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Baseboard Heat will not turn on if Radiant Heat is on

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michemez
michemez Member Posts: 5
in Strictly Steam
I currently have a boiler that was a steam boiler converted to a gas gun. The system is running steam, hot water base board and radiant heat. We converted to gas and added the radiant heat 2 years ago and last year the system worked most of the time. This year when we try and turn on the 2 baseboard zones they click but they do not turn produce any heat if the radiant heat is on. If we turn off the radiant heat then the baseboard works. The steam is working either way. I have had a few people look at it and they both said to get a second boiler for the baseboard and radiant heat. I just feel that there must be another issue if they will turn on independently when the other one is off. It isn't an issue where it isn't producing enough heat it is not producing any if the radiant heat is on.

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  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,569
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    Is the radiant in slab? Can you post pictures of the boiler piping?
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,381
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    What clicks? This sounds much more like a control or wiring problem, if it worked before and doesn't work now and you changed no pipes.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Snowmelt
    Snowmelt Member Posts: 1,416
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    if you Google add a loop you may find the correct way to do this.
  • michemez
    michemez Member Posts: 5
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    The is over the basement and crawl space. There was a mud job but no slab.

    I was incorrect - it does not click when we turn the thermostat up and the radiant heat it on, it doesn't do anything.

    I will post a picture later today.

    Thank you
  • michemez
    michemez Member Posts: 5
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  • michemez
    michemez Member Posts: 5
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  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,381
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    Plumber's nightmare. However, I don't think the plumbing has much to do with it. You need to trace out all your control and pump and valve wiring, and see what does what. Then you need to work through the system controls very systematically and figure out what things are supposed to do -- and what they are doing. I'm almost 100% sure this is a control/wiring problem.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • michemez
    michemez Member Posts: 5
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    Jamie - thank you for replying. All the Plumbers look at it and shake their head. I am struggling to find someone who knows steam heat well and can help with the issue. I would prefer to not have to purchase another boiler.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,381
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    You don't need another boiler. What you do need is a tech. with some imagination, a multimeter, and the brains to use both of them. This is not, repeat NOT, a plumbing or boiler problem.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England

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