A communication kit comprising a communication module configured to communicate with a thermostat, an indoor unit, and an outdoor unit; and a controller configured to generate an operation signal to be transmitted to the indoor unit and the outdoor unit, based on a signal received from the thermostat, wherein the controller is configured to determine an operation mode of the indoor unit and the outdoor unit based on an indoor temperature when a backup function of the thermostat is executed.

Methods and related systems for operating a furnace are disclosed. In an embodiment, the method includes activating a burner assembly and a first fan of the furnace to combust fuel and air and circulate combustion gases along a flow path extending through a heat exchanger of the furnace. In addition, the method includes operating a second fan of the furnace to circulate air across an external surface of the heat exchanger of the furnace and produce a conditioned airflow. Further, the method includes monitoring one or more parameters of a motor of the second fan indicative of an airflow rate of the conditioned airflow, and deactivating the burner assembly, whereby combustion of the fuel and air in the furnace ceases, in response to the one or more parameters indicating that the airflow rate is less than a minimum airflow rate.

An HVAC controller controlled in response to a natural language audio message that is not recognizable by the HVAC controller as a command, where the natural language audio message is translated into a command recognizable by the HVAC controller. The HVAC controller may be a thermostat and may include a housing that at least partially houses a control module, a microphone, a speaker, a display, and a voice recognition module. The voice recognition module recognizes a predetermined audible trigger from a recorded voice message or streamed voice message, and in response, provide one or more audio clips via the speaker and/or video clips via the display to assist users in operating the thermostat. A user may communicate with the thermostat via the thermostat and/or a remote device.

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system may be zoned into one or more zone. The HVAC system may include HVAC components, sensors, and one or more register vents that may include vent dampers (e.g., electronically controllable vent dampers or manually operated vent dampers). Opening and closing of the vent dampers may facilitate creating zones or sub-zones in the HVAC system configuration. An HVAC control system may receive a request for conditioned air in one or more of the zones, determine a damper setting for at least one of the vent dampers, communicate the determined damper setting to a vent damper or user interface, determine which HVAC components should be active, if any, and/or provide controls signals to activate or keep active the HVAC components that are determined to be active.

The present disclosure relates to a gas valve assembly for a furnace. The gas valve assembly includes a gas valve including an inlet flange having an outer geometric profile and defining a gas inlet of the gas valve. The gas valve assembly also includes a bracket having a mounting panel, a first support flange, and a second support flange, where the mounting panel extends between and is integral with the first support flange and the second support flange. A slot is formed in the first support flange and defined by a portion of a perimeter of the bracket. The outer geometric profile of the inlet flange corresponds to a profile of the slot, and the slot is configured to receive and abut a portion of the outer geometric profile. A passage is formed in the second support flange and configured to receive a gas flow from the gas valve.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a control system for controlling an HVAC device where the control system includes a temperature sensor that provides a signal indicative of a temperature associated with the HVAC device, an orientation sensor that provides a signal indicative of an operating orientation of the HVAC device, and control circuitry that receives the temperature signal and the orientation signal from the orientation sensor. The control circuitry selects an operating thermal control set point from a plurality of stored thermal control set points based at least in part on an orientation signal, determines a temperature sensor input based on the temperature signal and compares the temperature sensor input to the operating thermal control set point, and operates the HVAC device based at least in part on that comparison.

Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an assembly for sealing a rigid pipe, a furnace, and a gasket for use in an HVAC fluid conduit. Some embodiments include a furnace with an inducer blower drawing combustion air through the furnace, and the assembly is used to connect one or more flue conduit(s) and an exhaust pipe. In one embodiment, the gasket used in the assembly includes a tubular body, at least a portion of which is engaged along an inner surface of the fluid conduit, a rim extending outwardly from a tubular body end, and two or more ears extending from the rim, wherein the ears are spaced apart from the tubular body and extend in substantially the same direction as the tubular body. The ears further include a first rib located proximate a distal end of the ear.

A heater is described. The heater includes a fuel cell to produce heated air, electricity and water vapor. The heater further includes a heating element operatively coupled to the fuel cell to convert the electricity to heat and a control system operatively coupled to the fuel cell and the heating element, the control system being configured to monitor and control the fuel cell and heating element.

A collection of methods for monitoring the operation of a heating system configured to heat a space is provided. One method includes obtaining, by one or more computing devices, data from a fuel sensor for a period of time, the fuel sensor configured to detect an amount of fuel within a fuel supply for a furnace of the heating system. The method further includes determining, by the one or more computing devices, an adjustment to the operation of the heating system based, at least in part, on the data obtained from the fuel sensor. The method additionally includes adjusting, by the one or more computing devices, the operation of the heating system according to the adjustment.

Liner device, adapted to be mounted between a burner box and a tube interface plate of a furnace. The liner device includes a base section, one or more tube sections, and one or more angle fasteners. The base section includes a shielding layer formed from a first flexible mesh of flame-resistant fibers, the shielding layer defining a first surface that is configured to face the burner box, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a medial region with a through-hole forming a passageway through the shielding layer. The tube section is composed essentially of a second flexible mesh of flame-resistant fibers formed into a tubular shape that defines an internal channel around a nominal axis. A proximal end of the tube section is positioned at the base section, such that the channel opens into the through-hole and that the tube section projects from the second surface and in a direction faced by the second surface. The angle fastener has a base portion that is positioned along and fixed to the second surface of the shielding layer. The angle fastener further has a leg portion that projects towards the second direction and is positioned along and fixed to an outer surface of the tube section at or near the proximal end thereof.