TACO valve/circulator question

[Roadking]

Okay, been working on our heating setup as been having issues with zone 2 (upstairs). This is aside from the fireplace thread...trying to have two seperate heat sources.

Oil fired boiler with hot water baseboard on 2 zones.

Any-hoo. Didn't use the second floor heat last year, as it wasn't needed. Went to throw the thermostat this morning, the usual click, walked away. 1/2 hour later, no heat yet.
Hmmm, go to basement, no indicator light calling for heat. Volt meter promptly told me no power at thermostat, but at controller box...tracked wire and fixed problem.
"Good, we'll have heat soon..."
hour later, still nada. BUT the TACO valve/circulator was pretty hot; not the water pipes on either side...just the TACO.
Did it seize up from sitting? Any ideas (as tapping it with the pliers didn't help...LOL)? I tried all 3 settings to no different outcome. Power is obviously present (volted it to be sure).
Granted, it's not an immediate need, but one I want to rectify soon. I am able to swap it out, but would prefer to NOT need to re-bleed the system.
Thanks in advance.

Matt

[ace admirer]

the taco is a pump? or is it a solenoid valve?

either way,,, rust or sedimate in the impellor or if a valve, in the spool assembly perhaps?

[Roadking]

It is the circulator pump.
Thanks, that's what I was guessing...anyway to do a bump and run to free it up, or is it pretty much terminal?
Thanks...
Matt

[Roadking]

About 20 minutes ago, I opened the by-pass valve (thumb screw) on the Valve and bumped the thermostat to the "on" temp. Back down to basement, both zones lit, zone one, pipes hot and working. Zone 2...pump getting warm (it's at the return), not the before pipe. Pipe to TACO Valve hot, Valve Hot, 6" past valve in direction of Valve cold...
Grumble, grumble.
Just gonna keep tinkering...really don't want to swap out circulator.
Matt

[rancher1913]

is it the cartridge type or are the pump and motor seperate. assuming its the cartridge style as you know how to use a meter I asume youd know if the shaft was spinning. yes the dang things go bad from sitting and they are a pain. out here its cheeper to replace the whole pump than the cartridge, you could open it up and try cleaning the impeller.

[Roadking]

They are seperate...pump at the return near the boiler, valve about 6 feet from the hot outlet.. Figured I could just swap out a new one but wanted to avoid the bleeding issue...
The valve is a 219 Swetcheck (the search result came up as FloChek). pump is humming, so tommorow I've got one more test to try. Have shut off valves (with outlets, like a hose connector). Planning on bypassing the circulator via these to connections and see if it will thermosiphon (granted, will take some time). If id heats up, I assume it's the pump...if it doesn't, it's the valve (with the valve bypass being opened as well)...am I on track with my thinking?
Despite the cost issue, I hope it is the pump...it's a bolt on...the valve, however is soldered on, with no shutoffs...
Matt

[Ross]

Well if you have to swap out the valve put in the shut off valves. It does sound as if the valve is no functioning does it have a removable coil?

[Roadking]

Not sure Ross. I'll have to pull the schematics and find out. I assume that manually opening the valve (thumb screw) it will be a bit wasteful when the pump isn't running, but considering the time of year, would be better than shutting down and swapping out when it's 28 outside...brrr....... and this is just the beginning.

Matt

[agmantoo]

Why not switch the motor from the zone that is working to see if the non working zone will function with a known good motor?

[Roadking]

I have 2 bew spares on the shelf...it's just trying to avoid shutting down, draining and re-bleeding if there is a way to bypass/reboot the pump. I hate running up and down the stairs with that dang little key and a coffee cup to catch the water on the bleeding process...
Matt