Apparatus And Method for Monitoring A Heating System
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring the efficiency of a heating system including a flue and thermostat providing a temperature adjustment signal, the apparatus comprising:
- a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the flue and operative to measure the external temperature thereof and to provide a plurality temperature data;
a receiver coupled to said temperature sensor and operative to receive said plurality of temperature data; and
a temperature analysis module coupled to said receiver and operative to receive said plurality of temperature data and to store said plurality of temperature data and a plurality of time data, each of said plurality of time data associated with a corresponding one of said plurality of temperature data forming a plurality of time-temperature data, said temperature analysis module further operative to analyze said time-temperature with respect to a predetermined limit and to provide an error alarm in the event that the time-temperature data exceeds said predetermined limit.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for measuring the efficiency of a heating system in which the temperature of the flue, or stack, is measured during a heating cycle and data collected to show the elapsed time and maximum temperature achieved. This data is compared to predetermined limits and if the elapsed time and/or the maximum temperature exceeds the predetermined limits, an error message is generated that may be video, audio, and/or an email sent to a predetermined email address. Other statistics may be generated and temperature data from more than one heating cycle may be aggregated together.
33 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring the efficiency of a heating system including a flue and thermostat providing a temperature adjustment signal, the apparatus comprising:
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a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the flue and operative to measure the external temperature thereof and to provide a plurality temperature data; a receiver coupled to said temperature sensor and operative to receive said plurality of temperature data; and a temperature analysis module coupled to said receiver and operative to receive said plurality of temperature data and to store said plurality of temperature data and a plurality of time data, each of said plurality of time data associated with a corresponding one of said plurality of temperature data forming a plurality of time-temperature data, said temperature analysis module further operative to analyze said time-temperature with respect to a predetermined limit and to provide an error alarm in the event that the time-temperature data exceeds said predetermined limit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for measuring the efficiency of a heating system including a flue and thermostat. The method comprising:
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(a) detecting the heating system turning on; (b) sensing the temperature of the flue and providing temperature data; (c) recording the temperature data and a time data associated with said temperature data to form time-temperature data; (d) detecting the maximum temperature of the flue; (e) recording the maximum temperature; (f) determining the elapsed time from the heating system turning on until the maximum temperature was reached; (g) recording the elapsed time associated with the maximum temperature; (h) comparing the elapsed time and maximum temperature with a predetermined limit; (j) in the event that the elapsed time, the maximum temperature, or both exceed the predetermined limit, record the maximum temperature and elapsed time in a not-in-limit memory and master storage memory; (k) compare the number of entries in the not-in-limit memory and compare to a predetermined limit; (l) in the event that the number of entries in the not-in-limit memory exceeds the predetermined limit, generate an error signal; and (m) in the event that neither the elapsed time or the maximum temperature exceed the predetermined limit, record the maximum temperature and elapsed time in a in-limit memory and master storage memory. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification