One of the primary concerns in the Technical Services Department at Burnham is the ability to assist the technician out in the field in identifying why a boiler or heating system may not be functioning and to do this in an expedient and proficient manner. Expediency is the main concern because it does get cold during the winter and a freeze up is a huge concern. A good number of technicians that we are talking to are very well versed on the proper installation of a particular heating system but acknowledge that they may not necessarily understand the electrical components of the boiler and the system controls. More often than not, there may be a line drawn in the sand dividing the mechanical and electrical aspects of a job. Our goal is to assist the technician at the job at that particular moment in time to understand how a particular boiler or control system operates. The important thing that we always keep in mind is that the system needs to be up and running as promptly as possible.
The Technical Services Department at Burnham is second to none in knowledge of not only how our equipment functions, but also how the "system controls and components" operate. Our Technical Specialists have been exposed to just about every size and type of heating system and controls that is known to man. We strive to keep up with all aspects of the industry and with new controls that may be on the market. We may however, encounter a particular control that we have not seen before. With all of the new zoning controls, priority relays, zone valve relays and power vent controls on the market today, it is very difficult to have a complete comprehension of each individual one. There may be setback thermostats, set point controls and reset controls out there that we may have not encountered yet, but all of these controls have one single thing in common; "they are only switches" . If you keep this in mind, you will be able to understand their operation a little better.
Our Technical Specialists have spoken to contractors on many occasions that have been totally overwhelmed by a "state of the art" control system that they did not install but were called in to service. They have stated many times that this is not their field and that an electrician will be required to troubleshoot the system. This may very well be, but if the contractor keeps in mind that all of theses control systems essentially function like "dominoes" , he may be able to understand them better. One control switch operates another switch that operates another switch and so on just like dominoes falling. When the first domino falls it knocks down the next and you know what happens from there. The easiest way to determine why a heating control system is not functioning is to look at each one of those "dominoes" . To keep things uncomplicated, we will always ask the technician on the other end on the phone to isolate the "Burnham components" away from the "System components" . This is the quickest way to determine if the problem lies with the boiler control system or the system control system. The way to do this is very straightforward. Remove the two low voltage wires that connect to the "T-T" terminals of the boiler supplied control system. After removing these wires, jump the two "T-T" terminals together. If the boiler operates, the "boiler dominoes" are working and the problem lies with the "system dominoes" . At this point the next step would be to operate each individual zone one at a time to determine where things start and where they stop. If the problem lies with the boiler controls, refer to the "Installation and Operation Manual" supplied with every Burnham boiler. In the manual there will always be a wiring schematic, a ladder wiring diagram and in most cases a "tree type" troubleshooting diagram. By following these steps, it is relatively simple to determine where things start and where they stop by using a jumper and voltmeter. Wouldn't life be less complex if the "system controls" had this type of diagram? Once again, by keeping in mind that most controls systems are merely "switches" acting like "dominoes" , you have a greater understanding of how things should work.
E-mail the Burnham technical department.
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