Water heater

Abstract

A water heater includes a combustion assembly having a mounting plate that includes a mounting surface and defines a mounting plate aperture. The combustion assembly includes a burner that has a body that extends through the mounting plate aperture and defines a combustion chamber and a burner flange that extends outward from the body and is coupled to the mounting surface. The combustion assembly further includes a blower assembly. The blower assembly includes a fan, a motor operable to drive rotation of the fan about an axis, and a housing. The housing includes a first housing component that includes a fan-housing portion that at least partially defines a fan-housing region, a tubular portion that defines a hollow, and a housing flange that is coupled to the burner flange. The housing flange defines a plurality of access openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water heater, comprising:
 a combustion assembly, comprising:
 a mounting plate that includes a mounting surface and defines a mounting plate aperture; 
 a burner that includes a body that extends through the mounting plate aperture and defines a combustion chamber and a burner flange that extends outward from the body and is coupled to the mounting surface of the mounting plate; and 
 a blower assembly, comprising:
 a fan; 
 a motor operable to drive rotation of the fan about an axis; and 
 a housing that comprises a first housing component that includes a fan-housing portion that at least partially defines a fan-housing region within which the fan is disposed, a tubular portion that extends from the fan-housing portion and defines a hollow that is in fluid communication with the fan-housing region, and a housing flange that extends outward from the tubular portion to a housing flange rim and is coupled to the burner flange of the burner, wherein the housing flange defines at least one access opening; and 
 at least one of:
 an ignitor that extends through the at least one access opening; 
 a flame sensor that extends through the at least one access opening; and 
 a sight glass that extends within the at least one access opening. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The water heater of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one access opening includes a first access opening, a second access opening, and a third access opening, and the blower assembly includes the ignitor, the flame sensor, and the sight glass, and wherein the ignitor extends through the first access opening, the flame sensor extends through the second access opening, and the sight glass extends within the third access opening. 
     
     
         3 . The water heater of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a flue conduit coupled within the mounting plate and defining an interior volume within which the body of the burner extends, wherein the ignitor and flame sensor extend through the first and second access openings, respectively, into the interior volume defined by the flue conduit.   
     
     
         4 . The water heater of  claim 2 , wherein the third access opening is an aperture defined by a threaded portion of the housing flange, and the sight glass includes corresponding threads that are configured to engage the threaded portion to secure the sight glass within the third access opening. 
     
     
         5 . The water heater of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a ground tab electrically coupled with the burner that extends from a first end disposed between the housing flange and the burner flange to a second end that is in a spaced relationship with the burner flange and housing flange.   
     
     
         6 . The water heater of  claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate, burner, and housing are coupled to each other via a plurality of fasteners, and the housing is grounded to the mounting plate via the plurality of fasteners. 
     
     
         7 . The water heater of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sealing element positioned between the housing flange and the burner flange; and   a second sealing element positioned between the burner flange and the mounting surface.   
     
     
         8 . The water heater of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second sealing elements are gaskets. 
     
     
         9 . The water heater of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the ignitor and the flame sensor includes a bracket coupled thereto, the bracket comprising:
 a bracket base that is coupled to a side of the housing flange opposite the burner flange; and   a tab extending outward from the bracket base and along the housing flange rim toward the burner flange.   
     
     
         10 . A blower assembly for a water heater, comprising:
 a fan;   a motor operable to drive rotation of the fan about an axis; and   a housing that comprises a first housing component that includes a fan-housing portion that at least partially defines a fan-housing region within which the fan is disposed, a tubular portion that extends from the fan-housing portion and defines a hollow that is in fluid communication with the fan-housing region, and a housing flange that extends outward from the tubular portion to a housing flange rim, wherein the housing flange defines a plurality of fastener openings configured to receive corresponding fasteners therethrough for coupling the housing flange with a burner flange of a burner, and the housing flange defines at least one access opening that is configured to receive at least one of an ignitor, a flame sensor, and sight glass therein.   
     
     
         11 . The blower assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one access opening comprises:
 a first access opening that is configured to receive an ignitor therethrough; and   a second access opening that is configured to receive a flame sensor therethrough.   
     
     
         12 . The blower assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one access opening comprises:
 a third access opening that is configured to receive a sight glass therein.   
     
     
         13 . The blower assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises:
 a second housing component that is coupled with the first housing component and cooperates with the fan-housing portion of the first housing component to define the fan-housing region within which the fan is disposed.   
     
     
         14 . A water heater, comprising:
 a combustion assembly, comprising:
 a mounting plate that includes a mounting surface and defines a mounting plate aperture; 
 a burner that includes a body that extends through the mounting plate aperture and defines a combustion chamber and a burner flange that extends outward from the body and is coupled to the mounting surface of the mounting plate; and 
 a blower assembly, comprising:
 a fan; 
 a motor operable to drive rotation of the fan about an axis; and 
 a housing that includes a fan-housing portion that at least partially defines a fan-housing region within which the fan is disposed, a tubular portion that extends from the fan-housing portion and defines a hollow that is in fluid communication with the fan-housing region, and a housing flange that extends outward from the tubular portion to a housing flange rim and is coupled to the burner flange of the burner; and 
 
 a ground tab that is electrically coupled with the burner and that extends from a first end disposed between the housing flange and the burner flange to a second end that is in a spaced relationship with the burner flange and housing flange. 
   
     
     
         15 . The water heater of  claim 14 , wherein the mounting plate, burner, and housing are coupled to each other via a plurality of fasteners, and the housing is grounded to the mounting plate via the plurality of fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . The water heater of  claim 14 , wherein the housing of the blower assembly includes a first housing component, and the first housing component includes the fan-housing portion, the tubular portion, and the housing flange. 
     
     
         17 . The water heater of  claim 16 , wherein the combustion assembly includes an ignitor and a flame sensor, and wherein the housing flange defines a first access opening, through which the ignitor extends, and a second access opening, through which the flame sensor extends. 
     
     
         18 . The water heater of  claim 17 , wherein the combustion assembly includes a sight glass, and wherein the housing flange defines a third access opening, within which the sight glass extends. 
     
     
         19 . The water heater of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first sealing element positioned between the housing flange and the burner flange; and   a second sealing element positioned between the burner flange and the mounting surface.   
     
     
         20 . The water heater of  claim 19 , wherein the first and second sealing elements are gaskets.