Patent ID: 7616873

Claim:
A water heater for the substantially instantaneous heating of water, said water heater comprising: at least one compartment having an inlet aperture located proximate one end thereof and an outlet aperture located proximate the opposing end thereof, said at least one compartment including heating means and temperature sensing means, a downstream flowline in fluid communication with said outlet aperture for transmitting heated water downstream from said at least one compartment, and further including a vent aperture having a fluid flow restriction greater than said outlet aperture for automatically and continuously venting gas from a portion of said at least one compartment spaced from said outlet aperture during operation of the water heater, said vent aperture being positioned for venting gas from an upper portion of said at least one compartment to said downstream flowline via a vent path substantially within or above a horizontal plane intersecting the vent aperture, such that the majority of water flows from said at least one compartment to said downstream flowline through said outlet aperture while a majority of gas within said at least one compartment flows through said vent aperture to said downstream flowline.