zoned hot water problem resolved

[RayV]

I posted a few weeks ago about a problem my BIL had with his zoned hot water system. The system had a circulator pump on the inlet side of the boiler and a circulator pump for each of the 3 zones (4 pumps total). Following each of the circulator pumps was a flo-control valve

there are no zone valves.

The problem was the pump on the inlet side of the boiler would kick on whenever any zone called for heat. The pressure was enough to send hot water through each zone even if though there was only a call for heat from one zone. He told me it always worked this way and the upstairs was miserably hot.

To me it seemed as though the 3 pumps and flo-control valves were a botched add-on to zone the house.

I went over on Sunday and disconnected the pump on the inlet side of the boiler and ran each zone separately. The system worked fine, only got hot water in the zone that was calling, boiler reached temp and shut down then restarted when it cooled off again. I verified that each zone worked properly.

I'm going to leave the pump in place for a few weeks just in case a problem comes up but everything seems OK. There is a little bit of hot water creeping up the return side of a non-calling zone but it shouldn't be a problem. The original threads can be read here if you are interested.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Thanks for getting back about this as it is always good to find out if a problem has been resolved.

[barry]

For safety reasons, I'd be partial to having circ-pump on the inlet side- to keep the firebox covered in water as possible.

Sounds like the system needs some (3) circ pumps replaced with solenoid valves.

J

[Bob F]

You could leave the extra pump there in case you ever have a failure of the others. Turn it on, and have heat until you get it fixed.

Bob

[Mark]

or set it up to come on only when the other 3 are all on....

or set it up to come on at a slower speed....

Mark

[Doug Miller]

Or just leave it OFF, for Heaven's sake, since it is NOT necessary, and the system works just fine without it.

[Phil Yarbrough]

"Flow Rate"

[RayV]

I agree with you on both points. Since everything is already wired and plumbed all I would need to do is replace the zone pump/flo-controls with zone valves and run the wires from the thermostats to them.

Then he would have three spare pumps and three spare relays.