Heating/Thermostat issues

[rdentist]

Ok, I will try to explain this as best as possible. I have a 2013 Itasca Ellipse 42qd. When using the “gas” heat (aqua hot heat) I have discovered what I believe is a problem. I have run one zone at a time and this is what I’ve found.
Zone 1 (gas heat) is the front of the coach
Zone 2 (gas heat) is the bedroom

HOWEVER…. The temp sensors appear to be reversed. So….
Zone 1 temp sensor is located in the bedroom
Zone 2 temp sensor is located in the front of the coach.

What I am experiencing is zone 1 heat Will turn on heating the front of the coach, but because the temp sensor is located in the bedroom, the sensor is reading a low temp and keeps the heat on. So the front of the coach gets very hot and the bedroom stays cold. I can also cause the reverse to happen. If zone 2 (bedroom) turns on first, then the bedroom heats up, but since the temp sensor in the bedroom is actually for the front zone, then the front zone never kicks in and the bedroom gets overly hot while the front zone never turns on.

I’m totally confused as to how this can happen.

I believe the temp sensors are wired to the AC control box. Where is the AC control box located?

The way I diagnosed this was: Currently my readings say Zone 1 (bedroom) 66 degrees and Zone 2 (front) 71 degrees. If I turn the temp up on the thermostat on zone 1 to 69 degrees making zone 1 turn on… the FRONT (zone 2) heat kicks on… and the reverse also happens if I force zone 2 to turn on.

[creativepart]

You have an AquaHot hydronic heating system.

Usually the "control box" is just the thernostat and the wires connected to it on the back.

Can you get a wiring diagram for the back of the thermostat? Perhaps all that's needed is to reverse the front/back temp sensor wiring????

Of course, the Aqua Hot is plumbed separately to the front and back heat exchangers of the coach and perhaps it's possible those connections are reversed at the back of the Aqua Hot. Maybe???

[Morich]

On the post 2010 models we don't get the really good info on wiring but this may help?

Page 1 On this drawing:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ire_180442.pdf

At about where C and 4 cross, it shows a detail "AB" on an arrow which referrs you to the detaildrawing of that space which is at about D7 ( top left corner?) where it shows a thermostat. I also note a "zone 3 thermocouple on page one, so adds some questions there?
Pages 2&3 show remote temp sensors to check if it matches for your RV?

I might start at the thermostat and see if there is potential for the wiring to the sensors to have gotten reversed at some point in time???

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by Morich

I also note a "zone 3 thermocouple on page one, so adds some questions there?

Richard, according to the Operator's Manual for this model and year Zone Three is the basement compartments.

[Morich]

Thermostat and thermocouple are somewhat the same but I think of thermocouple as being used with liquid more than air, leaving me unsure why the first two are referred to as remote sensors while this is a thermocouple??
If they all control the same Aqua heat, why the diffference in terms? Maybe two different folks did the drawings???

I might mention the way the wiring is labeled and how to find the code as it might come in handy.
Labels should be found on the wires like this snip shows.

If you find wire codes, this chart may help to sort where they go and what purpose:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...ical_guide.pdf

Click this snip to get a better view but then I also might guess that there is an error in the chart and that error may be the cause of your thermostat wiring being confused???

Pure guess until checked but if wires VVS and VVT both go to zone 1 where is the wire for zone two? OR is it supposed to show one wire going to each zone thermostat and we don't know which one to put where?

Two wires, both 18 gauge yellow and they don't show which goes where? That could cause a problem! IF I found those two wires, I might want to swap them to see what changes!

Finding the labels may be a big clue in this game, since they don't give us the real schematic drawings.......

[rdentist]

Thank you all for the responses. Please take a look at the link below. This is for the thermostat. On the back of my thermostat there are only the two plugs indicated in these drawings. It appears to me that the temp sensors are wired to the “control boxes” indicated on this page, and then one wire from each control box then goes to the thermostat…??? But I am far from a schematic guy or HVAC guy.

https://old.rvcomfort.com/rvp/pdf_documents/1976659.pdf

https://old.rvcomfort.com/rvp/pdf_documents/1976659.pdf

[creativepart]

I do see "control box" on the PDF. Do you have basement A/C or rooftop separate units? On my system, I have two rooftop units with A/C and Heat Pump and one rear gas furnace. I've been under the impression that all controls are on circuit board on each A/C HP unit. But that's totally conjecture on my part. I"ll stay out of the discussion and let more knowledgeable folks weigh in.

[rdentist]

So I’ve narrowed it down. The temp sensors are wired correctly. The problem is that when I’m heat mode the thermostat doesn’t align with the temp sensors. The problem isn’t happening in cooling mode.

I’m cooling mode.
Zone 1 bedroom with bedroom temp sensor
Zone 2 mid coach with mid coach temp sensor
Zone 3 front coach with front temp sensor

In heating mode they reverse the heating zones
Zone 1 front coach but zone 1 sensor is bedroom
Zone 2 bedroom but zone 2 sensor is front coach.
Zone 3 basement

If there was only a way to reprogram my thermostat to keep the same zone layouts as cooling mode

[Morich]

With that info, I'm now leaning way toward it being in the programming rather than wiring! Possibly options on control board not set right?

What I'm seeing to make me think that? Try clicking these snips to get better view or go direct to read more?

First snip of troubleshooting mentions if two zones work the same and referrs to setttings of control boards? So does that also sound like it would do the same if reversed settings? I lean that way---until I checked.

Second snip I marked a couple points that I would check. Especially the pins to set which zones? Possible somebody has done some troubleshooting by moving the two boards to swap without changing the zone settings?

That setting for heat pump/non heat pump might need a look, too.

I worked with a bunch of board swapping guys who tried lots of things and forgot to check and change options when they swapped boards.

I'm not at all sure of the settings you need to do but that seems like a pretty easy thing to go wrong.