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intermittent boiler operation Hydrostat 3200 Plus

brownman78
brownman78 Member Posts: 3
I have the same type problem and I noticed it on the coldest day about 10 degrees outside about a week after I had a new Columbia boiler installed with a Hydrostat 3200 Plus installed on the boiler.
This is my sequence of failure.
1. Call for heat
2. damper opens, pilot lights, and burner turns on, blue light on Hydrostat turns on water heats up to 125 degrees, circulator pump turns on.
3. water cools down to about 115 degrees, pump turns off, burner still firing. water heats up to 125degrees circulator pumps turns back on and stays on until the water temp reaches 145 degrees.
4. When the water reaches 145 degrees the burner turns off the damper closes and the circulator pump continues to run, and the water cools down to 135 degrees.
5. After the water temp reaches 135 degrees, the damper opens (this is the problem) The pilot lights for about 1/10 of a second give or take, and everything shuts down, all lights on the Hydrostat turns on (ALL LIGHTS), then lights 1 Temp Active, 3 LWCO, and 4 LOW WATER and 5 Economy Active stays on, the others turn off, then the Low water light turns off and the circulator pump turns back on, damper closes and reopens and the sequence repeat itself. sometimes this will repeat up to 10 times before the burner fires and stays on and the unit will function properly, heating the water up the 180 degrees in stages without a hiccup. Sometimes it will heat to a temp over 145, 155, 165, 175 and so on) but whatever temp it reaches, if it acts up the circulator pump runs until it reaches 135 degrees before the damper reopens or the burner tries to fire. When it's very cold out, I have to turn the hydrostat to off, and it will reach the high temp, it may still repeat the failure, except it will continue to try to fire the burner until it lights.

Comments

  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,377
    edited May 2023
    Hello @brownman78,
    Sounds like a power problem to the Hydrostat 3200 Plus. A poor wiring connection is driving it nuts, if you can work on 120 VAC circuits safely check the connections. Or there is an internal problem with the Hydrostat 3200 Plus.

    I would monitor the 120 VAC at the unit with a meter when it acts up. Also I would verify the T/TV call is stable too.

    When it does it's 'all lights on' thing that sound like a reboot of the embedded micro-controller (the electronics stuff), which could be a power problem, a power quality problem, a defect with the Hydrostat 3200 Plus unit or possibly it is seeing an erratic call for heat and the embedded software triggers a reboot in an attempt to clear the situation for various reasons known only to the software engineer.

    Additionally, I suppose the end switch in the damper could be erratic too, but it seems like the Hydrostat 3200 Plus may have supervisory control over the damper motor besides the thermostat.
    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • brownman78
    brownman78 Member Posts: 3
    You're right about the damper. I will check the 120v. thanks
  • 109A_5
    109A_5 Member Posts: 1,377
    Hello @brownman78,

    Have you seen this ?
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyhouse.com/product_files/Hydrolevel-48-3200-User-Guide.pdf

    It is actually a Product Bulletin about Grounding Notice for Remote Mounted HydroStat 3200, and not a User Guide.

    Also if the embedded software sees an erratic activity on the Damper's end switch it may have the capability of cycling the damper to try to clear the situation. However I see no Damper end switch error indication with the Hydrostat 3200 Plus. All depends on the sophistication of the unit's software.

    You could also jumper the T/TV to eliminate any erratic operation of a thermostat or Zone Valve end switches (if any). When you eliminate all the external influences that could possibly drive the Hydrostat 3200 Plus nuts it probably is the Hydrostat 3200 Plus unit.
    National - U.S. Gas Boiler 45+ Years Old
    Steam 300 SQ. FT. - EDR 347
    One Pipe System
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    Wow, that's a lotta lights.
    Weird goings on.
    While the burners are firing and the damper is open, you could switch the damper to manual open, thereby knocking one thing off the list.

    If it still does it, go into the Hydrostat and change the LWCO setting from auto to manual reset, or better yet, go into the "well type" setting and change it to "standard well". That will eliminate the LWCO. Don't forget to put it back when done.
    Compound only on the Electro-Well, no tephlon tape?
    And no heat transfer grease. 

    When using the Economy setting, initial target temperature is 145°, and it's doing that. It's when it meets the differential and goes to recycle that things get funky. 
    The last thing if it still happens, is turn the economy setting off and set the high limit to 180°.
    I'm just throwing that one out there to see if it makes it to 180° with no hiccups. 

    What is the low limit set to? Turn it off if not already. 

    Is there an indirect?
    Is the hydronic side piped correctly? Pumping away?

    After all that, I'm leaning towards what @109A_5 wrote. Shut off the power, make sure all electrical connections are tight and secure. Pay attention to grounds. But it could be the control itself.