Home heating system draft controller

In a forced air heating system for a building,

• a heating appliance comprising a furnace having an exhaust output connected to a venting means for the venting of the exhaust gasses of said furnace,
• a heat exchanger and a distribution fan in said furnace,
• a distribution duct system for conveying heated air from said furnace to areas of said building served by said distribution duct system,
• an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas within said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of said fan for the recirculation of said air through said heat exchanger and said distribution duct system,
• a sensor means for monitoring said venting of said exhaust gasses of said furnace to detect an improper venting of said exhaust gasses when said furnace is operating,
• a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace in response to said detection of said improper venting of said exhaust gasses by said sensor means,
• other fans in said building,
• means for controllably operating said other fans, and
• means in said controller for disabling the operation of said other fans in response to said detection of said improper venting of said exhaust gasses by said sensor means.

In a forced air heating system for a building,

• a heating appliance comprising a furnace having an exhaust output connected to a venting means for the venting of the exhaust gasses of said furnace,
• a heat exchanger and a distribution fan in said furnace,
• a distribution duct system for conveying heated air from said furnace to areas of said building served by said distribution duct system,
• an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas within said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of said fan for the recirculation of said air through said heat exchanger and said distribution duct system,
• a first sensor means for monitoring said venting of said exhaust gasses of said furnace to detect an improper venting of said exhaust gasses when said furnace is operating,
• a controller connected to said first sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace in response to said detection of said improper venting by said first sensor means,
• a second heating appliance having an exhaust output connected to said venting means for extending exhaust gasses of said second appliance to said venting means,
• a second sensor means connected to said controller for monitoring said exhaust gasses supplied by said second appliance to said venting means when said second appliance is operating,
• said controller being responsive to a detection of an improper venting of said exhaust gasses of said second appliance by said second sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace.

In a forced air heating system for a building,

• a plurality of heating appliances comprising at least one furnace,
• a draft hood on each appliance,
• means connecting an output of each hood to a single flue common to all of said hoods for extending exhaust gasses from said appliances to said flue,
• a heat exchanger and a distribution fan in said furnace,
• a distribution duct system for conveying heat from said furnace to areas of said building served by said duct system,
• an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas of said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of said fan for recirculation through said heat exchanger and said distribution duct system,
• a sensor means in each of said draft hoods for detecting an inadequate flue draft when the appliance associated with said each hood is operating, and
• a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of all of said appliances in response to said detection of an inadequate flue draft by any one of said sensor means.

In a system having a plurality of heating appliances including at least one furnace,

• a draft hood on each appliance,
• means connecting an output of each hood to a single flue common to all of said hoods for extending the exhaust gasses of all of said appliances to said flue,
• a sensor means in each of said draft hoods for detecting an inadequate flue draft when the appliance associated with each hood is operating, and
• a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace in response to said detection of an inadequate flue draft by any one of said sensor means.

A method of operating a forced air heating system comprising the steps of:

• locating a forced air furnace within the envelope of a building,
• venting the exhaust gasses of said furnace via a venting means,
• distributing heated air generated by said furnace through a fan driven supply duct system to locations of said building served by said supply duct system,
• returning said distributed air to said furnace via open areas within said building and exclusive of a dedicated return duct system for the reheating of said air by said furnace and the redistribution of said air throughout said building via said supply duct system,
• monitoring the proper venting of said exhaust gasses by said venting means, and
• terminating the operation of said furnace upon the detection of an improper venting of said exhaust gasses by said venting means.

A method of operating a forced air heating system for a building having a heating appliance comprising a furnace having an exhaust output connected to a venting means for venting the exhaust gasses of said furnace, said method comprising the steps of:

• conveying heated air from said furnace through a distribution duct system to areas of said building served by said distribution duct system,
• providing an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas within said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of a distribution fan for recirculation through a heat exchanger of said furnace and said distribution duct system,
• operating a sensor means for monitoring the exhaust gasses of said furnace to detect an improper venting of exhaust gasses from said furnace to said venting means when said furnace is operating, and
• operating a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace in response to said detection of said improper venting of said exhaust gasses by said sensor means.

A method of operating a forced air heating system for a building having a plurality of heating appliances comprising at least one furnace and a draft hood on each appliance, said method comprising the steps of:

• connecting an output of each hood to a single flue common to all of said hoods for extending exhaust gasses from said appliances to said flue,
• conveying heat from said furnace through a distribution duct system to areas of said building served by said duct system,
• providing an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas of said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of a furnace distribution fan for recirculation through a furnace heat exchanger and said distribution duct system,
• operating a sensor means in each of said draft hoods for detecting an inadequate flue draft when the appliance associated with said each hood is operating, and
• operating a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of said furnace in response to said detection of an inadequate flue draft by any one of said sensor means.

A method of operating a forced air heating system comprising the steps of:

• locating a forced air furnace within the envelope of a building,
• venting exhaust gasses of said furnace via a draft flue extending to the outside of said building;
• distributing heated air generated by said furnace through a fan driven supply duct system to locations within said building served by said supply duct system,
• returning said distributed air to said furnace via open areas within said building exclusive of a dedicated return duct system for the reheating of said air by said furnace and the redistribution of said air throughout said building via said supply duct system,
• monitoring the draft in said flue, and
• terminating the operation of said furnace upon the detection of an inadequate flue draft.

A method of operating a system comprising a fuel combustion appliance, said method comprising the steps of:

• locating a fuel consuming appliance within the envelope of a building,
• operating a sensor means for monitoring the proper venting of the exhaust gasses of said appliance by a venting means,
• operating a fan not associated with said appliance in said building, and
• terminating the operation of said fan upon the detection by said sensor means of an improper venting of said exhaust gasses.

In an air conditioning system for a building,

• a fuel combustion appliance in said building having an exhaust output connected to a venting means for the venting of the exhaust gasses of said appliance,
• an air conditioner having a heat exchanger and a distribution fan,
• a distribution duct system for conveying conditioned air from said heat exchanger to areas within said building served by said duct system,
• an open air return path exclusive of a dedicated return duct system comprising open areas within said building for returning air from outputs of said distribution duct system back to an input of said fan for the recirculation of said air through said heat exchanger and said distribution duct system,
• a sensor means for monitoring said venting of said exhaust gasses of said appliance to detect an improper venting of said exhaust gasses when said appliance is operating, and
• a controller connected to said sensor means for terminating the operation of said air conditioner including said fan in response to said detection by said sensor means of said improper venting.