Water heater with low NOx fiber matrix burner

Water heaters are commonly employed in homes and small businesses to heat water for domestic use. Water heaters are produced in large numbers and sold to consumers in a very competitive market. A large portion of these devices use gaseous fuel, such as natural gas or bottled gas, as an energy source. A water heater having improved operating characteristics and lower costs of manufacturing is described. The water heater has an unified combustion chamber and burner construction with a ceramic fiber matrix burner.