combining heating zones on boiler

themow

I want to turn my 3 zone house into 2. The 1st floor is split into 2 zones and i think its unnecessary. I never shut the heat in either zone and it seems the heat runs quite often heating one zone then the other. The zones are controlled by mechanical valves and pumped with one circulator pump. The plumbing is 3/4. Would it just be better to wire the tstats together or to divert the pipe to one big zone?
Thanks I can provide more detailed info if needed

beenthere

What brand zone valves do you have?

Can probably just disconnect the end switch wire of the one zone.

themow

They are honeywell zone valves i am trying to combine the two zones on the right into one controlled by the middle valve. I plan on cutting the white and red coming from the tsat im deleting. I was going to put a jumper from the TR middle valve to the TR on the one im adding. while leaving the white in the TH position on the valve since it comes from the control box? transformer?? . Its white runs to the Th on all three valves.

beenthere

Just remove and wire nut off one of the end switch wires. Then it will be a slave to the other zone. And won't be able to run the circ or boiler. It will only get heat when the other zone is calling.

themow

just remove the one of the end switch wires? thats all? What will tell the valve to open? or should i still do what i wrote in my first post?

beenthere

The end switches don't do anything to open the valve. They are switches. The valve is opened by the other wires sending 24 volts to the valves motor.

So no, don't do what you wrote in your first post. Just remove one of the end switch wires. The valve is marked where they are.

themow

beenthere dont take this the wrong way you clearly know more on this than myself, but im not seeing how just unhooking one of the end switch wires on the end right valve will make that valve open at the same time as the valve in the middle and provide heat to both zones.

beenthere

You disconnect one of the end switch wires of the zone you don't want to be able to run the boiler.

When its thermostat calls for heat. It will still open. Just nothing else will happen. It won't start the boiler or circulator. It won't get any heat until one of the other zones calls for heat. Your thermostats are not controlling the boiler, they only control the zone valve. The end switch is what controls the boiler/circulator.

Yes, it will get heat if the upstairs zone calls, or if the other downstairs zone calls for heat. But it can't call for heat itself. It will open and close as the thermostat tells it to. But it becomes a slave to the other zones as far as getting any heat. Only getting heat when one of the other zones are also calling for heat. It does require that you keep the thermostat set to what ever temp you like.

A thermostat is built to carry the load of 2 zone valves. So if you tried to wire 2 zone valve to 1 thermostat. It would burn out the thermostat in relatively short time period.


Just try it. Its much easier, quicker, and cheaper then any other way.

themow

ok that makes complete sense. I will just turn the tstat all the way up in the zone im eliminating and unhook one of the end switch wires. This will keep the valve open at all times i assume and since we do not use the upstairs zone it will run when the other zone runs.
Perfect. Better yet ill splice the wires behind the tstat together....thanks a ton beenthere.....

beenthere

Just leave the stat set to normal temp. if you set it to 90, or splice the wires. then it will tend to over heat if the other first floor zone calls, and then the second floor zone calls. making it very uncomfortable, and wasting money.