Actuator (pt 2)

twopenny

This should be simple.

Is it normal for it to get hot?

It's been more than warm when off but can get hot after 4hrs of the heat being on even if the surrounding pipes are cold or warm.

The little leaver on the side remains in the up (H) position even when it's not working on hot water or when it's off. Is this because the timer has HW set for half an hour each morning though the heating can be on twice a day?

The noise I'm reassuared about and would probably get it changed after Christmas as per recommended but should I try and get a new one before the holidays please?

molerat

Should only get hot when the pipes are hot but with a plastic case shouldn't be very hot - I have metal cased actuators and they don't get very hot.   There shouldn't be much noise coming from it, just a faint mains hum and slight whirring when moving.

twopenny

Thanks Molerat. It is metal cased and at the moment just pleasant to put cold hands on but yesterday you couldn't have kept your hands there for long.

The noise was answered on another thread related but at the moment I seem to be getting problems with everything. Garden, car and heating.... always seems to happen before public holidays

NSG666

Sounds like it's stuck and should be replaced as someone suggested in response to your other post. I'm not sure about that particular valve but with many it's possible to just replace the head and with others just the motor. Worse case scenario is the valve is stuck and the whole lot needs replacing. You need someone who knows what they are doing but they don't have to be Gas Safe etc

twopenny

The guy who came to service the boiler said he could replace it but he'd leave it for the moment.........while he's willing I thought it was worth grabbing the offer as trades are so hard to come by down here.

But as I said before, I prefer not to fiddle before a public holiday if possible. A change could result in things not working as they should and I wouldn't be able to get anyone to correct it.

But - if this is a serious problem then needs must.

And yes, thanks NSG, that would tie in with what was said in the last thead, though it seems that in getting the noise to stop it's caused it to get hot. But thanks for the point about them not having to be gas safe. That gives me options.

Sometimes you just can't win

Bendy_House

As far as I know, if it isn't being made hot by the actual hot water in the pipes, then it shouldn't be 'hot'. So, as said above, it does add to the 'stickiness' issue inside.

(That's surely plastic-bodied?)

The heads do go more often than the valve parts - around 10+ years is typical, I think. The valves themselves will also begin to either stick or leak, and if the former has happened, then that could be causing the issue with the head - the motor cannot get to the end of its travel, so is fully powered up trying to get there.

I'd always, then, but the complete unit, and if the valve body part turns out to be fine (once the head is removed, it's quite easy to check*), then to swap the head is just a half-hour job. At some point in the future, your system will need a drain down, so leave the valve body in the airing cupboard so it can be done at the same time - another half-hour jobbie.

(*Once the head is off, the valve spindle should travel through an arc smoothly, 'clunk' firmly at each end of travel, and not be sticky. There should be no signs of leak around the spindle).

twopenny

Ah well that's the problem with getting a good deal with something old as the place hasn't been used for so many years. It's the softer parts. My car was the same. Very low milage, very cheap but the soft parts needed replacing. Annoying.

I think I'll ring the guy tomorrow and see what can be done (same time the car goes in) as with the current situation and being home being reliably warm is more important than usual.

I thought I'd ask but sometime you just have to bite the bullet and get stuff done. I think this is beyond me.

I don;t understand about the draining down. He didn't say anything about that other than it was quick to replace.

The system was flushed and balanced, all good and quiet, then the immersion was leaking  and TRVs replaced and the system got clunky again.

It's a bit tricky to know what's what as this place is built with dry wall and a newish build bungalow you can hear every noise. I don't yet know what noises are just normal and what are something to be wary of.

So I thank everyone for their help. It makes life so much less daunting. You are a great group.

Bendy_House

The actuator has two parts - the brass-bodied valve part that diverts the water, and the 'head' part in the plastic casing that has the motor inside to move the valve.

To replace just the 'head' needs a screwdriver, and that's pretty much it. It is quick to replace as the guy says, and doesn't require a plumber - a sparky will/should do this.

Then there's the valve part. To replace this does need the water in the pipes to be drained off, or else it'd end up all over your feet. It's still an 'easy' job, but more involved and will need a plumber - it's 'wet'.

So, if you want the guy back to replace just the head, I'd suggest you still buy the whole caboodle, and then leave the valve part (hopefully not needed at the moment) sitting there until a time comes when the system will be drained for a different reason. For example, the system must have been drained down to replace the TRVs? That would have been a good time... (but you didn't know).

You have a slightly strange setup where the cables disappear into the walls! What I would do is to cut the actuator cable close to the actuator itself, and fit the cable end into an electrical surface box with a cover. The new head's cable will also go in there, and the two will be joined with a 5-way terminal strip - easy, peasy and squeasy.

Not for you to do, of course (tho' you could...). And the guy will obviously turn off the power first.

twopenny

Something I never thought I'd say - it's easier to get a gas / plumber engineer than an electrician.

Thanks for the explanation. I now understand and will try and ensure I get to keep the valve. The trvs were just unscrewed and screwed new ones on. 

Another_Level

Think its a job for a heating tech, for some reason the valve&actuator are crammed up so close to the left hand wall. The actuator release button could be fiddly to access for diy.

They do get warm, sometimes the plastic insides get brittle and snap 

If it aint broke....

Myser

If you do end up changing the valve, it would be better to fit a Honeywell (metal) one with actuator instead. Have a read of this webpage:

https://charliediyte.co.uk/central-heating-problem/