Patent ID: 8001628

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a source of first fluid; a heater receiving first fluid from the source and providing heated fluid to an outlet; a thermostatically-controlled mixing valve including a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet to receive a second fluid, and an outlet, said valve mixing the first fluid and the second fluid and providing mixed fluid to the outlet; an ambient outlet receiving fluid from the outlet of the valve and providing the mixed fluid to ambient conditions; a fluid mixing element having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of said heater, said fluid mixing element having an outlet providing fluid to the first fluid inlet of said valve, wherein fluid from the heater is received at the mixing element inlet and flows within a first flowpath in a first direction, a portion of the fluid from the first flowpath flows in a second flowpath in a second direction opposite of the first direction, and the first flowpath and the second flowpath are separated by a wall including at least one aperture for mixing the remaining portion the fluid in the first flowpath with fluid in the second flowpath.