Smart water heater with improved temperature control

Abstract

A system is disclosed that allows a user to set a temperature of a water heater by remote control where the water heater controls temperature based on waster use as measured by a water flow meter. The temperature can be an override temperature that is applied temporarily. The temperature can also be a profile that changes water temperature based on use such as dishwashing and clothes washing. The profile can also changed based on season of the year such as when children are in school and on summer vacation or there is a holiday period such as thanksgiving.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water heater temperature control system, comprising:
 a water tank with a heating element and a water flow meter;   a temperature setting device allowing a user to set a temperature;   a controller that controls the water temperature of water in the tank via the heating element responsive to a use pattern learned by the controller based on water flow detected by the flow meter and allows the water temperature to be set by the setting device.   
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the temperature to be set comprises temperature and time profiles that can be selected by a user. 
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the profiles are indexed by a number of people in a family. 
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the profiles are indexed by seasons of a year. 
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 2 , wherein the profiles comprise temperature settings for devices that use hot water. 
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 5 , wherein the devices that use hot water comprise a dishwasher, a clothes washer and a bathroom. 
     
     
         7 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the setting device controls the controller via remote control. 
     
     
         8 . A system as in  claim 7 , wherein the setting device communicates with the controller via a radio signal. 
     
     
         9 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the temperature to be set comprises an override of a temperature maintained based on water flow where the override is maintained until a new period of control based on water flow starts. 
     
     
         10 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein a temperature maintained based on water flow is a minimum temperature. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 controlling water temperature of water in a hot water heater responsive to water use measured by a water flow meter;   allowing a temperature of the water to be changed during the controlling.   
     
     
         12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage storing a method, the method, comprising:
 controlling water temperature of water in a hot water heater responsive to water use measured by a water flow meter;   allowing a temperature of the water to be changed during the controlling.