Strange boiler / immersion /pipe noises

[heatservice]

Thankyou for that - It seems quite counter intuitive!

So even when the CH is off, the gears inside will stay connected to the microswitches by default, until the time comes for HW to be on (but CH off?) and then it will spring back? In which case, what happens when the CH is on, and there is demand for HW?

I did try that earlier on, but the gears firmly stayed in place, maybe I didn't give it enough time? What should the system be for it to force back to test?

Admittedly I did slide the manual leaver when I first installed it without realising, and it hasn't sprung back yet to auto

Its worse than that, when the valve is in heating only position the motor remains powered up and is effectively jammed as it cant travel any further, it says a lot about the synchonous motor used, most electric motors would burn out in minutes if treated like that. Pushing the lever over and lifting it slightly will allow it to be locked into the mid position, we use that when we are filling and venting air from the system with the power off.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

I did notice that, I can feel it humming away boiling hot and thought what a waste

I've lifted the arm up, and it's completely loose at the moment, and you're right, the motor appears to be jammed

Should I pop the header off, loosen the gear with a screwdriver from where the valve head pops in underneath freeing it, then pop it back on?


At the moment we have CH and HW with this little claw thing jammed on the microswitches

Its worse than that, when the valve is in heating only position the motor remains powered up and is effectively jammed as it cant travel any further, it says a lot about the synchonous motor used, most electric motors would burn out in minutes if treated like that. Pushing the lever over and lifting it slightly will allow it to be locked into the mid position, we use that when we are filling and venting air from the system with the power off.

 

[heatservice]

Turn the power off and you should hear the motor freewheel back.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Ah ok, I'll do that early tomorrow morning while they are both still asleep, don't want to interrupt their TV!

If it doesn't spring back and I take it off, what position should the valve head be in when i re-seat the motor head? When I first put the replacement on, I had the valve sitting on CH

Turn the power off and you should hear the motor freewheel back.

 

[dilalio]

The motor is designed to stall and remain powered... AC and DC current is used to prevent magnetisation of the motor.

It’s 1 valve that does a lot of work and is better off being replaced by 2 x 2-port valves in an S-plan.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Noted

If you saw the state of the plumbing, whoever did it should be ashamed of themselves. It's an old redrow house, I suppose it's to be expected

The motor is designed to stall and remain powered... AC and DC current is used to prevent magnetisation of the motor.

It’s 1 valve that does a lot of work and is better off being replaced by 2 x 2-port valves in an S-plan.

 

[heatservice]

Ah ok, I'll do that early tomorrow morning while they are both still asleep, don't want to interrupt their TV!

If it doesn't spring back and I take it off, what position should the valve head be in when i re-seat the motor head? When I first put the replacement on, I had the valve sitting on CH

Your actuator should have been in the HW position when unpowered so that is where the valve spindle should be also. What make/model is it, Im assuming its a Honeywell or clone as you say you can see the microswitch, can you move the spindle by hand, if not you neet to free it as the springs are not very strong.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

That is where I went wrong, it was in the CH position

It's a honeywell clone, a proper whole new Honeywell kit will go in when their plumber comes round

I'll switch the electrics off, turn the actuator left (CH is to the right), reset the motor head if it doesn't pop back and then reinstall

Your actuator should have been in the HW position when unpowered so that is where the valve spindle should be also. What make/model is it, Im assuming its a Honeywell or clone as you say you can see the microswitch, can you move the spindle by hand, if not you neet to free it as the springs are not very strong.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

I went to reinstall this morning, and am unsure of the configuration now, attached are three photos I took

https://imgur.com/a/c2EXw

• Port AB seems to come from the loft
• Port B goes to the boiler
• Port A goes somewhere else in a void

The motor head when switched off in rest, points to port A

I can move the actuator to Port B, it sits about half way pointing upwards then stops. However, when I move the motor head socket to the new position, the springs want return it to the port B position

According to the Honeywell manual, port A is CH, port B is HW, but on this configuration I don't know nor understand

I'm totally lost and confused

Your actuator should have been in the HW position when unpowered so that is where the valve spindle should be also. What make/model is it, Im assuming its a Honeywell or clone as you say you can see the microswitch, can you move the spindle by hand, if not you neet to free it as the springs are not very strong.

 

[heatservice]

I went to reinstall this morning, and am unsure of the configuration now, attached are three photos I took

https://imgur.com/a/c2EXw

• Port AB seems to come from the loft
• Port B goes to the boiler
• Port A goes somewhere else in a void

The motor head when switched off in rest, points to port A

I can move the actuator to Port B, it sits about half way pointing upwards then stops. However, when I move the motor head socket to the new position, the springs want return it to the port B position

According to the Honeywell manual, port A is CH, port B is HW, but on this configuration I don't know nor understand

I'm totally lost and confused

Port AB is the flow from the boiler, port A is the flow to the rads while port B is flow to HW cylinder indirect coil, did you check the valve spindle was nice & free to move, the amount of travel of the spindle is very little with the Honeywell type.

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Checked the valve spindle, it seems pretty loose, I used a spanner to turn it left & right, should I apply a little grease to it? I saw I couldn't use WD40 as it apparently corrodes

Been thinking, I'm wondering if I'm getting the position of the valve wrong way round, and I'm looking at it 'upside down', the letters are on top of the valve as I look at it

The motor didn't wizz automatically when I switched on the CH, so I've pushed the arm to manual, the brass claw now touches the microswitches, and pump has kicked in and they have CH again

Port AB is the flow from the boiler, port A is the flow to the rads while port B is flow to HW cylinder indirect coil, did you check the valve spindle was nice & free to move, the amount of travel of the spindle is very little with the Honeywell type.

 

[heatservice]

Sounds like the valve is too tight or you have a defective actuator, I apply silicone grease and work it in a bit, heard that WD40 can react with some plastics, not too sure about that as it shines my car bumpers OK

 

[SwitchTheElectricsOff]

Apologies for the late reply - you are spot on, I've finally had a chance to kill the power again tonight, and take the motor head off - the motor head works fine, I can see it whizzing round doing it's thing, so am now flooding the valve with greese now - It is definitely a tight rotate, hopefully in an hour or so it'll start to free up

If not, I'll cobble something together as a temporary solution for the motor head to spin round to activate the microswitches, maybe a nut/bolt on wood screwed in, and will leave the valve about half way, at least it will then 'switch off'

Replacing the unit isn't above me, but draining the system is, and I don't want to play with anything that involves in/directly gas

They are going to phone the plumber this week and see if he can come earlier to put these rads in

If this is the type of things to expect becoming a plumber, I'll think I might stay in plastering

Sounds like the valve is too tight or you have a defective actuator, I apply silicone grease and work it in a bit, heard that WD40 can react with some plastics, not too sure about that as it shines my car bumpers OK