Furnace help?

[slowTA]

I've noticed my gas baseboard furnace clicking without running. I realized it would stop doing this when I turned one of the 2 thermostats off, basement is the one in question here.

I tried new batteries in the thermostat and tightened the screws holding the wires into the thermostat wall plate, at least one of the two screws was loose.

The condition improved a little, now you can hear water flowing through the baseboard and the furnace light for a split second before shutting off again just to try restarting. I replaced the thermostat (but since the wall plate was the same I just popped the new one in place) with no improvement, the screws are still tight.

I would assume there was something up with the furnace itself, but it cycles normally when the other thermostat calls for heat, so go figure. Funny enough googling "furnace cycles on and off" doesn't help in this situation.

Any quick things I could check before calling in a professional?

 

[SALIV8]

Remove the stat and jump the wires together see what happens.

If same thing:

I would check continuity at the boiler zone for this stat. Sounds like a broken wire sometimes making/breaking contact to me.

 

[dogdog]

Your transformer might not have enough juice to drive all of the zoning valves+ thermostats especially if they are wifi newer ones that draws more power. The thermostat is connected to the zoning valves most of the time... not 100% ... for these hydronics systems. You'll have to figure out your wiring.

If I remember correctly when I was upgrading my friend's place who have the setup 3 pumps, 6 zones... with a 40VA transformer is not going to drive his wifi thermostat that he wanted.... had to add a new 40VA transformer with isolation relays for him to power 3 wifi thermostat (echobees3) that he wanted. YMMV.

Either that or that zoming valve is going for a vacation ... and drawing more current than your system can handle.

 

[johnnyradiant]

When done often the zone valve is unable to open all the way to toggle the little micro switch which tells the boiler to turn on. Those zone valves are a 'consumable'. Often times it is about the same price and easier to buy a whole new zone valve but just change the top half. Finding just the top half in stock may be one thing and here my supplier charges about $8 more than the whole thing when I last checked pricing a few years ago. The ball used inside the zone valves generally lasts a lot longer than a couple heads will last. Take the red wires apart and turn on the thermostat you should get continuity through the 2 reds on the zone valve if there is a call for heat and not when thermostat is off. The ticking sound you mention maybe the zone valve trying to open but the gears may have too much slop in them to properly mesh. Usually the tiny motor fails or the gears get too gummed up or too sloppy. If the gears are gummed up you may get some added life with a squirt of WD-40 to clean them up but I found that you don't get too much added life if any because now any slop in the gears for whatever the slop is caused by will now be the issue for failure.

 

[slowTA]

Yup, it was the zone valve guts that needed to be replaced. Lowes had them in store, even though I couldn't find them online.

Everything seems fine now, thanks for the help!

 

[nadogail]

I am glad you found the answer to your problem

 

[slowTA]

To really close this one, here is the culprit. The micro switch was all carboned up! I could have just changed or cleaned the switch, but who wants to be without heat for longer than needed.