Hissing Honeywell TRVs

[Aulus]

I have a 7 rad system, 10 years old, all with Honeywell TRVs - when rooms warm up & valves approach closing, some of them have a very prolonged period (hours) of the valve hissing: well not hissing exactly, but you can hear fluid running/(squeezing?) through them. I have many theories, but none CORGI based. Are the valves past it or do I need a good dose of DS40 & F1??????

Any advice appreciated, Im listening to it at this very moment & I honestly cannot decide if it's fizzy water, or sludge, or high pressure through tiny opening, or what!

!

 

[Softus]

I have many theories, but none CORGI based.

WTF does this mean?

Any advice appreciated, Im listening to it at this very moment & I honestly cannot decide if it's fizzy water, or sludge, or high pressure through tiny opening, or what!

Perhaps you could fill in some time by posting the information about the rest of your system?

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

high pressure through tiny opening

Turn your pump speed down a notch or two to reduce the speed of the water.

If that doesnt work then just turn the volume up on the telly

 

[Aulus]

Nice one, I'll turn the pump down as you suggest. Because I havent got a TV in my bedroom!

 

[esra_ptrap]

Or ... just open all the valves fully and bake in peace and quiet

 

[Aulus]

Sorry Softus - boiler is Vaillant turbomax 242e (or 282, im not at home so cant remember) 6 rads with TRV, 1 with open lockshield, all new system in 1996, pressured to 1.5bar. Dosed with Fernox DS40, restorer & silencer in Nov 2001.

Rad water smells vaguely of fish.

 

[Diyisfun]

Sorry Softus - boiler is Vaillant turbomax 242e (or 282, im not at home so cant remember) 6 rads with TRV, 1 with open lockshield, all new system in 1996, pressured to 1.5bar. Dosed with Fernox DS40, restorer & silencer in Nov 2001.

Rad water smells vaguely of fish.

Thats strange, I only know of 2 things that smell of fish..

 

[namsag]

Don`t turn pump speed down as combi boilers are meant to run on speed three... your valves are starting to wear or even if they are bi -direction valves they may be on the return although they are designed to work on either side they will be quieter on the flow

 

[Aulus]

I thought I recalled being told not to reduce pump speed, thanks!

I just listened to the boiler, its very quiet, so it looks like a whole lot of new TRVs for me.

Or perhaps I can just renew the pin/valve assembly & keep the thermostat? Is this doable? Or worth it?

10 years life seems a bit poor for shiny chrome Honeywell valves. The fitter at the time said they were the dog's b******s!

 

[namsag]

No whole valve needs replacing.. Trouble is fitters can only believe the manufacturers literature or the reps how good a product is.An then take the sh#te when it doesn`t meet expectations

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

I thought I recalled being told not to reduce pump speed, thanks!

You didnt tell me it was a combi.
Rather than turn your bedroom rad on full turn all the others on full if you dont want to bake.

Cheaper still just to turn the rad off and buy a thicker quilt.

 

[Aulus]

thank Slugbabydotcom but it all looks like I have to fit new valves. I will run descaler through for a week first, just in case.

 

[croydoncorgi]

You COULD try turning down the lockshield valves a bit on the rads which have the noisiest TRVs. Might turn out that you can reduce the flow through the TRV and silence it without having the lockshield contribute to the noise! Worth a try.

 

[Aulus]

Thanks croydon, I'm not sure about that - it might reduce the flow rate but not the pressure, so less water will be going through per minute, but still at the same speed, & I reckin it's the speed of the water doing it. Hence slowing the pump might work, but I cant do this. And it's clear to me that all the valves are at the same volume of noisiness.

I'm draining down tomrrow to replenish with DS40, so if it's still doing it a week later, it must be time to change the TRVs.

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

A by pass might help.

Didnt mention it earlier cos I didnt at first consider it as being worth the effort