Patent ID: 8176881
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: F23M,F23N,F24H,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A control system for a gas-fired water heater having a burner for heating water within a tank of the water heater, the control system comprising: a lower sensor disposed on a lower portion of the water heater for sensing the temperature of water in a lower portion of the tank; an upper sensor disposed on an upper portion of the water heater for sensing the temperature of water in an upper portion of the tank; a water heater controller in communication with the lower sensor and upper sensor for controlling burner operation to heat the water in the water heater to a desired set-point temperature, the water heater controller having a processor that receives a desired set-point temperature and sensed temperatures of both the upper and lower sensors, wherein the processor calculates a value representing the portion of water in the tank that is at the desired set-point temperature, based in part on a first temperature differential equal to the set-point temperature less the upper sensor temperature, and a second temperature differential equal to the set-point temperature less the lower sensor temperature; a transceiver means for wirelessly transmitting signals including said value representing the portion of water in the tank at the desired set-point temperature; a user interface having a transceiver means for wirelessly receiving signals, and a display device including a plurality of selectively-illuminated segmented portions arranged in a linear array, wherein the display device selectively illuminates a number of the segmented portions corresponding to said value, to thereby provide a visual depiction representing the portion of the water physically contained within the tank that is at the desired set-point temperature.