Most of the companies i worked for wouldn't troubleshoot zoning.
(we do things a little differently out here in L.A.)
Ahhh....what is this promised land you speak of?
now i'm at a company where knowing it sure would help.
i've read about how zoning is supposed to work, but troubleshooting is a different story
(i also have info for Carrier Infinity type zoning)
--------------------
had a problem at a house where the upstairs dampers were closed with both upstairs and downstairs t-stats calling.
a tech told me one time, the way to check a damper is to slice open the duct and put your hand in there.
i didn't want to do that.
1) is that a standard proceedure?
Eh. Theres not really anything that's standard. Just figure out a quick way to do it. Sometimes uni-bit and light.
2) is the duct with the alan wrench adjustment the bypass?
yeah.
3) does every zoning system require a bypass?
Only if your trying to open a zone that doesn't have enough duct to run on the lowest stage.
4) what would you estimate the frequency is of having to replace a control board?
Eh, so-so.
5) are most dampers spring open , 24v power closed?
Depends on the manufacturer. Some are air powered (arzel)
6) i replaced a small circuit control board that seemed to be milivolt. are those common now?
Not that I've seen. Some are communicating, like carrier.
7) what are the most common problem?
I see dampers breaking, improper design, and just that it's zoning.
thanks