Just bought first house with hot water heat. Passed inspection fine,
but now that winter has hit, it's been problematic: randomly stops
working esp when it's cold! First service call replaced zone valve
(bad end switch) Two weeks later it stopped working again. Same
symptoms. I'm able to fire boiler by jumping end switch connections
and then just letting the boiler cycle off it's internal thermostat. I
assume the new end switch it faulty. New tech comes out and replaces
the actual valve (didn't really ask, kinda did it). When I question
him (more out of curiosity) he tells me the valve (small levered ball
on a plate) is bad and not opening fully, thus not allowing the
endswitch to connect and fire the boiler. In ANY system does the valve
actually TRIGGER the end switch? It seems unlikely and a moot point as
the system was working fine by jumping the end switch (which is
evidence that at least the valve was open enough to pass water) Did I
get snookered? P.S. do you pros out there all charge for travel time
(including part pickup and getting lost?) I was charged 2.25 hrs for
50 minutes of on site work (2nd visit!) Thanks for any insight, Chris