Final answer:
A u chart is recommended for the manufacturer's quality control because it tracks nonconformities per unit, and maintains regular oversight to ensure consistent quality. By using the u chart, the process can be monitored and adjusted as needed over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the case of the gas water heater manufacturer, the appropriate control chart to use is a u chart. This chart is ideal because it tracks the number of nonconformities per unit, which in this case, are various defects found across multiple units. The manufacturer has observed 924 nonconformities over 22 days for 176 water heaters inspected.
To construct the u chart, the total number of nonconformities (924) is divided by the total number of units inspected (176) to determine the average number of nonconformities per unit. Control limits are then set to monitor whether the process remains in control in the future. For every new sample of 22 days, the number of nonconformities will be compared to these limits to ensure the process has not deviated into an 'out of control' state.
The use of a u chart allows a company to maintain consistent quality control and promptly address any variations in the process, thereby ensuring the final product meets the requisite standards.