Patent ID: 7275504

Claim:
A water heater for delivering heated water and having a water storage vessel in which heated water is stored and the vessel having a top region from which water is drawn, the heater having: (a) a cold water inlet for admitting water to be heated into the vessel, the cold water inlet including an inlet pipe extending into the water storage vessel and through which water to be heated is admitted into the vessel; (b) a hot water outlet through which heated water drawn from the vessel is delivered, the hot water outlet including an outlet pipe extending into the water storage vessel; the heater further having a hot water take off providing a flow path for hot water drawn from the top region within the vessel and leading to the outlet pipe; (c) a cold water flow path extending from the cold water inlet to the hot water outlet for reducing the temperature of water delivered by the water heater through the hot water outlet below that at which water is stored in the water storage vessel and at which water is drawn through the hot water take off, the cold water flow path including a connecting pipe within the vessel communicating with and extending from the cold water inlet pipe inside the vessel to the hot water outlet pipe, the hot water outlet pipe including a hot water junction located within the vessel at which the hot water take off from the top region of the vessel joins with the connecting pipe so that heated water drawn from the top region of the vessel through the hot water take off is mixed with lower temperature water entering the hot water junction from the connecting pipe and the resulting mixture flows from the hot water junction through the hot water outlet pipe so as to be delivered through the hot water outlet of the heater, wherein the connecting pipe of the cold water flow path joins with the cold water inlet pipe closely adjacent to the location where the inlet pipe enters the water storage vessel, and extends in a direct line along the inside of a wall of the water storage vessel to join with the hot water junction closely adjacent to the location where the outlet pipe extends through and passes from the water storage vessel.