Systems and methods for checking status of a pressure transducer

A controller for a gas furnace system including a draft inducer having a motor, and a pressure transducer positioned to sense a pressure within a conduit and output signals proportional to the sensed pressure, the controller, the controller comprising a processor programmed to:

• determine a first pressure in the conduit from the signals output by the pressure transducer with the motor in a stopped condition;
• determine a first status of the pressure transducer based at least in part on the first pressure;
• control the motor of the draft inducer to increase a speed of the motor from the stopped condition in response to a call for heat when the first status does not indicate that the pressure transducer is unreliable;
• and
• maintain the motor in a stopped condition when the first status indicates that the pressure transducer is unreliable,
• wherein the processor is programmed to determine the first status by:
• determining that the pressure transducer is not unreliable when the first pressure is within an expected range of pressures;
• determining that the pressure transducer is not unreliable when the first pressure is not within an expected range of pressures, but controlling the motor of the draft inducer to increase the speed of the motor causes the signals output by the pressure transducer to change in an expected manner;
• and
• otherwise determining that the pressure transducer is unreliable.

A method of controlling a gas furnace system comprising:

• determining a first pressure in a conduit coupled to a draft inducer from signals output by a pressure transducer positioned to sense a pressure within the conduit with a motor of the draft inducer in a stopped condition;
• determining a first status of the pressure transducer based at least in part on the first pressure;
• controlling the motor of the draft inducer to increase a speed of the motor from the stopped condition in response to a call for heat when the first status does not indicate that the pressure transducer is unreliable;
• and
• maintaining the motor in a stopped condition when the first status indicates that the pressure transducer is unreliable,
• wherein determining the first status comprises:
• determining that the pressure transducer is not unreliable when the first pressure is within an expected range of pressures;
• determining that the pressure transducer is not unreliable when the first pressure is not within an expected range of pressures, but controlling the motor of the draft inducer to increase the speed of the motor causes the signals output by the pressure transducer to change in an expected manner;
• and
• otherwise determining that the pressure transducer is unreliable.