| US 7,506,616 B2 | ||
| Dual fuel air conditioning circuit-based water heater | ||
| Clifford William Calvert, Prattville, Ala. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Rheem Manufacturing Company, Atlanta, Ga. (US) | ||
| Filed on Mar. 01, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/680,964. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0210177 A1, Sep. 04, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. F24H 1/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 122—4A [122/13.01; 126/392.1] | 27 Claims |
| 1. Apparatus for heating a liquid using either combustible fuel or electricity, said apparatus comprising:
a fuel-fired liquid heater having a tank for storing liquid for selective outflow from said tank, a fuel burner operative
to create hot combustion gases, and a flue, extending through the interior of said tank, for receiving the hot combustion
gases and transferring heat therefrom to liquid disposed within said tank;
an electrically powered air conditioning refrigerant circuit having a condenser portion including a piping structure, through
which refrigerant flows during operation of said refrigerant circuit, disposed in an interior portion of said liquid heater
and operative to transfer rejected condenser portion heat to liquid in said tank during operation of said air conditioning
circuit; and
a heat conduction barrier structure formed from a thermally insulative material and thermally insulating said piping structure
and said flue against conductive heat transfer therebetween.
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