My Carrier Comfort Zone Center appears to have failed, and I'm trying to educate myself on replacement options. My local furnace shop says they don't make these any more and a replacement controller will cost $2946 if we can use the existing temperature sensors. That seems like a lot.
Here's the equipment running my 4-zone system, which really ought to be a 5-zone system but maybe they didn't make those when this system was installed, apparently in 1991 (I moved here in 2004):
Carrier Crusade gas furnace Carrier Comfort Zone Center control box near furnace Carrier Comfort Zone 4-zone controller/timeclock Zone dampers: PEI / AirPax
In case anyone cares about the problem motivating this questions: The "Carrier Comfort Zone Center" is mounted on studs near the furnace, gets 24 volts AC from the furnace, and is supposed to supply 10 volts DC to the thermostat, but instead supplies a voltage varying between 6 and 7 volts with a regular period of about 0.5 second. The circuit boards in the "Comfort Zone Center" look clean, and no components are smoking, oozing, or making crackling noises.
So, 1. Should I pay $2934 to replace this controller? 2. Should I consider the style of controller that takes input from four thermostats, instead of reading four actual temperature sensors itself? 3. Should I be looking at X-10 systems? RS485? Can I get something that plugs into my house's ethernet and provides a browser-based interface?
Much appreciative of suggestions, observations, and even illuminating insults.