TR-16 and Elk

[mishab]

Greetings,
As I reported earlier I got the TR-16 from smarthome.com. It came with the control unit and the thermostat. I am trying to figure out how to get this to work and it seems somewhat unclear how to get this to work.

First of all does the control unit need an external power supply. If it needs one then I shoud stop here as its missing. The manual says something about connecting external power supply to J4, but i do not have a connector there and the power supply is not in the box. Missing or should not be there in the first place?

I enrolled the m1xsp to my elk and the light is blinking which means everything is well.

Connecting TR-16 to thermostat unit does not do much. Everything is silent - there are no lights on the control unit, which makes normal sense - there is no power. Is my elk should power the control unit through rs-485 interface?

I am sure someone already did what i am trying to do and i appreciate any pointers on what i am doing wrong.

 

[bmil]

I don't have the TR-16 but I assume it's the same as the TR-40..

The Control Unit requires 24v and can be powered either by using the 24v supply normally available from your HVAC unit (I use this), or you can use a separate 24v power supply (does not come with the TR-xx).

Most people seem to mount the Control Unit next to or close to their HVAC unit which makes your HVAC's 24v supply easy to use.

 

[jeffx]

The newer version TR-16 gets power from the 24V Common from your HVAC and converts it to 12V.

 

[jeffx]

see this post:

http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=5316&hl=tr16

 

[mishab]

jeffx, i remember reading your post a while back. I am glad you figured this out. i am still not finished with the tr-16. if i have to run another wire to the wall unit i may just end up returning the tr-16 all together. unless someone can tell me how can i run an extra wire to the wall unit? i am good at making holes in walls and not good at patching them up after i am done.

anyway, can you tell me how many wires go from the furnace to the control unit? 3 or 4? i only have 3 wires and from reading your previous post i could not be sure what powers the device.

thanks.

 

[jeffx]

jeffx, i remember reading your post a while back. I am glad you figured this out. i am still not finished with the tr-16. if i have to run another wire to the wall unit i may just end up returning the tr-16 all together. unless someone can tell me how can i run an extra wire to the wall unit? i am good at making holes in walls and not good at patching them up after i am done.

anyway, can you tell me how many wires go from the furnace to the control unit? 3 or 4? i only have 3 wires and from reading your previous post i could not be sure what powers the device.

thanks.

I only had a 3-wire running to my old thermostat also. What I did was tie/tape the end of a piece of pull string to the old thermostat wire at the thermostat and then pulled the thermostat wire down the wall out the floor into the basement.

I then tied/taped the end of a new CAT 5e wire run to the pull tape and pulled it back up the wall out the existing thermostat wall hole.

I do not have central air and ran 4 wires from my furnace to my CU.

C - blue? - common
RH - red - return (heat)
W - white - heat
G - green - fan

 

[mishab]

I wish that was that easy in my case.
I bet my wire is stapled to the beams. when i try to pull the wire i get no movement. i guess i have to think of a different solution.

my next qustion is about the blue [common] wire. where on the furnace you found the common wire? What is the difference between common and return heat. my return heat is hot, ie i have voltage on my red wire.

this damn thing is confusing.