Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Electronics => Topic started by: f150bft on October 07, 2013, 12:49:59 PM

Title: Help with relay wiring
Post by: f150bft on October 07, 2013, 12:49:59 PM
Trying to wire up my circulator pump the way its supposed to be wired (to come on when the house calls for heat) and I have some questions about the t-stat wire and some temp sensors. Any help or advise would be appreciated. Oh here are some photos of the temp sensors with wire to relay.

[attachment deleted by admin for space issues]
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: slimjim on October 07, 2013, 01:15:04 PM
Which circ are you attempting to control, if it is the main wood boiler circ you would be far better off letting it run constantly as you will not shock the boiler with cold water return temps when the circ comes on, as far as controlling the zone circs in the building we would need to what type of relay you are using, typically you would wire to the normally open terminal on the relay.
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: muffin on October 08, 2013, 07:13:14 AM
I agree.  Run the main loop 24/7.
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: Scott7m on October 08, 2013, 07:49:06 AM
Hardy for the most part never runs the pump constantly, heck, a lot of there dealers don't even use insulated pex

He's wanting to run it the way it was set up to be but I know little about the wiring on a hardy
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: f150bft on October 08, 2013, 08:32:08 AM
Right now I have the circ pump running all the time on low speed,(started it for the first time yesterday), it seems to be very quiet. But the relay(s) and thermostat wire at the stove is confusing to me. In one of those pics I posted it shows some type of heat sensing switches mounted to the back of the boiler with thermostat wire coming off of them going down to the relay(s) and I don't understand how they play in the wiring..... I think I am going to leave the pump running 24-7 for now. I was just thinking about summer operations not needing the pump to run. I guess I could always just un-plug the thing. I won't need it for my DHW.  Thanks for everyones input.
 
  Sometimes I tend to overthink about stuff. Anyone else have this problem too? LOL
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: slimjim on October 09, 2013, 05:11:09 AM
We pretty much all run our circs on the boiler constantly, but relays are not that hard to understand, and I will try to explain them. A typical relay for heating will have low voltage wiring on one side of the relay that sends 24 volt AC current out to your thermostat, when the thermostat calls for heat the contacts will make allowing the current to return to the relay, this completes the circuit and the relay pulls pulls in the contacts on the other side of the relay, making the switch on the high voltage side, typically this is 110 volt for the circulator for that zone, simply follow one wire at a time and read the wiring diagram that is typically on the inside cover of the relay, you will understand it if you take it one wire at a time but even the best of us get confused when we hurry and don't take the time to really look at the wiring diagram, don't give up. If you don't have the wiring diagram simply search for that control on the internet and the manufacturers all have the schematics posted there.
Title: Re: Help with relay wiring
Post by: f150bft on October 09, 2013, 10:49:33 AM
We pretty much all run our circs on the boiler constantly, but relays are not that hard to understand, and I will try to explain them. A typical relay for heating will have low voltage wiring on one side of the relay that sends 24 volt AC current out to your thermostat, when the thermostat calls for heat the contacts will make allowing the current to return to the relay, this completes the circuit and the relay pulls pulls in the contacts on the other side of the relay, making the switch on the high voltage side, typically this is 110 volt for the circulator for that zone, simply follow one wire at a time and read the wiring diagram that is typically on the inside cover of the relay, you will understand it if you take it one wire at a time but even the best of us get confused when we hurry and don't take the time to really look at the wiring diagram, don't give up. If you don't have the wiring diagram simply search for that control on the internet and the manufacturers all have the schematics posted there.

 Thanks slimjim, I do understand how a relay works, well at least in 12 volt automotive applications, but the "thermocouple?" buttons that have the white and yellow stickers in the lower picture labeled "relay1", play a part in the relay wiring somehow. I just don't see what they are for and how to include them in the circuit. I guessing that the boiler temp play a part in this but i'm not sure how. Also I am not seeing a "good" detail of the schematic on which side does what on the relay and what contact spade is for what. I will research some more on these relays but for the most part I will leave it as it is now and just enjoy the lower power bills. Thanks again for your reply(s).