Please help! Suspected Motorised Valve Problem

[TheHandyAndy]

Please help, I've been through the wiki and found some good ideas, but nothing really helps.

Problem 1 - upstairs radiators full of air.

I've bled the rads with the heating switched off, got loads of air out and the rads are now full of water again. Thought I'd cured the problem, so I switched everything back on. Now the rads upstairs or downstairs don't get even slightly warm.

We've got hot water no problems there, and the towel rail in the bathroom gets hot, this is connected to the boiler before the motorised valve so it keeps the towels nice and warm when the hot water is on.

I just can't get the rads to fire up. I'm fairly sure that my motorised valve may be at fault, but what are the symptoms to look out for?

The system is set up as follows (bear with me as I'm not a plumber);

Header tank and vent pipe in the loft, I've had my finger over the vent pipe to make sure that air isn't being sucked in when the wife was switching the system on and off. I've got a combi boiler in the kitchen on the ground floor with the pump just above. I've bled the pump also.

We've got a 5 month old baby in the house, and although the house isn't cold I really need to get to the bottom of this ASAP. I know where the location of the motorised valve is, but it involves pulling the landing floor up, so if possible I'd like to know if I can tell if it's at fault.

Many thanks in advance!

Andy.

 

[seco services]

Is this a 3 port or 2 port valve ?

Poss a faulty motorised valve motor.
Need more info on the valve.

 

[TheHandyAndy]

I've spoken to the previous owner of my house, apparently I have 2 off 2 port valves rather than a 3 port valve.

am going to take the afternoon off tomorrow and pull up the floor to check it out, but any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is there a way for me to test the valve or valves?

 

[seco services]

Look on the end of the valve there will be a lever.
This lever will be loose when valve open, The lever will have resistance when valve closed.

Turn heating on, stat turned up and check the lever, it should be floppy
if the lever has resistance then the valve is not opening.

Either the motor is faulty or the valve is not getting power.

Then you will need a multi meter to test for power etc.

 

[TheHandyAndy]

Look on the end of the valve there will be a lever.
This lever will be loose when valve open, The lever will have resistance when valve closed.

Turn heating on, stat turned up and check the lever, it should be floppy
if the lever has resistance then the valve is not opening.

Either the motor is faulty or the valve is not getting power.

Then you will need a multi meter to test for power etc.

I have an inline 2 port Danfoss valve. Did what you said, the lever was loose with the system off, as soon as I turned everything on with the stat up full, the lever was rock solid - so valve isn't opening. Checked the power supply, this is ok; so think it's just the actuator that has gone. At least I can maually control the valve now to warm up the house.

Thank you for your help!!