Hydrolevel 3250 Problems

 
plumber
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Post by plumber » Fri. Jun. 20, 2014 9:47 pm

For those running the Hydrolevel 3250, I'm wondering if I'm alone or loosing my mind.

I've got my timer input into ZR and it will not fire the burner if the boiler temperature is over my low limit setting. I called Hydrolevel tech support and they agreed the control is bad. They replaced the aquastat and I just finished swapping it out. Guess what, same dang thing!! I know this will cause me outfires, so I need to figure something out.
Last edited by plumber on Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.


 
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Post by whistlenut » Fri. Jun. 20, 2014 11:52 pm

That is a safety feature primarily for oil or gas boilers, so there must be an easy way to work around it. Solid fuel units need to that ability for basic operation.

 
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Post by plumber » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 5:12 am

Safety feature? How would you be able to make hot water with an indirect? It should go to whatever the high limit is set at. As well, I don't recall ever having this problem with a Honeywell. I'm wondering if anyone else is having the same problem? Hydrolevel says it's not a design feature of their product, but now I've got two in a row with the same problem. Could just be the current batch?

 
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Post by anthony7812 » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 6:21 am

I'm confused, I thought you said it wont fire if high limit is reached(which I thought was design)and you said your at high temp. But your second post you say it doesnt reach high temp??
plumber wrote:I've got my timer input into ZR and it will not fire the burner if the boiler temperature is over my high limit setting.
plumber wrote:It should go to whatever the high limit is set at. As well, I don't recall ever having this problem with a Honeywell.
Im assuming your not at high temp and it wont allow the timer to fire the boiler. Im new to the hydrolevel in fact today I wire my first one up today, but how does the pre-purge and economy mode fall into this? Would this be preventing the stoker from firing?

 
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Post by plumber » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 7:31 am

whistlenut wrote:That is a safety feature primarily for oil or gas boilers, so there must be an easy way to work around it. Solid fuel units need to that ability for basic operation.
Sorry Doug, now I saw the typo in my original post your reply makes sense. The aquastat will not fire the burner if I'm over the LOW limit setting.

 
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Post by plumber » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 7:35 am

anthony7812 wrote:I'm confused, I thought you said it wont fire if high limit is reached(which I thought was design)and you said your at high temp. But your second post you say it doesnt reach high temp??
plumber wrote:I've got my timer input into ZR and it will not fire the burner if the boiler temperature is over my high limit setting.
plumber wrote:It should go to whatever the high limit is set at. As well, I don't recall ever having this problem with a Honeywell.
Im assuming your not at high temp and it wont allow the timer to fire the boiler. Im new to the hydrolevel in fact today I wire my first one up today, but how does the pre-purge and economy mode fall into this? Would this be preventing the stoker from firing?
I had to edit my original post. Perhaps I am going crazy? The Hydrolevel I have will not fire the burner on a call to ZR if the boiler is over the LOW limit setting, only the circulator runs until I drop below the low limit setting.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 7:43 am

Do you have the small switch set to "indirect" mode?


 
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Post by plumber » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 7:58 am

Rob R. wrote:Do you have the small switch set to "indirect" mode?
Yup, the switch is set to "I"

Tech support had me try different settings on both Z and I neither work. I'm assuming you don't have this problem Rob?

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 8:14 am

What is the differential set at? Should be 20* or more.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 8:27 am

plumber wrote:
Rob R. wrote:Do you have the small switch set to "indirect" mode?
Yup, the switch is set to "I"

Tech support had me try different settings on both Z and I neither work. I'm assuming you don't have this problem Rob?
No, mine will run the stoker until the high limit setting is reached. Differential has no bearing on this function.

The 3250 on my dad's did something similar when I was testing the timer. I wondered if the control does not allow multiple zr calls within a certain amount of time. I left it alone for an hour or so and it was operating normally when I got back.

Did you verify correct voltage from the timer?

 
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Post by plumber » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 8:33 am

Differential is non adjustable, Hydrolevel has them fixed at 10. Low limit is set at 155 and high is 210.

Any input to ZR will not fire B1 if the boiler is over 155, or whatever I set the low thought limit at. I'm using a LOGO for a timer . I thought it could have been the logo so I hooked up an old Honeywell timer, same thing. Checked all voltage 118 where it should be. Even tried a spare C1 output from a spare zone in my Taco relay. If the boiler is below 155 I can have the timer trip for 10 seconds every 10 seconds B1 and C1 get power and everything works as planned Once the boiler reaches 156 it will not bring in B1 only C1.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sat. Jun. 21, 2014 8:42 pm

What happens if you jump ZC to ZR?

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Jun. 22, 2014 7:36 am

I would avoid that control if I were you. Solid fuel boilers should have a minimum of 20* differential. Why is your high limit at 210*? Seems pretty far from the low to me. Try setting the high limit about 175-180* and see what happens.

 
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Jun. 22, 2014 8:29 am

To each their own I guess. I have 4 EFM's running with this control with no issues. The pre-purge function works great and saves coal in the mild weather.

EFM recommends a 40 to 50 degree spread between the low and high limit settings to prevent outfires in warm weather.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Jun. 22, 2014 8:54 am

Rob R. wrote:To each their own I guess. I have 4 EFM's running with this control with no issues. The pre-purge function works great and saves coal in the mild weather.

EFM recommends a 40 to 50 degree spread between the low and high limit settings to prevent outfires in warm weather.
Wow, that is huge! Guess I'm spoiled with the Axeman, don't even run a timer. Easy two or three days without running and fires right up.


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