Water heating means

Claim 1

A water heater including an elongate tubular case, a block engaged within the case and a plug engaged within the case in spaced relationship with the block and cooperating therewith to define an air filled heater chamber, an elongate liquid conducting heater tube established of a material having a high index of heat conductivity and having a helically wound portion substantially coextensive with and arranged within the heater chamber in supported engagement with the case and defining a central longitudinal opening within the chamber, said tube has inlet and outlet ends, connecting means connecting the ends of the tube with water supply and delivery lines, an elongate waterproofed and electrically insulated resistance heater element extending longitudinally through said tube and having an end portion extending from within the tube, a power supply line extending from a power source to said end portion of the heater element and control means to control the supply of power from the power line to the element and including a temperature sensing device positioned in said opening in the chamber and operable to stop and start the flow of power to the element when the temperature of the air within the opening in the chamber drops below and rises above a set temperature, the adjacent convolutions of the helically wound portion of the tube abut against each other in heat conducting bearing engagement with each other.