Need best wireless thermostat options without WiFi

Billiambob

Three thermostats are not communicating with the zone valves on the home heating boiler supply loop. None of the wires at the zone valves change voltage for demands for heat on these zones. The thermostats have two wires that change from 24VAC to 1.6VAC upon demand for heat. The problem is I can’t find the thermostat inputs/wires at the zone control boards or circulation pumps. Some parts of the system do work but I must jumper the demand wires on the Taco radiant mixing block (RMB) to get any flow.

Is there a remote control thermostat and receiver to get the heat demand signals to the zone control boards and also support boiler and circulating functions? Please advise, the existing wiring and possible hidden boards or valves is buried forever somewhere in the walls.

Thanks in advance

ratio

If you're getting 24(ish) VAC on the wires at the thermostats not calling for heat, the wires are fine.

How 'bout a few pics of the zone valves. Any control board looking things around?

Billiambob

Thanks for responding. None of the six thermostat inputs at the Taco zone control board change when the three thermostat outputs go from 24VAC to 1.6VAC (measured at each sending thermostat) . There is a seven wire cable that goes into the wall but I can’t find the other end anywhere. At the zone control area it is connected to a 24VAC transformer and to the demand input on the RMB. The 24VAC power does go away at each thermostat when the 24VAC transformer is disconnected. I can’t find the RMB input wire or any seven wire cable. It is obviously connected somewhere in the wall but I can’t find it. The place is a big house/cabin in a ski resort area. The construction is a log cabin flavor, it is not a typical dry wall. There may be another control board and/or circulator connected to the seven wire cable but I can’t find it. I’m hoping to maybe bypass the missing connections by using a wireless (not WiFi) three zone thermostat and receiver system. I won’t be able to open any walls and I don’t see any access panels or mystery doors.

ratio

I'm unaware of any kind of multi-thermostat wireless interface. Maybe three of these https://customer.resideo.com/en-US/Pages/Product.aspx?cat=HonECC%2520Catalog&pid=YTH5320R1000/U&category=YTH5320&catpath=1.2.1.4.1&rank=0&v1=Sort.1.Product.Rank&asc=1 , they'll each have their own equipment module.

I still think you need to do more searching. Even if all three wires are bad (certainly possible), they all come together somewhere. Your problem is probably located there.

Pics?

Billiambob

Thanks, I still haven’t given up hunting for the missing hidden wires and/or equipment. Another problem is I think that some of the wire runs maybe set in the concrete floor. I found two wires with five conductors each that are cut off 6 inches before going down into the concrete floor. I don’t know what they were for (telephone? or alarm? or ???) and there is no continuity or ground on them. hopefully they were not part of the heating system.

Note: I was just told that this system never worked correctly and several heating service businesses had tried and failed to fix it. One guy did replace the boiler ($$$$ gone) even though the shared home hot water heater was working fine.

ratio

They make wire tracers that will follow the wire in the wall. They even make them that will follow a wire underground, but those get a little spendy. A commercial electrician might have the proper tool.

I've used a phone guy's tone set to follow wires in the past, but those are made for unenergized wires, even 24 VAC might let the smoke out. Might try it on the W (the one that is NOT 24 VAC to ground). You should be able to get a cheap tone set from your local big box store.

PeteA

I know this is only a temporary fix but you could always just lay some new low voltage ther wires around the house and down to the boiler if thats what it takes to get it working while you establish a more permanent route to run the wires or set up a wireless solution. I personally prefer hardwire since it's usually easier to troubleshoot (just not in your current case because someone else ran the wires :) ) Look for a pipe or vent that goes from upstairs to downstairs to just temporarily run the lines, you'll save your sanity by not trying to unthink someone else's work.