Patent attributes
A vent proving system is described for use with a gas fired appliance. The gas fired appliance includes a gas burner, a vent damper for selectively opening or closing an exhaust vent from the gas fired appliance and a relay control for operatively controlling the vent damper and the gas burner to open the damper if the gas burner is on. The vent proving system comprises a sensor for sensing a variable in the vent representing air flow direction in the vent. An electrical switch is connected in series between the relay control and the vent damper. A controller is operatively connected to the sensor, the electrical switch and to the relay control. The controller determines if a back draft condition is present in the vent when the gas burner is on and selectively operates the electrical switch to open the connection between the relay control and the vent damper if a back draft condition is present in the vent when the gas burner is on.