[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Posted by HeatPro on February 06, 2006 at 13:32:32:
In Reply to: Re: wiring boiler/ergomax in my situation posted by Dave on February 06, 2006 at 12:24:23:
: I did exactly what we had discussed ad infinitum and then we had an issue with the Phase III and all zones heating to boiler temp.
: Nowhere that I can remember did we discuss balancing each zone separately, unless I completely misunderstood. Unfortunately, I am not a heating contractor.
+++ Yes, that is the 'crux' of a problem attempting to convey ALL knowledge gained in 40 years in a few emails and posts.
There was no attempt to convey ALL that is needed. Some of that had to be reserved for the plumber. Some plumbers take on commercial-grade work without realizing all that is necesary, such as having to balance and circuit-set individual loops.
You had no way to realize that running the system WITHOUT an outdoor reset off an SR-504 creates the problem of running the system off the high limit, as each successive demand of ONE zone restarts the burner on the NEXT zone demand and the HeatManager and outdoor resets are installed to prevent high temperatures. Most contractors and reps don't have a clue about that as the manufacturer's marketers plan to dumb-down field education to make sales left out that part for 12 years after they shut down the IBR schools. One or the other should have been installed FIRST to prevent the problem of high water temp. Having high water temps exascerbated the problem of having high temperatures migrate to the upstairs loops.
The lesson learned is to control the loop temperatures FIRST, then worry about configurations from that understanding, not the reverse. A HeatManager or outdoor reset is a Primary requirement, not an afterthought.
Learning complex systems piecemeal through a remote unsupervised vocational course is not the best situation, so you have weathered it well. The unfortunate result is that you might look schizophrenic to the contractors as you come up with different plans from different advisors. The fortunate part is that you can experiment and learn due to having money to support the changes.
The difficult part for many to believe, is that my directions are from schematics and plans held visually in my head that remain constant for each configuration, as if viewing pages in a book. It was a great help when teaching multiple control configurations to eight separate student groupings in one seminar classroom.
Not having that pre-planned schema in mind can be like wandering in an unfamiliar forest, with panic about unfamiliar movements and noises.
What is comes down to now is either to:
Leave it as it is (which is close to the original plan to use the equal-balance manifolding and let the 0010 cycle with the other pumps. Use the HeatManager to prevent excess cycling.
Doing it this way will mean the only temperature control would be the HeatManager, as a constant demand for heat from the radiant floor thermostat would keep the burner and circulator on for 6 months (your just-found new information today.)
OR
Change the return stub to the tank top tee. Use the Ergomax thermostat to set the tank temperature and perhaps an outdoor thermostat to bump the second stage on. Disconnect the SR504 from the burner control so the zones only ask for pumped water from the tank. The boiler burner and pump run off the tank thermostat set at 140f to eliminate condensation. (Thus eliminating: burner demand from the radiant zone, excessive overlapping demand from many zone thermostats, the need to run the boiler pump with the zones.)
[the reason for the recommendations before the change back to the equal-balance plan]
DO get a mixing valve for your domestic hot water line