Method of controlling equipment in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

1. An HVAC data processing and communication network for an HVAC system including a heat pump, a communicating indoor unit and an auxiliary heater, said communication network comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a fault condition associated with operation of a demand unit;

a local controller associated with said demand unit and configured to communicate via said network to 1) control said demand unit, 2) receive sensor data from said sensor, and 3) transmit said sensor data over said network; and

a network controller configured to receive said sensor data via said network, to generate an alert in the event that said sensor data indicates said fault condition, to detect an operation of said auxiliary heater during a cooling mode of said communicating indoor unit and to disable said auxiliary heater in the event that said operation is detected, said cooling mode being an operating mode of said HVAC system wherein said communicating indoor unit cooperates with said heat pump to provide cooling.

2. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a user interface, wherein said alert includes instructing said user interface to display an error message.

3. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a gateway, wherein said alert includes instructing said gateway to send an error message to a remote entity.

4. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 1 , wherein said network controller is further configured to change an operational aspect of said network in response to said fault condition.

5. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 4 , wherein said network controller disables operation of said demand unit in response to said fault condition.

6. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 4 , wherein said network controller disables operation of the entire network in response to said fault condition.

7. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 4 , wherein said demand unit is a heat pump, and controller is further configured to initiate a heating cycle when said sensor detects said icing condition.

8. A method of manufacturing an HVAC data processing and communication network for an HVAC system including a heat pump, a communicating indoor unit and an auxiliary heater, said communication network, comprising:

providing a sensor configured to detect a fault condition associated with operation of a demand unit;

providing a local controller associated with said demand unit and configured to communicate via said network to 1) control said demand unit, 2) receive sensor data from said sensor, and 3) transmit said sensor data over a data bus; and

providing a subnet controller configured to receive said sensor data via said data bus, to generate an alert in the event that said sensor data indicates said fault condition, to detect an operation of said auxiliary heater during a cooling mode of said communicating indoor unit and to disable said auxiliary heater in the event that said operation is detected, said cooling mode being an operating mode of said HVAC system wherein said communicating indoor unit cooperates with said heat pump to provide cooling.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising configuring said subnet controller to instruct a user interface to display an error message when generating said alert.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising configuring said subnet controller to instruct a gateway to send an error message to a remote entity when generating said alert.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , configuring said subnet controller to change an operational aspect of said network in response to said fault condition.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising configuring said subnet controller to disable operation of said demand unit in response to said fault condition.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising configuring said subnet controller to disable operation of the entire network in response to said fault condition.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein said demand unit is a heat pump, and subnet controller is further configured to initiate a heating cycle when said sensor detects said icing condition.

15. An HVAC data processing and communication network; comprising:

a heat pump;

a communicating indoor unit configured to cooperate with said heat pump to operate in a cooling mode;

an auxiliary heater configured to temper cooled air output by said indoor unit during a defrost cycle of said heat pump; and

a controller configured to detect operation of said auxiliary heater during said cooling mode, and to disable said auxiliary heater in the event that said operation is detected.

16. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a sensor configured to determine that said auxiliary heater operates during said cooling mode.

17. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 16 , wherein said sensor detects a temperature rise of air passing through said auxiliary heater.

18. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 16 , wherein said sensor detects a control voltage configured to enable operation of said auxiliary heater.

19. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 15 , wherein said heat pump is a non-communicating heat pump and said controller is a heat pump controller.

20. The HVAC data processing and communication network as recited in claim 15 , further comprising a subnet controller configured to issue an alert in response to disabling said auxiliary heater.