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R7184- low voltage damage

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Norm Harvey
Norm Harvey Member Posts: 684
in Thermostats and Controls
Carol,

What is the minimum voltage that todays heating controls can safely function? Would it be economical to instal a voltage regulator on the heating circut?

I wonder how expensive a 120-110 voltage regulator is.

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  • Spark
    Spark Member Posts: 1
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    R7184- low voltage damage

    Hello,
    During a storm a home encountered a low voltage condition. The R7184 and the Beckett igniter were damaged. Is there a minimum voltage where the controller will not switch the line voltage to the igniter? Both Honeywell and Beckett could not help me there. Beckett said anything under 80 volts will do damage. If there is no safeguard, maybe there should be. At least it would save one component. Thanks,
    Spark
  • mtfallsmikey
    mtfallsmikey Member Posts: 765
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    Got me to thinkin'

    I just lost a 7184 last week, just over 3 yrs. old. Had the ice storm, but dunno if we had spikes/sags or not. Ignitor ok. Good question!...Most solid state devices no like spikes.
  • carol_3
    carol_3 Member Posts: 397
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    I have no idea. I posted your question on the main part of "the Wall" this morning to Bill W's attention (he's at Honeywell), but I can't seem to find the posting now.
  • carol_3
    carol_3 Member Posts: 397
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    Here's a reply from Bill W who is at Honeywell:
    I have always been a proponent of installing whole-house surge supressors to protect all the electronic gizmos we depend on today, and not just for heating & cooling. Ligtning transients do funny things to electrical systems, as does utility load switching. Brownouts regularly fry AC compressors, low voltage cooks zone valve motors, so I would assume that the same would happen to an oil primary. I will forward this to the combustion gurus to see what they have to say.
  • Ed_26
    Ed_26 Member Posts: 284
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    voltage issues

    I have found a lot of this - gas & oil - especially with solid state controls/modules. It seems to me that with low voltage comes high voltage - surges when the utility supply comes back on line. Lots of times the ower is out long enough to create a call for heat, so the appliance is open to the surge - solid state controls can't take it, especially multiple occurrences. Honeywell, Robertshaw, & other control designers are not necessarily to blame. The homeowner should be shutting the power off to every appliance to protect it during power problems.
  • mtfallsmikey
    mtfallsmikey Member Posts: 765
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    sort of a rebuttal?

    To Bill W. and Ed: I agree with both of your assesments basically, but the surge/spike in voltage happened when my wife and I were at work, so turning off the affected circuit to the heating appliance is not always feasable. and as far as whole house suppressors are concerned, they are not always foolproof, but work reasonably well depending on the method and devices used. Why can't Honeywell or other manufacturers install some MOV's or protection on their controls? Wouldn't cost too much me thinks!
  • carol_3
    carol_3 Member Posts: 397
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    I don't have an answer for either.
This discussion has been closed.

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