Zone issue thoughts?

NEtech

Back story from customer 
“ I actually have an issue with my zones not triggering the furnace to turn on. It happened when my zone 3 wouldn't stop the heat and I want home... my wife pulled out the thermostat but didn't turn off the power so it zapped and since then I can't get it to trigger even with a new thermostat. Even zone 2 won't trigger the furnace but it'll openn up and allow heat to come through if the first zone turns on the furnace”

I have to deal with this Tommorow. So firstly it seems like there was constant power flow to the actuator causing constant heat. The wife cause the power to backflow. I assumed it was a blown fuse but why would only zone 1 be working. Thoughts?

mattmia2

More than one transformer, one of which has a blown fuse/tripped breaker, possibly feeding the other zones through the paralleled end switches when the working zone's end switch closes.

EdTheHeaterMan

This sounds expensive. You may even cause a domestic argument that will end up with about 20 or 30 cops showing up at the home tomorrow evening after you fix it and leave.

Whatever you do... Don't say the wife did anything wrong. It is important...NO... make that IMPORTANT to tell the husband that whatever the wife did is normal and that the parts that you replace were already broken before she touched it.

Just Saying,
signed: Experienced technician

EdTheHeaterMan

...Or were you asking a technical question?

STEVEusaPA

I would treat it like any other call. Walk in, ask them again what they did. Ask questions to make them explain it again, just to see if the story changes.
Then off to troubleshooting.
My initial thought is maybe a zone valve end switch was bad. The customer started touching things, shorted something, now who knows where it will end.
I'd probably pull all the wires, check the lv transformer first. Then start off ohming wires, looking for shorts, checking end switches, and to make sure they didn't hook things back up that will instantly short and ruin your work.
Hook it back up start checking zones to see if they're stuck open. Make sure there's enough water in the system.

As far as blame, I have no problem letting them know they shouldn't do anything more than change batteries in there thermostat, if that.
Look at all the work you have to do know because they had to touch stuff.
I tell every customer that does something similar the same thing.."Only one person is going to work on your equipment, you or me. You decide."
Let them write you your check, and let them solve their own domestic issues.

EdTheHeaterMan

What @STEVEusaPA said is right. Don't overthink the solution before you get there. I remember a time when my son was stressing over a service call for several days because they have a very complicated system and I was recovering from something or other and he was gone to meet the customer on Friday.

He stressed for 4 days trying to understand where to start first on the maze of controls and wires. Friday afternoon came and he found it was out of oil and the driver was there on Thursday. All that was needed was a prime and start. Eazy Pezy!

That stuff about the wife and the cops, probably won't happen

NEtech

EdTheHeaterMan said:

...Or were you asking a technical question?

I was asking a technical question but. This is priceless advice lol

mikeg2015

Very easy to overthink hydronic systems with often messy wiring if there isn't a nice clean zone panel.

Just follow the power and consider that the basic purpose of each component is, where you need power to make it work and what wire should deliver that power based on the controlling device.