The subject matter described herein relates generally to the field of booster water heaters. Booster water heaters may be used, for example, to elevate the temperature of a rinse water supply for dishwashers. In particular, the subject matter described herein relates to activation response times associated with immersion-type electrical heating elements within booster water heaters.
Dirty dishware may harbor undesirable microbes (e.g., bacteria, molds, protozoa, and the like) and grime (e.g., waxes, dried-on and burned-on foods, lipstick marks, films, stains, and the like). Therefore systems have been designed for use in the commercial food service industry for cleaning and sterilizing dirty dishware, such as plates, bowls, dishes, utensils, glasses, mugs, and the like. However in some cases, a facility's main water heater may be limited in its capacity to produce water of temperatures hot enough for effective dishware sanitizing. For example, a rinse at a temperature cooler than desired (e.g., 140° F.) may be insufficient to kill microbes and/or melt fats and waxes of the grime.
A booster water heater may serve in a dishware sanitizing system by increasing the dishwashing rinse water temperature beyond the water temperature produced by a facility's main water heater. Higher temperature water will improve the sterilizing and cleaning performance of a sanitizing system. For example, adding a booster water heater in series with the facility's main water heater may allow for the production of a dishwashing sanitizing rinse water that is hot enough (e.g., 180° F.) to destroy the undesirable microbes and loosen the grime. Spraying action of the dishwasher may then remove the loosened grime and dead microbes, producing clean dishware.