How do I send a signal from Gas boiler 90 feet to circ in garage?

[Huskurdu]

I have time and a little money to clean up some of my problems/shortcomings with my system and would like to improve the automation of the system. Master of Sparks's layout on the sticky is very helpful in laying out the piping but I need help on the electrical side. What is the best way to trigger a Taco 007 in garage (we'll call it the Transmission Circ) to send heat 90 feet to the gas boiler loop in the house? I have 100 feet of exterior grade 12/2 wire that someone told me to buy, but is this overkill? Is there a small signal wire that I should use and then some sort of transformer/relay that supposed to kick the 007 on? Would a smart man move the Taco 007 Transmission Circ to the gas boiler side of that loop?
Continuing this thought, I would like to trigger the Storage Circ to kick on if the Transmission Circ is not running. I do not know how the relays and transformers work together. It's just simple ignorance.
Any help or thoughts would be helpful.
np

 

[steam man]

I am not sure exactly what you plan on using to control the on/off of the pump but here's something to think about: Line voltage controls use 110v and will use heavier rated wire. Whatever contacts used to turn the pump on/off need to be rated for an inductive type load that can handle the pump. Granted it is a small load. I like to use a standard pump relay, Taco (I forget the PN), and use long low voltage control wiring, 24vac, and keep the line voltage wiring as short as possible. Some kind of temp control is used to control the relay. We really need a few more details if you can provide it.

Mike

 

[WoodNotOil]

I have done some logic for my system with relays that you can view here (broken link removed to http://woodnotoil.googlepages.com/systemlayout)
The info has not been updated in a while, but it should give you an idea of how relays work.

 

[Huskurdu]

I am not sure exactly what you plan on using to control the on/off of the pump but here's something to think about: Line voltage controls use 110v and will use heavier rated wire. Whatever contacts used to turn the pump on/off need to be rated for an inductive type load that can handle the pump. Granted it is a small load. I like to use a standard pump relay, Taco (I forget the PN), and use long low voltage control wiring, 24vac, and keep the line voltage wiring as short as possible. Some kind of temp control is used to control the relay. We really need a few more details if you can provide it.

Mike

I had typed a huge note describing everything I have and everything I want, but in the interest of everyone's time/patience I have deleted it and started again. Simple questions below instead.
What brand and/or type of aquastat is really cheap AND effective?
If I would like to use zone valves and relays/transformers, which one's would be cost effective for me?
Is there any books that are suggested for installing/servicing transformers/relays/aquastats that pertain directly to hydronic heating systems?
I'm going to Google 'standard pump relay'. I have built my own computers so I'm thinking that I should be able to learn enough to design a somewhat efficient system. Is there pump control systems set up for this type of thing and it's just a matter of adding components to add pumps and sensors or do these need to be individually created? The more I think about this, the more I want to create a 'nofossil' type of system for myself.
Any ideas, please.....
Thanks,
np

 

[Northwoodsman]

Huskdur,

Azel Technoligies has some real nice digital setpoint temp controllers and zone valve controllers at a good price (these are designed especially for hydronic heating systems).

Go to my website at (broken link removed) and go to the products page.

From here, click on the Azel Tecnologies link and you'll see all the products they have available. You can download a PDF file (both literature and users manual) for all their products-very nice !

Contact me thru my website and I'll get you any additional info you may need and also a quote for the items you require.

Thanks,

NWM

 

[WoodNotOil]

There are no really cheap aquastats, I have looked. The least expensive and most versatile is the honeywell 6006. It can be either a open or close on either rise or fall. They are around $60 I think. Relays are cheaper if you buy them outside of the hydronic heating industry and just put them in a metal junction box. This one is particularly useful. But there are many others. The coil that is charged has a different rating the the pass through. So for 24vac you would want a coil rated for 24vac and the pass through for 110vac or anything that can handle those ranges. For the amount of amps look at what you are trying to control and oversize the amps as they draw more amps on start up that stated.

As for all in one there are the PLCs that are pretty versatile for hooking up various kinds of sensors and relays and then telling it what to do with the info. I have no experience with them however, so maybe others can speak to their applications with them. I made a controller based on arduino you can see (broken link removed to http://woodnotoil.googlepages.com/arduino).

 

[Huskurdu]

Thank you both....that's the info I need to develop a my system. I need to do my homework now and get the feel for these components, then maybe I will be able to ask some intelligent questions rather than the open ones i've been asking. I keep bouncing back and forth between Hansson's system, nofossils sticky and MasterofSparks sticky......UGGGG! Need to make a decision!

Thanks again,
np

 

[Hansson]

this is the unit I use to se my system at work
(broken link removed to http://translate.google.se/translate?prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=http://www.logger2020.se/index.html&sl=sv&tl=en&history;_state0=)

 

[Nofossil]

And here's the unit that I use ;-)

http://www.nofossil.org/nfcs/

 

[Huskurdu]

WOW! That's nice. That's turns on the geek in me! How long can those sensor wires be if I wanted to mount the unit in the house and put the sensors in the garage?

np

And here's the unit that I use ;-)

http://www.nofossil.org/nfcs/