Blinking Thermostat

[stpthomps]

Hi. I have oil hot water baseboard heat. This morning I noticed that my heat was not coming on. My hot water was still heating up just fine however, so I was pretty sure that there was nothing wrong with the burner. So, I diconnected my thermostat and direct connected the power to the heat line. There was a delay, but the heat started up. So I concluded that my thermostat was bad. Upon replacing my thermostat, however - the thermostat "blinks." It seems to turn on and off. So far it seems to stay on when the heat isn't called for, but once the temp drops and the heater turns on, the thermostat power continually turns off, then on, then off, then on......

Besides a faulty thermostat, is there anything else that could be causing this?

[Phelps]

How many functions do your thermostat wires do?: Just heat? Do you have just two wires? Did you buy a thermostat that is just for heat, if that is all your functions perform? Did the new stat come with any instructions, and did it say anything about being able to make heat anticipator adjustments? Or, having a switch inside it to change it from one form of heat to another? For example, a Robertshaw one has a switch inside for electric or gas.

[stpthomps]

Thanks. You were right.

To answer your questions, I have two wires, for heat only. The thermostat is also for heat only, but there are other settings on it; settings for oil or gas, hot air, electric, etc. I told the rep at the supply house exactly what I had for heating and he took the thermostat out of the box, looked at the settings and told me that they were set correctly for what I needed. They weren't, and I didn't bother to look.

Reading directions does wonders. I should try it more often.

Thanks for your help.

[Phelps]

A classic case of how thinking one knows how to do the most seemingly elementary things can be 'dangerous' (not really in this case but...often there are other things related to hvac, plumbing or electrical where someone can get themselves in trouble by not reading directions, or not knowing what questions to ask of someone in the know, before tackling something).

Glad your problem was found.