ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Zone valves....

Usually each zone will have it's own air handler. If suppose you want to put a thermostat in each room, an air handler for each can get expensive so the best thing to do there is one air handler for an area and dampers for each room in the duct work controlled by the thermostats.

Dampers work the same way as zone valves. T stat opens the damper, end switch on the damper controls the air handler, air handler controls the zone valve which controls the boiler and circulator.

Talk about Rube Goldberg!

-Hal

... A BIG THANK YOU to all who replied!!
You see, I was just testing you all,..(yeah,right )

Hal, you're right,the zone valves are spring loaded Honeywell brand, 4 wire type..and they're being used to control a hydronic/forced air system, the stat calls for heat, the zone valve opens starting the circulator and boiler.I figured it all out this morning,..I first installed (2)120v X 24v,40va xfrmers,because I was told that you can't put more than (3) zone valves on a 40va xfrmer.Then I tied one leg of each of the yellow motor leads of the (3) zone valves together,and brought it to the first transformer.The remaining xfrmer terminal wire to the other end of t-stat(s).I then spliced the remaining yellow wire to it's corresponding thermostat leg,..(well,I will,once the HVAC guy runs them,the house is completely done,sheet-rocked,painted,and all,and the HVAC guy forgot to run his stat lines..go figure..)I took one red leg each from the end switch in the zone valve and tied them together,making a pair of spliced wires,and connected them to my T/T terminals inside the boiler control box.I did the same for my other (2) zone valves,wired to the second xfrmer.I also had to wire the low water cut-off,so I wired it so that the leg from my service switch goes thru the low water cut-off,then proceeds to the L1,L2 terminals of the boiler's control box so it shuts everything off if there's a problem..(that was at the behest of the plumber). I "think" it'll work,..if not,I'll be back here asking dopey questions again.. Thanx again,guys!!
Russ




[This message has been edited by Attic Rat (edited 12-03-2005).]

... Oh,and Hal,... here's a REAL Rube Goldberg:


Russ

I like playing with boiler controls…

In my house I used a Tekmar 260 boiler controller to control three zones of heat and one indirect fired water heater all with individual circulators.

I have a 20 amp contactor that I use as a safety loop, a low water cut-off and Fireomatic thermal switch over the system hold the contactor closed.

A variable speed circulator on a bypass line keeps the return water at 135 minimum.



Edited to shrink image.

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 12-04-2005).]