My house is equipped with a Hydronic radiant heating system. A few nights ago our power went out when what I believe is a transformer blew outside our house. The electrical company fixed it and the power was back on a few hours later. But now the heater wont turn on. We have hot water everywhere in the house and all outlets work. The only heater in the house that works is a radiator in a bedroom above the garage. Ive tried flipping the breaker to the pump with no luck.
Does anybody know anything I could try before getting someone to fix it?
Thanks in advance! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

erick

I dont know how long your power was out or how cold it is where you are ...but you may be experiancing a freezup in you hot water lines . or if you heater is in a un insulated garage or basment . You can try to see if your circulators are running . first check if they have an overload button .you may want to try heating them with a heat gun or hot air blow dryer . If you get them working look for leaks ,as something may have ruptured if it were frozen , you may also at a latter date ,have your hot water heating system isolated with a (loop locked system in which you can add anti freeze )check all circuit breakers and be sure you have power to your circulating pumps .

Is your domestic hot water (from the faucets) on a seperate system from the heating hot water system? I hope so.

A hydrionic system has a water heater (gas or electric burner), a storage tank, a circulating pump or two, and the piping to/from the radiant units and the units themselves. My experience is NOT state of the art with these systems. I last fooled with one in the house I grew up in in 73. Give me some more details and I'll noodle it some more. Look for a speerate breaker panel if the system water heating unit is far from the main panel. Check all the 110 and 220 breakers. Look for a reset on the pump and heating unit. Hope it's warmer there than here....

the lines are hot, and it wasnt cold enough, or out long enough to freeze anything.

I believe it is. there are two tanks. Im not sure exactly which pipe is which aside from the heater pipe.

there is one pump, I will look for a reset button on it.
I flipped all the breakers in the only panel in the house.

both water tanks are on.

its not to cold here, holding 50-55 inside isnt pleasent though.

erick

look all over the place, something that draws that much power will have a sub pannel some where.
you may also wish to see if the dryer is working.
that will tell you if you have 220 volts.
there may be a sub pannel out by your meter.
if you have a volt meter start checking.
I found a sub pannel in the old house that was on the top or above the top shelf in a closet.

Check to see if your circulating pump is spinning, Grundfos and other common types used here have a cap in the centre of the pump body, remove it with a screwdriver and see if you can see the impellor spinning.
If the main burner is coming on to heat your domestic water, the thermostat (when turned on) puts power to the circ. pump, and pushes the water thru the panels, so check the t/stat and pump.

Nearly 20 years Plumbing and appliance maintenance and hydronic units still baffle me on occasion, we don't see many of them...........................................maybe I could organise a service call? lol