Patent attributes
An electric water heater has a tubular side port insert, projecting into the interior of the filament-wound plastic tank portion of the water heater tank, operative to conduct tank water heat to an external temperature controller. The insert has a tubular base extending through the tank wall and circumscribing a cold pin portion of an electrical resistance type heating element extending into the tank, and a hood portion forming a horizontally inward extension of the insert base and extending along only a top side portion of the element in an upwardly spaced relationship therewith so that no portion of the insert extends beneath the active portion of the heating element. In this manner, scale forming on the active portion of the element, and falling therefrom, does not become trapped between the heating element and the side port insert, and overshoot of the controlled tank water temperature is substantially reduced.
