Heating Help

from here

@ February 16, 2013 1:32 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

the only other test is to disconnect the wire from Z-R. It is high voltage, and I would recommend an electrician from here. You seem capable, but I would rather you net get "zapped" . I would say either wired wrong, or bad relay for Amtrol. It is also best to shut of switches when working with wiring.

have you

@ February 16, 2013 1:07 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

tried to move the levers on each zone valve head? If they move easily towards the piping, then a thermostat has sent power to it

can't be

@ February 16, 2013 1:02 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

sounds like the "Z" control, and it should have it's own relay built in. Is the an external relay there also? Shouldn't be, unless they have tied the 2 black wires from the thermostat into "T-T" on a switching relay, and have properly wired an RA845

also

@ February 16, 2013 12:53 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

looks like a feed valve was replaced behind the hivent? That would not cause too much heat. It was possibly leaking, or there was no pressure on the boiler. The circulator would most likely be in back of that boiler. Follow your return piping down, there it will be. I don't see that it was installed to pump away

L-1

@ February 16, 2013 12:48 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

Tom, the 3 wires that I see going out of the left side of the control are black, which is your L-1, white, which is L-2, and the red is is power coming back into the control box from the Amtrol, and ties into Z-R to override the low limit, or send power thru a limit if cold start. The sound you heard in the control was either you touching #2 & #3, or that might have been the "clapper" dropping out meaning that is the bad head, or it was calling for heat at the time of test.

looks like it to me

@ February 16, 2013 11:44 AM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

from the pic, looks like the red wire is tied into Z-R. Also looks like the relay is pulled in on the control. I'm thinking Amtrol is not wired right. If you had a bad power head all these years, your circ would be fried. The relay not only overrides the low limit, it also powers the circulator. My bet would be the red wire is tied into the L-1 at the tank. Z-1 only activates for hi limit, and won't power the heating circ.

#3 wire

@ February 16, 2013 11:39 AM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

Tom, by loosening the terminal screw, and pulling the wire off, that will take that zone out of the mix. If you hear the relay in the control drop out immediately, and that zone wasn't actually "calling" for heat, that would be the culprit head. If the #3 wire is not looped on all heads, you must wire nut it to make sure all the other heads are still in the mix. You have a lot of zones there. Is there a wire on Z-R in your aquastat? That should be from your Amtrol. Could also be the problem

bleeder

@ February 16, 2013 11:20 AM in broken bleed valve on burner

They don't need to be that tight to start with, and although I have never asked for one at a supply house, I don't think they are sold separately. I would say that there is probably a "J" pump on there. You should hire a pro to replace it for many reason. Rotation, current PSI, etc. The pump is to the left. You provided no pic of it to determine what pump is on it. I would also try not to run out of fuel. It is not good all around the board.

wires

@ February 16, 2013 8:18 AM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

Tom, I would remove only the #3 wire on the power head. It is the one closest to the the heating pipe that the base is plumbed to. This way if it does need to heat, #1  will power the head, and you will get gravity heat thru that zone. #2 & #3 are the end switch or points, if the head is green, to make your "T-T" circuit for the aquastat to run to high limit. Disconnecting #3 on the head will disable that possibility, and help to isolate the problem. I would also check all the heads for a wire shorting between #2 & #3  . This will have the same affect.

Utica

@ February 15, 2013 9:49 PM in Utica \Boiler mate Short Cycling

I have the same boiler and indirect in my own house. It maintains about 100 degrees, and high of 180. it does not run every hour. I would look into replacing a zone valve head. Something is running this up to hi limit, but mot sending heat around. Bad end switch in a power head? If the Amtrol wasn't heating, then something else brought it on. I would turn your low limit all the way down. Although you can turn that control into a cold start control, I wouldn't. What control is on your Amtrol?  Smart or Z ? How is it zoned? You have a 3 section cast iron boiler that has a tankless coil that is not in use anymore. It is not set up to preheat the tanks cold water inlet, is it? Stack damper would also be a good investment. It will help to stop the rapid stand-by temp loss if it is chimney vented. Also pics are also a good thing. Also water or antifreeze in it?

quiet

@ February 12, 2013 7:41 PM in Rattling sound

with or without the air intake attached, they are about the quietest boiler I have installed or serviced. In the early 80's, getting parts for rotary burners/boilers were getting to be tough. That was a boiler, if set right, you could walk by it and hardly know that it was running. The unfortunate solution to lack of parts was to replace the unit itself. Some we built chambers and installed Beckett burners, some got Vertiflames before that. The only boiler that would come close to as quiet, other than gas, was EK, and I still feel that way today. What nozzle is in it, and can you provide more pics and combustion readings? Is this chimney vented? I understand your frustrations, but this is a result of a poor rep, installer, and service personnel  that you have been unfortunate enough to be dealing with.

all of the above and

@ February 12, 2013 6:50 AM in Beckett cf500 burner smith a19 series boiler

 incoming voltage, pump pressure, Firing rate, was this an OEM package? Do you need the specs for this?

leak

@ February 12, 2013 6:46 AM in Beckett burner leaks

Possible leaky Clean-Cut pump. Pull the motor, and look at the shaft seal. May also be a faulty pump cover gasket, oil inlet fitting, or hopefully a fireomatic valve, pump casting leak, plugged off option not sealed or tight, adjustment "O" ring, or nozzle line. If you have it pitched towards the chamber, and, and just slightly is sufficient, the leak out side the burner chassis will be drawn in thru the air bands. Start outside, then work your way in. Any pics?

not the thermostat

@ February 11, 2013 6:37 PM in Zone Problems

They can be calibrated. 

sounds like a plan

@ February 10, 2013 8:15 PM in Zone Problems

The old T87 base plate needs to be level. 

Yes, they are not

@ February 10, 2013 8:13 PM in Rattling sound

a service company, but they should help to find you some competent tech in your area. Sounds like the rep has as much compassion as your service guys. Anyone here close to that area? I would also look thru the find a contractor here.

got that right Ice

@ February 10, 2013 7:40 PM in bad boiler installation?

Gold with a EZ-1 would have been a good  choice here. Everything in the front. It also needs outside air intake

you can check

@ February 10, 2013 7:37 PM in Zone Problems

the dip switches in the back, but more often than not, we would change out 3-4 of these things until one would stay within a couple of degrees of where it was set. I have had them off as much as 10 degrees. This was a hurry up replacement for the T87 mercury thermostat. Still unbeatable in my eyes. 

That's part of it

@ February 10, 2013 7:31 PM in furnace lockout

It was Delavan for Beckett, Hago/Steinen/Monarch for carlin. There is enough of a profile height of the nozzle that would make a difference in performance. For some reason, some guys feel as though they need to loosen the gun adjustment screw on a Beckett AF/AFG to remove the gun. They would rarely get it set back to where it belonged, and was too lazy to pull the burner and set it with the gauge. F-3 is the most common, and most used head. It will fire from a .75-1.25 GPH. If you remember the early Peerless JOT from late 70's, early 80, they came thru with F-12 heads. They were a problem. That was a Peerless thing. New Yorker AP models had F-6 head for 1.00 GPH nozzles. They ran for crap until an F-3 head was installed. Columbia was even worse. F-0 heads for .75-.85. Noisy, crappy, and whatever else you want to throw in there. A lot of bad rap was due to armchair mechanics that came up with specs that worked in the lab just fine.

t87k

@ February 10, 2013 7:19 PM in Zone Problems

is a terrible thermostat. Among the worst. Go with the digital Pro-1000. everything else, from what I can see, looks OK.

I can only imagine

@ February 10, 2013 7:16 PM in bad boiler installation?

what was in there before. I thought it was one of those wonderful Dunkirk boilers. They knew nothing about installing and servicing when they did this mess. That hivent on the return is a no-no here. Probably part of your air problem. Is this a mono-flo system?

what model

@ February 10, 2013 7:10 PM in Zone Problems

honeywell thermostat?