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Deb,
Due to the below component I wouldn't power up your systems at the service panel. I recommend calling in a standard HVAC person to replace that temperature control switch. It's not what I would consider a geothermal device so you don't need a high dollar technician to replace the part.

Anytime I invite someone to do a job for me which is rare, I always buy the materials so I get the best materials and pay for the workmanship only.

You can get the model number and manufacturer from the component then buy the replacement component on ebay for a fair price or better.

After that part is replaced I wouldn't expect any breaker to trip when closed, so you could power up components and determine if those components are working properly.

Your Geothermal has protective trips which typically read out by a flashing LED that can be interpreted by using a Table in your Geothermal owners manual. If you are getting a trip this would help you determine what is causing it.

I'll review the manuals for your Geothermal and HVAC Units to refresh my memory on what you have so I can help you after the Tank Temperature Control/bimetallic operated device is replaced.

Let me know if you have questions.

Don't forget to monitor your Son for proper healing & problems he could be having while out of sight at the dorm.
My Son was in a dorm when his diabetes started. It was luck only that saved his life, he should have been in a coma according to the Emergency Room doctor. When he put the phone down to go pee while I was talking to him on the phone & he was telling me he didn't feel good, I called and had an Ambulance pick him up and take him to the hospital. 2nd chances don't always happen.

"That melted component, Picture IMG_1820.jpg is the Buffer Tank Temperature Control switch. I took a close look and can see it is mounted on the tank and has temperature settings marked inside. It reminds me of a hot water tank temperature control switch when viewed up close. I'm assuming the switch normally controls one of the Geothermal Units, turning it on & off at the thermostat input on the CXM Control Card I mentioned today."

 

Hi Doc,

The melted unit is on the hot water for the house, not the tank for the geo. Although it was supposed to be tied into the geo but they didn't do it so it just runs on straight electricity. I am sorry to hear about your son and happy you had the sense to act on your intuition.
I have spoken or texted him every day since he returned. I am trying to keep him cognizant of the needs to take the meds regularly. Fortunately, I will be picking him up from school on Tuesday for the holiday and will have him in my sight all weekend.

As for the Unico and testing, the circuit has never tripped. I have tripped it trying to get the system to work. There are two breakers on the unit that I can see. I took some pictures of the wiring and the breakers. The last guy left the equipment open and did not put the covers back on. Could dust be a problem? I haven't touched anything up there so what you see in the pics is the way I found it.

If I am to throw the two breakers upstairs, what order do I use. Do I throw them while the main breaker is live? Do I shut down the main breaker, throw the two on the unit then go back down to the basement and throw the main breaker back on?

Please let me know the sequence.
BTW, this is Daisy our border collie. She jumped up on the bench in the kitchen looking for marshmallows. I had the phone next to me and captured her face this close to mine. Lesson: never give a dog a marshmallow, they don't take no for an answer.

Sincerely,
Deb

 

Deb,
I magnified the two control boxes but didn't see a breaker. There were fuses and the labels mentioned breakers for internal circuit protection but not for protection of the wires from your service panel. The breakers in the service panel protect the wires supplying power to the boxes.

I'll go to the manufacturers page and look at a schematic for these Units.

I bought a log cabin in 2013 and the seller gave me his Border Collie since he couldn't take it to PA with him. His name is Bear and he looks like a Bear in the face. He is a constant companion whether I want one or not. I'm his 3rd owner, so I try to make it up to him by being the best owner he has ever had.

If you don't see any wires disconnected or any components missing from the control boxes, I would put the covers back on for electrical safety before closing breakers. The Technician should have told you that he was leaving the control boxes open and the reason why he left them that way.

Since I don't know where the breakers are located on you Unico's it might be safer to close the breaker at the remote locations while the Service Panel supply breaker is open, then close the Service panel breaker last.
If something is shorted in the Control boxes or in a component supplied by the Control Boxes, the Service Panel Breaker will trip.

Calling the Technician and asking him how he left your System would be a good idea, unless he wants to come back and charge you a service call for inspecting your System again.
He should have left you with a receipt for the work he did with an explanation of what you needed before starting the system up again.

I'll check in later tonight after I put some time in on a "Project", replacing tables in an important document with XL Spreadsheet "templates" that allow filling in data, while the XL Spreadsheet does all of the math. XL Spreadsheets can be huge time savers.

Checking on Your Son is a good idea. I'm glad he will be home soon so you can see how he is healing and responding to his surgery.

 

Deb,
Your Unico's are 1000 watt resistive heaters with blowers. The Geothermal Heat Pumps are Water to Water, which operate in a more complex system than my Geothermal Systems using a water loop side and a freon to air heat exchanger with whole house air ducts to distribute the air.

That's why you have a Taco Control Box for operating valves and pumps to move the heating & cooling medium/ water around the house. I rented a house with an electric boiler with water supplied to each room for heating which gives me some experience in using water & radiators to heat a house.

I'll take a look at a typical design plan for your type of system to get a feel for how it's supposed to work.

One more thing, set your thermostat to off, or to a temperature where the heat won't come on when you close the Service Panel Breaker. That way you can cut in the heat and monitor the response of your Geothermal Units and Unico Heaters as you raise the temperature on the Thermostat.

Bear has to be put out for the night. He sleeps in the house trailer we used while I built the house.

 

Deb,
Now the box with wires every which way and a loose end white wire have shown up on my computer. I don't like the looks of that. There's no way you could close the lid on that box. Looks like someone was working on it and walked off. Better call that technician. Other than that one box the other pictures showed the equipment as ready to go.

I'd better mention that the wire going off to center right of the photo appears to have some black on the insulation, which looks like damage from being overheated or Black tape wrapped around it. If its discolored due to heat, you may have a problem with a component downstream.

That melted component we discussed earlier that isn't related to your Geothermal System may be on the end of that wire. I'd call someone in look at the whole system as a "Winter Check Out" like people do when getting their heating system ready for the winter.

Why the picture appeared this late and was repeated 3 times is beyond me.

 

Thanks. I will try this tomorrow. Have a good evening.

 

Deb,
My computer may be delayed in receiving your posts, which is why the last pictures showed up late as I was signing out of the website.
I was a bit disappointed & confused to see that last photo. You must have found that control box at the end of your photo tour of your system.

A HVAC Tech could do the work, but might be overwhelmed by having the Geothermal Units involved, but it's worth a try to have a lower hourly rate Technician take a look and give an estimate of how much to set the system up for heating.

Having multiple estimates from Geothermal Companies to look over your system could save you money if it comes down to needing a Geothermal Tech.

With the Oil & Gas boom in Ohio you can't get a contractor to do work for a fair rate, they all think the landowners are rich. I don't allow or invite a contractor on my property without a written quote after a freon charge of a heat pump a few years ago cost me $300 for 30 minutes of work and the freon. I couldn't have guessed that the HVAC Company Owner who showed up had just had open heart surgery and needed some extra cash to pay for his deductible. He told me about the surgery while I was writing the check. If he would have had a Grandchild in college I'd still be paying off his bill.

In Ohio a contractor can place a lien on your property in the courthouse without having evidence that you short changed them, so landowners have to pay up or suffer a lien on their property.

A dump truck load of gravel now costs the value of the gravel to deliver as a rule. I bought $400 of gravel and paid $400 to have it delivered. Everyone has the money bug.

 

Mrrxtech,

Please, for the sake of allowing one to get through these posts, stay focused on the homeowner's issues.

I don't need to know the price of gravel in a foreign country nor that one should do electrical work one-handed.

 

Urthbuoy,
Thanks for the suggestion.

I tend to go into great detail when I think the homeowner could be injured doing a task that I suggest, knowing that it is outside of their background or profession.
In fact I've been accused of near fatal suggestions, like the use of methanol in a loop without providing the MSDS to the homeowner, and failing to mention the need for safety glasses/shield, gloves and apron. The MSDS is on each drum, so anyone who buys Methanol gets their own safety information, but it's an easy way to go after a guest on this site.

If the homeowner tells me they are technically qualified, then I'll back off on my suggestions, otherwise I leave myself open for Doc and others to let me know I've violated some un-written rule of this website.

As for the gravel prices, you might need that information some day when you are doing a project.

 

Why not call someone to stop by and service the system?