Patent ID: 6935280

Claim:
A cold water inlet for delivering water into a water tank of a water heater, the water tank having a side wall, a tank bottom, and at least one flue extending upwardly through the water tank, said cold water inlet comprising: an inlet conduit configured to extend along a horizontal axis through the side wall of the water tank, into a bottom portion of the water tank, and toward the flue, said inlet conduit comprising a proximal conduit portion defining a flow opening for water flow into said inlet conduit, an intermediate conduit portion extending from said proximal conduit portion and defining a flow passage for the water flow, and a distal conduit portion extending from said intermediate portion and terminating at a closed end configured to reduce the amount of the water flow directed toward the flue; flow openings defined in said distal conduit portion to permit the water flow to exit said inlet conduit, said flow openings being spaced about a circumference of said inlet conduit, thereby eliminating the need to align said inlet conduit with respect to the tank bottom; and deflectors positioned along said distal conduit portion of said inlet conduit proximal respective ones of said flow openings, said deflectors being oriented to extend distally from said inlet conduit and toward said horizontal axis for deflecting the water flow, wherein said closed end and said deflectors of said inlet conduit coact, as the water flows into the water tank, to direct the water flow away from the flue and toward the side wall and tank bottom of the water tank, thereby reducing an accumulation of scale on the side wall and tank bottom.