New home..

Steam_Starter

Home inspection today. HWBB heating with 3 zones, 3 zone valves, 3 thermostats, and pumping away.

How the heck do I require this so it doesn’t look like someone puked spaghetti all over the basement wall?

unclejohn

If it aint broke don't fix it. You have a isolation relay a transformer a tstat some where and a valve. The transformer powers the valve and the tstat and the relay. The tstat calls and opens the valve, the valve strokes open and powers the relay coil, The relay contacts close and power the boiler.

Steamhead

Some wire ties would make it look a whole lot better.

Steam_Starter

I agree with the “not broke don’t fix it “ idea. However, I’m a steam man by heart and I take pride and joy not only making things look neat but accessible.

Hydronics are a new world to me. I need to study up and learn. But when I see this horrible workmanship it drives me crazy.

It’s actually three stats, three valves and this awful mess. One stat is on the other side of the same wall. Silliness.

I won’t pull it apart but I am going to trace out and label everything then wire tie it up per steamhead.

All of these low voltage wires shouldn’t be tucked in a box or housing?

Thanks.

Steamhead

Steam_Starter said:

All of these low voltage wires shouldn’t be tucked in a box or housing?

Most Codes permit low-voltage wiring to be installed that way. I've seen them run in EMT on some very old commercial jobs, but not residential.

Steam_Starter

Thank you sir....

ratio

Sometimes the only thing to do is rip it all out and start over again, esp. if you can't figure out how it's doing whatever it is it does.

Write down a list of all the pieces you have to work with and what has to happen. That's usually enough to put the puzzle back together.

JUGHNE

You could install another 1 x 4 board on the wall next to the existing one. Then install a 4 x 4 steel box, install a RIB relay thru one of the KO's.
I used low voltage PVC wiring gutter/channel to butt up against the steel box on the top and bottom. The channel is about 2 1/2" x 1 1/2", the cover snaps off, the sides of the gutter consists of fingers with spaces to bring wires inside. I did all my splicing inside the gutter, no wire nuts are exposed. You would need to bring the 24 VAC from the transformer into the gutter. Otherwise no cable exposed as you have now. Your gutter could go up to the ceiling and below as needed.

For zone valves I would run 18-4 tstat cable to each. 2 wires to power motor and 2 wires for end switch. All these cables are brought into the wiring gutter. All splices would be inside the gutter. Labeling could go on the back of the cover for ID.

My gutter got so full it was tough getting the cover snapped on, so some rubber bands around the "teeth" held things as the cover was installed. It came in 6' length and was reasonable money. It is best to stagger the location of the wire nuts as it fills up pretty fast.

lchmb

new taco control box..an hour or two..and will look beautiful.. to a boiler guy anyway..

Rich_49

lchmb said:

new taco control box..an hour or two..and will look beautiful.. to a boiler guy anyway..

Correct . Taco ZVC403 cleans it all up .

Steam_Starter

Thanks, all. The first thing I need to do is trace everything out. There are low voltage wires everywhere draped all over the room that tie back into this mess. I seriously don’t know how anyone does this. And at this time I could not locate the 3rd zone valve. The three thermostats all use different size wiring back into the zone valves. No rhyme or reason. But somehow, it seems to work in the current configuration. Once we own the home I will delve into this octopus and clean it up one step at a time. After my wife makes me rip out and replace the kitchen!

At least the configuration is pumping away and the HX is clean and intact. (The home inspector thought I was crazy with my obsession of the boiler.) I won’t get into the dampness around the air eliminator...yet.

I’ll be back...

Thanks again.

Zman

With the taco box it is super simple. T-stats land in one area. Zone valves in another. Boiler TT, circs and power are pretty self explanatory.

As soon as you determine which t-stat goes with which zone valve, just start hacking. It will be easier with a clean start.

Steam_Starter

I am seeing that the Taco ZC makes simple work of this. Easy to follow the wiring diagram.

For my own edification, what is the purpose of the isolation relay and is it integrated into the Taco zone control and can be eliminated?

Zman

I think the isolation relay might have been to add artistic interest, things looked a bit drab between the switch and the transformer.
Perhaps an old timer told him he needed it?
I try not to get too far into the head of someone who does that kind of work.

Seriously,
I don't think it was needed with a 4 wire zone valve, you would with some 3 wire setups. They probably thought it isolated the boiler circuit from the t-stat circuit although the end switches should have done that.
The Taco box takes care of that internally.

Steam_Starter

Thanks, Z. When we finally get in I’ll report back with any questions and /or update.