Systems and methods for automated diagnostics of hvac systems

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a controller associated with a residence. The controller is configured to determine an expected value range for an operating parameter of a component of the HVAC system. Additionally, the controller is configured to receive a signal from a sensor indicative of a current value of the operating parameter of the component and determine if the current value of the operating parameter is outside the expected value range. Based on the determination that the current value is outside the expected value range, the controller is additionally configured to initiate a diagnostic mode of the controller. In the diagnostic mode, the controller is configured to collect diagnostic data associated with the HVAC system.

1 . A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a controller associated with a residence, wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine an expected value range for an operating parameter of a component of the HVAC system; 
 receive a signal from a sensor indicative of a current value of the operating parameter of the component; 
 determine if the current value of the operating parameter is outside the expected value range; 
 based on the determination that the current value is outside the expected value range, initiate a diagnostic mode of the controller, wherein in the diagnostic mode, the controller is configured to collect diagnostic data associated with the HVAC system. 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit the diagnostic data to a service center for analysis to identify proposed maintenance actions for the component. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit the diagnostic data to a cloud database for access by a service center. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the expected value range is determined based on baseline data collected from a baseline test, wherein the baseline test includes monitoring operation of a test component similar to the component. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a residential indoor unit, a residential outdoor unit, a residential heat exchanger, a residential fan, a residential blower, a residential furnace system, a residential blower, a residential refrigerant conduit, a residential section of ductwork, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter comprises an operating pressure, an operating temperature, an operating leaving air temperature, operating EEV data, operating air flow rate, operating outdoor fan data, operating power usage data, or a combination thereof 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a status indicator of the component, wherein the status indicator comprises an indication that the component comprises a healthy status or a fault status, wherein the healthy status is indicated by the current value within the expected value range, and wherein the fault status is indicated by the current value outside of the expected value range. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic data is collected at a greater frequency, for a greater length of time, or a combination thereof compared to the receipt of the signal. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine an additional expected value range for an additional operating parameter of an additional component of the HVAC system:   receive an additional signal from an additional sensor indicative of an additional current value of the additional operating parameter of the additional component;   determine if the additional current value of the additional operating parameter is outside the additional expected value range;   based on the determination that the current value of the operating parameter of the component is outside the expected value range and the determination that the additional current value of the additional operating parameter of the additional component is outside the additional expected value range, initiate an extreme diagnostic mode, wherein in the extreme diagnostic mode, the controller is configured to collect the diagnostic data at a greater frequency, for a greater length of time, or a combination thereof compared to collection of the diagnostic data during the diagnostic mode.   
     
     
         10 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine if the diagnostic mode has not been initiated during a certain time period; and   based on the determination that the diagnostic mode has not been initiated during the certain time period, initiate the diagnostic mode of the controller.   
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , wherein the certain time period is a period of time before a high-use season of the HVAC system. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine if the diagnostic mode has not been initiated within an elapsed time threshold; and   based on the determination that the diagnostic mode has not been initiated with the elapsed time threshold, initiate the diagnostic mode of the controller.   
     
     
         13 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine if user input indicative of a request to initiate the diagnostic mode has been received; and   based on the determination that the user input indicative of the request to initiate the diagnostic mode has been received, initiate the diagnostic mode of the controller.   
     
     
         14 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a user interface communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to receive additional signals from the user interface indicative of user settings for the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the HVAC system based at least in part on the user settings. 
     
     
         15 . A method for performing a diagnostic mode for a controller associated with a residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 determining an expected value range for an operating parameter of a component of the HVAC system;   receiving a signal from a sensor indicative of a current value of the operating parameter of the component;   determining if the current value of the operating parameter is outside the expected value range;   based on the determination that the current value is outside the expected value range, initiating a diagnostic mode of the controller; and   in the diagnostic mode, collecting diagnostic data associated with the HVAC system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising:
 transmitting the diagnostic data to a service center for determination of a proposed maintenance action; and   receiving the proposed maintenance action or a request to schedule the proposed maintenance action from the service center.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising collecting the diagnostic data at a greater frequency, for a greater length of time, or a combination thereof compared to collecting operating parameter data while not in the diagnostic mode. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising:
 determining if the diagnostic mode has not been initiated during a certain time period; and   based on the determination that the diagnostic mode has not been initiated during the certain time period, initiating the diagnostic mode of the controller.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising:
 determining if the diagnostic mode has not been initiated within an elapsed time threshold; and   based on the determination that the diagnostic mode has not been initiated with the elapsed time threshold, initiating the diagnostic mode of the controller   
     
     
         20 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor of a controller, cause the processor to:
 determine an expected value range for an operating parameter of a component of a residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system;   receive a signal from a sensor indicative of a current value of the operating parameter of the component;   determine if the current value of the operating parameter is outside the expected value range;   based on the determination that the current value is outside the expected value range, initiate a diagnostic mode of the controller; and   in the diagnostic mode, collect diagnostic data associated with the HVAC system.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the controller, cause the processor to:
 transmit the diagnostic data to a service center for determination of a proposed maintenance action.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of the controller, cause the processor to:
 receive the proposed maintenance action or a request to schedule the proposed maintenance action from the service center.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the expected value range is determined from baseline data transmitted from a service center. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the expected value range is determined by accessing a cloud database comprising the expected value range, wherein the expected value range is previously determined from baseline data determined during baseline tests.