Patent ID: 8136739

Claim:
A machine-implemented method for projecting whether a sufficient supply of hot water is available for a bath, comprising: receiving, at a machine, information specifying a volume or level of water desired for the bath; receiving, at a machine, information specifying a temperature of the bath water desired for the bath; and projecting, via a machine, whether a hot water supply system used to supply water for the bath can supply a sufficient amount of hot water to fill a bathtub with the specified volume or level of water at the specified temperature, wherein the hot water supply system includes a water heater having a hot water tank, and the projection is performed by monitoring at least one parameter over time related to operation of the water heater and employing data obtained by monitoring the at least one parameter over time to project whether the hot water supply system can supply a sufficient amount of hot water to fill a bathtub with the specified volume or level of water at the specified temperature.