Circ. pump was not running. Dead batteries in the thermostat?

[Gasifier]

The circulation pump for my garage radiant floor heat stopped running. So my brother and I started trouble shooting. I thought that when I insulated my 1.5 and 1.25" copper pipes I might have cut the thermo wire. I had found some old wires and cut them to get them out of the way. Anyway, we put a signaling device on the wire from the Grundfoss circ. pump and the signal went right to the control panel. So, I remembered that I had not changed the battery in the thermostat since I put it in, probably two years ago. Changed the batteries. Circ. pump still not on. ? We then went to control panel in boiler room. And he thought that maybe the relay that closes the circuit for the 120(115) electricity to the pump was bad. We swapped that out with one that was not being used. Little green light above that relay comes on, was not on before. Circ. pump now runs.? So then we switched the relay back to be sure it was the relay. Little green light above the relay still on. Circ. pump still runs.? Could the batteries being so old, maybe totally dead, have caused this?

 

[Sawyer]

I am Curious about your "signaling device". Could you point me in the direction of a manufacturer? If this can trace electrical current through a wire it may be useful to locate a break I have in a wire to my pole building.

 

[mikefrommaine]

Any voltmeter should have a continuity test function that will help in tracing broken wires.

 

[mikefrommaine]

The circulation pump for my garage radiant floor heat stopped running. So my brother and I started trouble shooting. I thought that when I insulated my 1.5 and 1.25" copper pipes I might have cut the thermo wire. I had found some old wires and cut them to get them out of the way. Anyway, we put a signaling device on the wire from the Grundfoss circ. pump and the signal went right to the control panel. So, I remembered that I had not changed the battery in the thermostat since I put it in, probably two years ago. Changed the batteries. Circ. pump still not on. ? We then went to control panel in boiler room. And he thought that maybe the relay that closes the circuit for the 120(115) electricity to the pump was bad. We swapped that out with one that was not being used. Little green light above that relay comes on, was not on before. Circ. pump now runs.? So then we switched the relay back to be sure it was the relay. Little green light above the relay still on. Circ. pump still runs.? Could the batteries being so old, maybe totally dead, have caused this?

I'd guess that the relay is starting to go bad causing it to stick. Taking it could have jiggled it enough to start working again.

 

[Sawyer]

Any voltmeter should have a continuity test function that will help in tracing broken wires.

I know which wires are broken, I am hoping this "Finder" would act like a fault finder and be capable of telling me where the break is.

 

[Gasifier]

I am Curious about your "signaling device". Could you point me in the direction of a manufacturer? If this can trace electrical current through a wire it may be useful to locate a break I have in a wire to my pole building.

Hey Sawyer,

I do not know the manufacturer of the device. I will however find out for you. I can tell you this. My brother runs his own business installing and repairing phone systems. He also installs and trouble shoots computer cabeling, installs and trouble shoots fire alarm and security systems.

So the device that he was using is used in the phone system install/repair business. What it does is put a simple tone on the line and then you go to where you want to look for it with a "wand" that he has that finds the tone. The "wand" is a small hand held device. Anywho, I will talk to my brother about who manufactures it for you.

Anyone know if the batteries being dead could have caused the circ. pump to not run at all?

 

[Gasifier]

[quote I'd guess that the relay is starting to go bad causing it to stick. Taking it could have jiggled it enough to start working again.[/quote]

Thanks Mike. I guess I will put the relay in that was never used and throw the one out that has been in use for the last eight years. Do these relays normally fail? The ones that have been being used were all put in about eight years ago. There are a couple in one of the panels that have never had anything hooked up to them.

 

[Sawyer]

I have a Honeywell Relay RA89A in the workshop that just started to operate intermittently. Sometimes it shuts the pump off, othertimes it does not. I have a new Taco 501 relay out somewhere in a UPS truck. After 20 years I am not complaining!