Importance

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Abstract

The water heater includes a water tank, a burner below the tank, a casing around the outside surface of the tank and spaced therefrom so as to define a flue path within the casing and along the outside surface of the tank for combustion products. Multiple flow restrictions are located in the flue path and extending inwardly from the casing towards the outside surface of the tank and forming regions of restricted flow area so that the combustion products flowing along the flue path encounter the flow restrictions and are restricted and disturbed in flow pattern. The first flow restriction which is first encountered by the combustion products is located at a position along the height of the tank no lower than one third of the overall height of the tank up from the bottom of the tank whereby the lower portion of the tank over which combustion products are flowing are substantially completely exposed to the hottest and most turbulent combustion gases. The flow restrictions can be closed rings which extend inwardly from the casing. The flow restriction rings have tank centering formations in the form of projections which contact the outside surface of the tank so as to thereby locate and maintain the tank centered within the casino. Each of the flow restrictions restricts the flow area of the flue path at the flow restriction by about 50% or more.

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First Claim