Patent ID: 7509033

Claim:
For use with a liquid heating appliance having a heated liquid storage tank with an opening in a vertical side wall thereof, temperature sensing apparatus for sensing the temperature of heated liquid within the tank, comprising: a side port insert member formed from a thermally conductive material and having: a tubular base circumscribing an axis, said base having an upper side portion and being configured to be sealingly installed within the tank side wall opening to define a side wall port of the tank, and a heat receiving hood portion positionable within the tank and extending axially away from only said upper side portion of said base, said side port insert member being devoid of structure underlying said hood portion, said tubular base being configured to horizontally support an elongated electrical heating structure having an inner end, with only a relatively short outer end portion of the heating structure being circumscribed by the tubular base, and a much longer inner longitudinal portion of the heating structure, including the inner end thereof, horizontally extending through the tank interior from the outer end portion of the heating structure, and said hood portion being configured to overlie only a top side portion of the inner longitudinal portion of the heating structure spaced apart from its inner end.