17
votes
Accepted
Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible
An Old Debate
There are is a very old debate about whether it's better to leave the thermostat at a constant temperature or to turn the temperature down when unoccupied and up when occupied. I am in ...
- 24.3k
8
votes
Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible
Setting back your thermostat to any reasonable temperature for any reason amount of time will only save 5-10% over the course of a season.
Apples to apples
You can't simply compare your bill to your ...
- 6,116
6
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Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible
Our heating bills are about 25% higher than our average neighbors according to our bill, yet our temperature is always as low as we can stand it (mid 50's), we have excellent insulation throughout the ...
- 446
6
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Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible
And are there any other factors to consider?
There is one factor of note that you have attempted to consider:
we don't have drafty windows
Unfortunately, the idea that windows are a major factor ...
- 1,182
5
votes
HVAC Heat only comes on when Fan is set to "ON" (not Auto)
The zone board's gone bad
Since upstairs is broken, yet downstairs is fine, and it's not a thermostat issue, I'd point the finger at the zone board having something wrong with it. Just to make sure, ...
- 73.7k
3
votes
How to test whether or not a breaker is powering a zone valve and thermostat?
I would think a simple non-contact voltage detector would tell you whether there's power running to the wiring.
While the power is on, determine which wire(s) are hot.
Turn off a candidate breaker.
...
- 31k
3
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How to test whether or not a breaker is powering a zone valve and thermostat?
The Zone-A-Flow 1311 runs on 25V AC. That is also typical for thermostats in general - though many "dumb" thermostats don't even need any power at all. So what you are looking for is a ...
3
votes
One bedroom in a heating zone hotter than others
Since you mention "oil heat" and "hot water tank", it sounds like this is an oil burning boiler, feeding hot water through radiators to the various rooms, with each zone controlled ...
3
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Most cost effective thermostat setting: consistent temperature vs. lowest temperature possible
It is a myth that furnaces need to work "harder" if turned off for a while or if the room cools or heats too much. This has been tested and is recommended even by the government:
https://www.energy....
- 191
3
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Can you use 1 ecobee thermostat to control 2 zone valves for heating?
unfortunately the ecobee is not set up to do that. Each thermostat only controls one heating zone, regardless of the quantity of room sensors. The way the sensors are used is fairly flexible. They ...
- 31
3
votes
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How to test whether or not a breaker is powering a zone valve and thermostat?
Multimeter would do the trick, and is a useful tool that does not cost much unless you go for the high-end ones.
Check for 24VAC (usually) on the thermostat wires (either disconnected, or with the ...
- 139k
3
votes
Accepted
What metrics determine whether a zone valve is a suitable replacement for another?
Let's see if I can answer in a way that steers clear of "shopping question!"
A valve has several parameters that you might want to compare when searching for a replacement. For example:
...
- 20.4k
2
votes
What are normally-open hydronic zone valves used for?
Choice of normally open or normally closed for a valve actuator is part of the overall controls design process, part of which is considering safety/protective functions.
As an example, consider a ...
- 21
2
votes
Zoned 2 stage heat pump system, aux heat not engaging
Hey I am a professional hvac contractor that specific zone board will not do 3 stages of heat so it will not work with a 2 stage heat pump and heat strips you need to replace that board with Honeywell ...
2
votes
Accepted
Run mini-split heat pump heads at different temperatures
It's complete BS. If that was actually a problem, then the system wouldn't let you do that.
- 19.1k
2
votes
Why does my radiant heater have multiple zone valves?
Difficult to know for sure without asking the designer. For instance, there might be limiting sensors to keep the floor from getting too hot, that might be per "loop zone" rather than "...
- 139k
1
vote
Accepted
HVAC turning on heat during cooling cycle
The solution ended up being to transfer the HVAC wiring for zone 1 to zone 3 thus pointing the finger of blame at something being defective with zone 1 on the control board.
Guess I need to buy a new ...
- 111
1
vote
Accepted
R and C wiring for Air Handler and Zone Panel
You should wire this controller according to its documentation. It's pretty clear. Each thermostat needs R, C, and the other control wires connected to the appropriate zone terminals. Each heat/...
- 18.6k
1
vote
Sun room hvac heating and air
Your idea is full of holes as we like to say. As @Ecnerwal stated in his response, you have an area with a different heat loss and gain from the rest of the house. Just adding a supply and return duct ...
- 12.2k
1
vote
Zoned Forced Air System Runs 2.5X Upstairs vs. Downstairs
What you are seeing is actually normal IMHO and as a result of the second law of thermodynamics. Heat travels from hot things to cold things.
You are under the impression heat rises. That is only ...
- 1,722
1
vote
Thermostat C wiring issue
You're right: the wiring colors as installed are "wrong" according to convention. The arrangement in the "after" drawing should satisfy the thermostats and operate the system ...
- 20.4k
1
vote
c wire on a multi taco zone valve boiler
One of those transformer terminals is "R" the other is "C"
If the red wire joins to the thermostat "R" wires then the beige wire is "C"
Thermostat wires should ...
- 14.2k
1
vote
Splitting a hydronic zone. Zone valves or separate circulator pump?
The problem with one pump and valves is that you can't ensure that you always get the flow you want when one of the valves is closed vs. both open. So things can be difficult to balance.
With two ...
- 20.6k
1
vote
How to properly pipe a hydronic heating system
This isn't an "answer" but a caution. I have a hydronic, in floor heating system in my house and let me tell you, there is a LOT of design and engineering to do to get this right. Even the ...
- 15.4k
1
vote
What are the steps to drain and refill zone for zone valve replacement?
I turned off both valves 1 & 2 figuring it isolated most things and valve 2 didn't seem to close all the way.
The steps I used to drain were:
turn supply off
turn return off
open hose bibb
open ...
- 383
1
vote
Accepted
Does manual operation of a Taco 570 series zone valve operate the boiler?
After speaking to a service tech, I've confirmed that the design of the Taco valves is that the boiler contact is not energized when in manual override. However, he also stated that he's seen ...
- 3,888
1
vote
Accepted
Why does a system boiler with hot water cylinder not use a diverter valve?
Radiators don't put out a lot of heat at that temperature, so you'd need a lot more area, so the heating loop usually runs warmer than you'd really want the hot water cylinder to get up to, so the ...
- 599
1
vote
HZ432 and no heat in one zone
Here is an image from the installation manual of your zone controller:
The fact that Heat 1 and Heat 2 are red means that some combination of thermostats is calling for stage 1 and stage 2 heat.
The ...
- 26.7k
1
vote
Accepted
Zone Controller T-Stat Wiring w/ 24V transformer, isolation relays for 2 zones
That is correct, yes
That is a correct way to wire the coil-sides of two isolation relays -- one end of the secondary provides C to the relay coils and thermostat C wires, while the other side of the ...
- 73.7k
1
vote
Whole house humidifier when furnace is in unconditioned space
It does not need to be installed in the unconditioned space near the furnace. It should be in the duct that feeds all the others. Look for a powered humidifier. It will need a 120V outlet, water ...
- 3,708
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