Bad week this! My Honeywell valve has started ticking and whirring with no central heating. Was no hot water either earlier but now seems to work as I think we had both running at once and the CH one has failed. I turned the heating off and we got hot water.

Will I die if I drain den the system and replace it? Seen they are repairable but that would involve a plumber, the bits and more cash than I have….

no idea about boilers and central heating etc but i came back from a ski trip yesterday and had no hot water or heating. a check through the manual and discovered i had no pressure on the guage and had to top the water up by opening a valve. hey presto 30 mins reading for a 30 second fix. This might indicate a leak though im not sure, will wait till the next time..
good look, but could be worth googling for a user manual first.

Has it got a lever override…at least you can get your heating on, although if its sprung closed might have to lock it somehow. I think the solenoid/coil can be changed in-situ, probably without draining. And the internal seals should be easy to swap. I’m not a plumber, but have used a few Honeywell valves/coils in Industrial applications.

Well worth a go. I’m replacing various bits of my Ravenheap boiler trying to fix it.

It’s not rocket science, tho of course it’s not legal to touch any gas stuff.

It’s an open system so no major pressure worries! I can’t lock it open as the lever won’t move to the open position. I don’t think this counts as gas does it? Surely water and electricity at that point? Wouldn’t dare touch the boiler.

No expert but

Long as you drain it all first – remembering the various header tanks etc – very little risk

As said above the actuator may be availible for your valve to change as a separate part.

Google the model number on the valve.

I took the actuator off mine and put a heavy adjustable on the pin to hold it open for heating – no hot water at all though.

Fitted a combi boiler shortly after though – oil system here though.

Is a completely different system to your gas.

Trail rat yep agree

Just checked the local plumbing companies, none have the spare parts in stock..

This is the offending valve, the lever won’t go any further to the left than this.

tho of course it’s not legal to touch any gas stuff.

Yes but it will be destroyed in the subsequent fire so they will never know it was you 😉

Do i need to point out legally this is not advice 😯

If I do its Helath and Safety gone mad

OP Give it a go you cant exactly break it more unless you are really hamfisted.

The head on the top is replaceable so no draining required unless brass valve is seized/ sticking/ leaking ( unless its a really old one).
Isolate the power to the system & remove the cover ( silver box). Theres 2 smallscrews holding the head to the brass body. If you dont fancy messing with the wiring in the wiring centre, cut the wire externally & reconnect using a purpose made connector matching the colours like for like( not a choc block & tape!)
If its just round synchron motor faulty these are replaceable too.

You have tried “giving it a tap” I presume… 🙂

Not tapped it yet! However really struggling to find spares locally at the moment..

JRTG – spares are available all over the uk, start with the synchron motor.

If the lever won’t open it manually then it’s likely the valve has jammed. Normally the solenoid goes after a few years, but you can still use the over-ride and just replace the solenoid part (if you can find one).

Draining the system and replacing the whole thing is pretty easy.

Bear, thank you, good advice.

I have some motorised CH valves at work.
We bought them for a closed loop chilling main , actuating them from a Set point Controller. They wouldnt work as the line pressure was too high so they ‘leaked’ an small amount of glycol instead of shutting off completely.

They could find their way into my car if you want to give them a go .
They dont look exactly the same as what you have , but more or less do the same thing , with a lock down lever and a small servo motor.

Footflaps, thanks as well, just isolated the power and took the cover off during the break of the quiz of the year. Wiggled the internals and can now lock open. Will try running the CH to see if it works.

Where are you?
Always helps if there is someone local who can do it.
As mentioned above, some of these can be swapped over without draining the system, but, from the poor pic, it looks like yours cannot – there is a small pip on the top cover if they can be swapped over without draining, i cannot see one on yours, unless it is the pic that is not showing it.
Screwfix and Toolstation are open tomorrow, so you’ll have no trouble getting one.

[Alanl just outside Brighton (Shoreham by sea) there is a pip on the front cover right where the torch is shining in the picture to hide it?

They will sell you a motor with the warning that if you fit it and the problem turns out to be with the “wet” part of the valve, they won’t give you a refund on the motor. However faulty motors are not uncommon and faulty valves are uncommon.

Yes, a dimple, 4mm across, 3mm high?
If so, you only need a new actuator. Probably £40 for a decent one, £80 for a Honeywell one.
Toolstation do one for £30, if thats all I could get, I would fit it, but Honeywell are the bets, so I’d normally fit them.
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p38858

Simple to fit, turn off/isolate the boiler wiring, make a note of where the wires go, and just swap over.

A 2 port Valve is £43 on Tool Station. All you’ll need* to replace it is some PTFE tape, a pair of spanners, a length of hose (to drain the system) and some CH protector solution for when you refill the system and

*Assuming new valve and old valve have the same dimensions.

Thank you all! I really appreciate the advise!

Now that I fiddled with the lever with the cover off, it moves freely and seems to do nought. Time for more fiddles at the next break.

Also, you dont want just the motor, you want the complete actuator.

Alanl, that’s the one. I’ll head there in the morning and thanks again for the help. There is both a screwfix and a toolstation in Brighton. Am I right in thinking that the valve stays in the pipe work and I replace the actuator and motor so don’t drain the system this way? Or is it the whole lot?

Just for fun here is the mess of the plumbing we inherited when we bought the house. This has been “fixed” when we had the boiler replaced. I think we were diddled though.

Replaced a motorised valve on my heating last year. Actuator failed so took it off and used a shifter the turn the pin. Managed to snap the pin though so ended up having to change the whole valve rather than just the actuator. The valve was in the garage so didn’t bother with draining down. Got a little wet but it was handier than draining down and refilling/bleeding.

Looks about right, though would need to see it close up.
The presssure relief valve pipework shouldnt be getting hot, or rather, hot water shouldnt be flowing through it regularly – the red topped valve should only open occasionally to let off some heat from the system, it might need a bit of tuning to stop that happening if it is.

Yes, the valve stays in position, take off the cover, and you’ll see how the top half disconnects. I would take it off first, before you go to buy a new one, as sometimes the valve leaks – it isnt leaking now is it?
Isolate it first – they are thin wires, but it is 230V.
If it is dry under the cover, then a new actuator should sort it, if wet, then it may be a new valve needed.

Alanl, I have taken the cover off and it’s dry. The motor is incredibly hot so I have left the power off to it.

I think the pressure relief valve was faulty as it always let hot water through even at the most resistive setting. Not 100% sure but I think our system may be set up not to need this loop either?

It’s not a pressure relief valve , it’s an auto by-pass valve. If you have a wall stat and rad with no trv then the by-pass shouldn’t be used.

Supremebean, yep I thought that was the case, I do have a rad by the front door without a TRV and the thermostat is n the same location

Proper chuffed with STW tonight. Thank you all so much for giving me a hand. 😀

If you take the head off completely and try to twist the valve nib with your fingers it should spin 20 to 30 degrees quite easily, in that case its just a new motor. Shouldn’t need the whole valve. 10 minute job to replace the motor, 2 wires and a screw.

I change more motors than anything else on heating systems. Two wires motor in, no need to drain anything down, motor will be between £10 – £20.

Worth doing it before going to any other hassle.

are you dead yet ?

I changed a synchron motor myself a month or so ago. Piss easy, motor cost £15. If I can do it, virtually anyone can.

Thanks all, it was the motor, cost £12.98 and took 5mins. Lovely warm house once more.

STW has come to the rescue once again and I now know what to do if it ever happens again.