled to one of the coupling areas.