Patent ID: 9638429
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: F24D,F24F,G05D,Y02B

Claim:
1. A method for automatically operating a thermostatic heating system controller for controlling a heating system for heating an indoor space, comprising: operating the heating system at a set point having a default set point value set at less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit; automatically receiving at least one indoor temperature signal from at least one indoor temperature sensor representing one or more temperature measurements in the indoor space; automatically receiving at least one outdoor weather indicator signal representing a measured or predicted outdoor weather condition; based at least in part on the at least one outdoor weather indicator signal, determining a factor affecting heat flow out of water pipes adjacent to said indoor space; comparing said factor affecting heat flow to a pre-determined freeze protection point; based on said comparison, determining whether to maintain said set point at said default set point value or to raise said set point to a computed set point value which is higher than the default set point value, in response to determining to raise the set point to the computed set point value, computing the computed set point value based at least in part on said outdoor weather indicator signal, followed by raising the set point to the computed set point value; and using the thermostatic heating system controller to automatically control the heating system based on a comparison of the indoor temperature signal and the set point.