Gas fueled water heater appliance and methods to mitigate lint, dust, and oil events

1 . A gas fueled water heater appliance, comprising:

a tank for storage of water for heating;

a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber;

a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber to heat water in the tank;

a chamber sensor attached to the chamber wall, the chamber sensor being configured to detect a temperature within the combustion chamber; and

a controller mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner, and the chamber sensor, the controller being configured to direct a water heating operation comprising

detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner,

determining a contemporary temperature-change rate based on the detected CCT value,

comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to a set rate and determining one of a first condition, a second condition, a third condition, and a fourth condition, and

directing heating at the gas burner based on the determination of one of the first condition, the second condition, the third condition, and the fourth condition,

wherein the first condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a deviant temperature-increase rate outside of a bounding range of the set rate,

wherein the second condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a deviant temperature-decrease rate outside of the bounding range of the set rate,

wherein the third condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-increase rate within the bounding range of the set rate, and

wherein the fourth condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-decrease rate within the bounding range of the set rate.

2 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , the water heating operation further comprising:

determining, prior to detecting the CCT value, a minimum active-burn time is met during the contemporaneous cycle.

3 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , the water heating operation further comprising:

determining, prior to detecting the CCT value, the set rate.

4 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 3 , wherein determining the set rate comprises determining a preliminary temperature-change rate during a preliminary cycle of the water heater appliance.

5 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 4 , wherein the preliminary cycle is within a predetermined number of cycles following an initial activation of the water heater appliance.

6 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 4 , wherein the preliminary cycle is within a predetermined time period following an initial activation of the water heater appliance.

7 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 4 , wherein determining the set rate further comprises:

determining, prior to determining the preliminary temperature-change rate, a minimum active-burn time is met during the preliminary cycle.

8 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to the set rate comprises determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is greater than the set rate, and

wherein directing heating at the gas burner comprises halting burner activation in response to determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is greater than the set rate.

9 . The gas fueled water heater appliance of claim 1 , wherein comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to the set rate comprises determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is less than or equal to the set rate, and

wherein directing heating at the gas burner comprises permitting burner activation in response to determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is less than or equal to the set rate.

10 . A method of operating a gas fueled water heater appliance comprising a tank, a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber, a gas burner, and a chamber sensor, the method comprising:

detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner;

determining a contemporary temperature-change rate based on the detected CCT value;

comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to a set rate and determining one of a first condition, a second condition, a third condition, and a fourth condition; and

directing heating at the gas burner based on the determination of one of the first condition, the second condition, the third condition, and the fourth condition,

wherein the first condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a deviant temperature-increase rate outside of a bounding range of the set rate,

wherein the second condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a deviant temperature-decrease rate outside of the bounding range of the set rate,

wherein the third condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-increase rate within the bounding range of the set rate, and

wherein the fourth condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-decrease rate within the bounding range of the set rate.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining, prior to detecting the CCT value, a minimum active-burn time is met during the contemporaneous cycle.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining, prior to detecting the CCT value, the set rate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the set rate comprises determining a preliminary temperature-change rate during a preliminary cycle of the water heater appliance.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the preliminary cycle is within a predetermined number of cycles following an initial activation of the water heater appliance.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the preliminary cycle is within a predetermined time period following an initial activation of the water heater appliance.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the set rate further comprises:

determining, prior to determining the preliminary temperature-change rate, a minimum active-burn time is met during the preliminary cycle.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to the set rate comprises determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is greater than the set rate, and

wherein directing heating at the gas burner comprises halting burner activation in response to determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is greater than the set rate.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to the set rate comprises determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is less than or equal to the set rate, and

wherein directing heating at the gas burner comprises permitting burner activation in response to determining the contemporary temperature-change rate is less than or equal to the set rate.

19 . A gas fueled water heater appliance, comprising:

a tank for storage of water for heating;

a chamber wall defining a combustion chamber;

a gas burner positioned adjacent to the tank and within the combustion chamber to heat water in the tank;

a chamber sensor attached to the chamber wall, the chamber sensor being configured to detect a temperature within the combustion chamber; and

a controller mounted to the gas fueled water heater appliance in operable communication with the gas burner, and the chamber sensor, the controller being configured to direct a water heating operation comprising

detecting a combustion chamber temperature (CCT) value during a contemporaneous cycle of the gas burner,

determining a contemporary temperature-change rate based on the detected CCT value,

comparing the determined contemporary temperature-change rate to a set rate and determining one of a first condition, a second condition, a third condition, and a fourth condition, and

directing heating at the gas burner based on the determination of one of the first condition, the second condition, the third condition, and the fourth condition,

wherein the first condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a deviant temperature-increase rate outside of a bounding range of the set rate, wherein directing heating comprises halting burner activation in response to determination of the first condition,

wherein the second condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a deviant temperature-decrease rate outside of the bounding range of the set rate, wherein directing heating comprises halting burner activation in response to determination of the second condition,

wherein the third condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being greater than the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-increase rate within the bounding range of the set rate, wherein directing heating comprises permitting burner activation in response to determination of the third condition, and

wherein the fourth condition comprises the determined contemporary temperature-change rate being less than or equal to the set rate as a non-deviant temperature-decrease rate within the bounding range of the set rate, wherein directing heating comprises permitting burner activation in response to determination of the third condition.