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aquastat fail

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horriblehannah
horriblehannah Member Posts: 1
in Oil Heating

oil burner is 16 years old with a lifespan of 30 years (though we are told it can last even longer). aquastat failed …

…is it because we wired the thermostat incorrectly?

Got a new thermostat (high voltage digital) in our living area but we wired it incorrectly. fried the thermostat and knocked the boiler out, tripped the breaker.

rewired the thermostat…reset the boiler….and then the aquastat went crazy. had to replace.

was it simply the shock that came from incorrectly wiring the thermostat?

…looking for a knowledgeable plumber in our area

Comments

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 12,221
    edited 11:37AM

    Sounds like you may have incorrectly selected the wrong thermostat. Unfortunately incorrect electrical connections can make electrical devices fail prematurely

    You should call the oil company and ask if they know anyone that works on oil burners.

    One of the things about oil burners is that if they are not operational, they don't burn oil. My father taught me that when I was very young. And when you own an oil company, if your customers stop burning oil, you don't sell as much oil. So it is in our best interest to keep our customers oil burners operating so we can sell more oil. That is why it is often a good idea to call on your oil dealer for service on your oil burner. They probably know a guy who knows a guy that can help you

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

  • HeatingHelp.com
    HeatingHelp.com Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 231

    @horriblehannah, welcome to Heating Help! We've merged your duplicate posts to prevent confusion.

    Thanks, @EdTheHeaterMan!

    Forum Moderator

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 27,391

    T directly answer your question, @horriblehannah , the answer is yes. Incorrect wiring, especially any wiring which involves mixing high voltage and 24 VAC control voltage, can an often will fry things. In your situation, it may have fired more than the aquastat… such as the burner cotnrols or other safety controls. You need to have a qualified oil burner technician — not a plumber — go over the whole of the control wiring.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 7,459

    A "high voltage digital" thermostat would not kill an aquastat all by itself. The thermostat can handle 120/230 vac switching, so low voltage switching to TT on an aquastat won't do it alone. It neeeds human help.

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 27,391
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1893891#Comment_1893891

    True. But even momentarily connecting 120 VAC to what should be 24 VAC controls can be… unhelpful.

    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England

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