Systems for refrigerant leak detection and management

A refrigerant leak management system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

• a sensor configured to detect a concentration of refrigerant in air;
• a timer;
• and
• a controller including a processor that is communicatively coupled to the sensor and the timer, wherein the controller is configured to:
• receive feedback from the sensor indicative of the concentration of the refrigerant in the air;
• determine whether the concentration of the refrigerant in the air is less than a threshold value;
• determine whether the HVAC system is in an operating mode indicative of an unsatisfied call for conditioning or a non-operating mode indicative of a satisfied call for conditioning;
• operate a blower of the HVAC system for a first predetermined time period based on a first determination that the concentration of the refrigerant in the air is less than the threshold value and a second determination that the HVAC system is in the operating mode;
• and
• operate the blower of the HVAC system for a second predetermined time period based on the first determination, a third determination that the HVAC system is in the non-operating mode, and a fourth determination that an elapsed time measured by the timer exceeds a time delay period.

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

• a sensor configured to detect a concentration of refrigerant in air;
• a blower configured to direct conditioned air to a conditioned space;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• receive feedback from the sensor indicative of the concentration of the refrigerant in the air;
• determine whether the concentration of the refrigerant in the air is greater than zero and less than a threshold value;
• determine whether the HVAC system is in an operating mode indicative of an unsatisfied call for conditioning or a non-operating mode indicative of an absence of the unsatisfied call for conditioning;
• operate, in response to a first determination that the concentration of the refrigerant in the air is greater than zero and less than the threshold value and a second determination that the HVAC system is in the operating mode, the blower of the HVAC system for a first predetermined time period;
• wait, in response to the first determination and a third determination that the HVAC system is in the non-operating mode, for a time delay period;
• and
• operate, after the time delay period, the blower of the HVAC system for a second predetermined time period.