Quiet motorised zone valves - do they exist?

[Danners]

Hi

Read the forum loads in the past but first time posting...

I've just had 2 Sunvic motorised zone valves fitted to control my new heating. One controls the under-floor in the living room, the other the rads in the rest of the house.

The motors driving the valves to open / close make a really loud buzzing sound for ~30 seconds whilst they are (I think) opening/closing. And I mean really loud... they are located under the floor at the bottom of the house and I can still hear them in a bedroom on the second floor. Strangely the one for the underfloor heating seems to be noticeably louder than the other, although both aren't exactly what you'd call quiet or unobtrusive.

I was wanting to ask:

a) are ALL zone valves like this really noisy? Or are there quiet ones for use in domestic situations? Are some brands better than others?

b) could the actuator/head/motor controlling the underfloor zone valve be faulty, hence the noise? (and the fact that one seems louder than the other)

c) is it likely to be the valve that's hard to turn causing the unit to make more noise?

I've no experience of these so wanting input from anyone who does - we've only had it 24hrs and the noise is driving me and the Mrs mad!

Thanks

 

[oilhead]

It is worth checking with the installer. They should not be that noisy. A common problem with these valves is that the heads are screwed too tight on the valve body and they don't line up properly. If you can see them, try moving the heads and if they are rigid, just loosen the 2 screws so that you have a little 'float' between the heads and bodies. See if that helps.

 

[Danners]

I've checked the installation and made the adjustments as you suggested, my plumber checked it too, and it's still overly loud. Time to check with the retailer about returns...

Thanks very much for your reply and advice.

 

[Agile]

What does the plumber say about the noise?

Only a guess, but I would think a typical motor valve is about 48 dBA @ 1.0m

I have to say it is an odd choice of motor valve.

Presumably you are one of these people who live in a totally quiet environment and don't listen to radio/television etc.?

Tony

 

[Roger928]

Presumably you are one of these people who live in a totally quiet environment and don't listen to radio/television etc.?

Aaah the bliss of living in the sticks and listening to the sound of silence broken periodically by the crackling of logs on the fire and a wee dram of the finest scotch being poured into the glass.
You should try it some time.

 

[Agile]

Actually, I find it difficult to sleep in a totally quiet environment.

Heard the Bunsfield oil depot explosion and an IRA bomb a while ago.

 

[Danners]

What does the plumber say about the noise?

Only a guess, but I would think a typical motor valve is about 48 dBA @ 1.0m

When he checked it again he said he thought it was a lot noisier than to be expected and probably faulty.

I have to say it is an odd choice of motor valve.

In what way? Is there something else you would recommend which would be more appropriate?

Presumably you are one of these people who live in a totally quiet environment and don't listen to radio/television etc.?

Ha, I wish! Inner London, on a bus rote, under the Heathrow flight path...

 

[dilalio]

Honeywell. Then if the noise persists it's something else!!

 

[Danners]

Just to follow this up, turns out the valve was faulty - swapped for a new one and now both work silently.

 

[Agile]

Very odd to have two both seriously noisy as a result of a manufacturing fault.

Do you know if just the valve heads were changed or the whole valve?

In this "quiet" North London province, there was a multi engine piston engine plane flying over about 7-8 am today. As we are no longer in a military war with Europe I did not rush to take cover or even to try to see it.

Will try later to see if any fly past is searchable.

Tony

 

[ianmcd]

Thank you for getting back and posting the cure so many just move on without letting any one know