wiring taco 3 zone valves ( wgalway)


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Old 11-19-14, 04:32 PM
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wiring taco 3 zone valves ( wgalway)

Hey Guys-

Watching this thread closely, as I have the same situation I think as Stu69.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/bo...ne-valves.html



Trying to wrap my head around the wiring aspect here of my 3 Taco valve, 1 circulator pump system. Encountered the same 'rats nest' of wires as well

Following a kitchen remodel- I've taken down some walls- which is pretty much rendering one of my zones (my den) useless.

I'm trying to understand if I can "eliminate" a zone (and a thermostat)- and simply piggyback the Taco value that I'm trying to consolidate onto the one I'm trying to merge with.

So basically- every time my main floor zone thermostat calls for heat- have it open the Taco valve for main floor + the den.

I'm just trying to see if this is possible....

But again- will see where this thread goes (and diagrams and things are always appreciated!)

Regards,
Will
 

Last edited by lawrosa; 11-19-14 at 05:40 PM.
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Old 11-19-14, 05:05 PM
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I'm just trying to see if this is possible.
It is... but discussing it here is kinda 'hijacking' Stu's thread... so I'm going to move your post to it's own thread later on...
 
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Old 11-19-14, 05:38 PM
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Whoops- yes, I didn't mean to hijack. Separate thread is surely a better idea If you haven't moved it- I can simply start a new one if easier...

Thanks for the diagram though. I'm going through my current wiring now to validate- but at first glance, it makes a lot more sense!

Thanks for the quick reply regardless.
 
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Old 11-19-14, 05:42 PM
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Posts moved... .
 
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Old 11-19-14, 07:26 PM
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Ok- thanks for moving to it's own thread. Sorry about that!

So I've attached a quick diagram of my current 3 zone set up. Sorry it's a bit crude. The craziest part of my setup (besides being covered under 45 years of dust)- is the mess of wire nuts and changing colors of wire. The colors in my diagram represent the actual wire colors - as they almost always changed from wire nut to wire nut.

Once again- due to my kitchen remodel and fewer walls- I'd love to be able to consolidate down to 2 zones.

Is there a way, via some Taco valve wiring fun and games, to combine by Family Room Zone with my First Floor zone? Again- such that I remove the Family Room Thermostat completely- but to have the baseboard in that room controlled by the First Floor Thermostat instead?

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Old 11-19-14, 08:46 PM
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Thanks Mike for moving the posts...

Yes, that looks like pretty much standard wiring for those valves.

I can't read what it says on the purple box.

Is that the aquastat control on the boiler?

Tell me the destination of those three wires inside the Barney box... terminal numbers, or whatever you can tell me.

Piggy backing the Taco valves is not as simple a matter as it would be if they were Honeywell or Erie valves with the isolated endswitches. I'll see what I can come up with as a drawing soon.
 
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Old 11-20-14, 08:32 AM
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Thanks for having a look!

Answers and more info below:


>> can't read what it says on the purple box. Is that the aquastat control on the boiler?

Sorry, the image got shrunken by the message board I think. The purple box just said "Furnace- Internal Transformer".

I've attached some more information on the Boiler Model. And a picture of the outside of the Honeywell Box where the transformer is located. Hope they come through ok in the post.

Let me know if this is enough info of if more is needed?

My main goal here is to try to eliminate a zone without have to physically change anything out. Though, if I need to do that, I'm handy enough to do it.

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Old 11-23-14, 08:48 AM
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Sorry for the delay, hope you're still reading... this time of year it's kinda hard to keep track of everyone!

I do NOT like the idea of powering three Taco zone valves from the transformer in the aquastat.

Taco valves are quite a bit more power hungry than the Honeywells and that transformer really is not up to the task. If all three zones call at once that transformer is going to get HOT!

Look inside the cover of the aquastat and tell me what model it is.

I've got a tentative solution to your wanting to 'piggyback' two valves but don't want to go there until I have more information.

What I'd really like to see you do is install an external transformer to power the valves.

Would you be able to mount a 4" utility box, run 120VAC from the boiler AC supply to the new box, and wire up a transformer?

If you burn out the transformer in the aquastat, you're in for NO HEAT and maybe $150 for a new aquastat and likely delays in getting a new one.

If an external transformer fails (which is less likely because it will be sized for the load) you're in for maybe $20 or so and these are usually on the shelf at the big box stores.

Even if the external transformer fails, you can still manually open the valves and get heat. Good to know if it's 3 AM on Sunday, Christmas Eve, during the blizzard of the century.
 
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Old 11-23-14, 08:54 AM
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By the way...

I'd like to see some wider pics of the system showing all the wiring.

I see some things that appear questionable regarding the existing wiring.

Those black cables in the picture below... I believe that is absolutely the wrong wire to be used in this application. Is there any printing on the jacket of that wire? What does it say? Is that something that has always been there? Do you know who wired it?

 
 

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