Motorised EIS valve help, stuck in with covid, can't get a plumber to come!

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by Johnboy3000, Jan 5, 2022.

  1. Johnboy3000

    Johnboy3000 New Member

    Hi everyone, I'm desperate for help. We tested positive for covid 2 days ago and on the same day our downstairs rads went off, we have a 20 month old baby so it's not ideal. I can't call a plumber obviously!

    Things I've already done: bled all rads, checked pressure, turned all rads off upstairs to force heat to the downstairs rads, checked the boiler pump - it sounds/feels like it's working and the boiler doesn't have an error code showing. The pipes to all the downstairs rads are cold too.

    Our house is a three year old Redrow Oxford and the central heating is split into two zones, upstairs and downstairs. Everything is controlled using EIS an controller, thermostats and motorised valves. The reason why I think the problem is the motorised valve is that the small metal manual-override lever on the side of it won't budge which makes me think the valve is stuck in the off position. I've also noticed that it looks like the plastic hood has been removed before so maybe it has caused problems for the previous owner of the house.

    What can I do?? Should I try switching of the electricity and removing the actuator to try and physically move the mechanism where it connect to the motor? Should I try and replace the actuator? Should I try and replace the whole valve? Should I tap the stuck lever with a hammer to try and free it?

    I really don't want to get electrocuted or flood my house, I'm not a plumber!

    The valve model number is ES ZV 222P
     

    Attached Files:

  2. andy48

    andy48 Screwfix Select

    1. Have a look at the instructions for your valve at https://www.esicontrols.co.uk/assets/eszv222p-installation-instructions-web.pdf
    2. Try unclipping both up and down valve heads and swapping them. If the upstairs is now cold and the downstairs hot, it is most likely that the valve marked "DOWN" is faulty.
    3. Return them to their original positions. Remove the downstairs one again and turn the spindle of the valve itself by hand. It should turn only a few degrees (around 20). You should be able to rotate it with your fingers, or at least with a pair of pliers without using too much force. Then:
    3a. If it doesn't turn, the valve itself is stuck. Try using a little more force to shift it. A small adjustable spanner is best, otherwise grips or pliers.
    3b. If it turns, the valve actuator (the white plastic bit and its innards) is faulty.
    3c. If it turns, or you are able to force it to turn, leave it in the open position and do NOT refit the actuator. You should then have downstairs heat, but it won't be programmer controlled.
    4. You should be able to remove the actuator without turning off the electricity so long as you don't remove the plastic cover from it. It has a button you push in so that you can detach it from the actual (brass?) valve. The manual lever should be in the manual position - not clear from the instructions what that means. Manually open is normally pushed to the back and down (your 3rd photograph). In my experience you can usually get the actuators off with a bit of fiddling and twisting no matter where the lever is. If the manual lever won't move it suggests the valve may be stuck (See 3a. above).
    5. Don't tap the lever with a hammer, you are more likely to bend it. Try moving it a little backwards and forwards with increasing finger pressure to try and unstick it.
     
  3. Johnboy3000

    Johnboy3000 New Member

    Thanks Andy! I'll try that now
     
  4. Johnboy3000

    Johnboy3000 New Member

    It worked! Thank you so much Andy. I lifted the actuator off and turned the pin 20 degrees as you suggested and it turned no problem. Within a minute the rads came on. I'm going to order a replacement actuator now.

    Andy you are my hero! All three of us are struggling with covid and this has made it so much easier to deal with, plus there's snow forecast in the next few days. My wife loves you too!
     
    Ian Atkins and terrymac like this.
  5. andy48

    andy48 Screwfix Select

    To fit a new actuator you will have to:
    1. Isolate the power. My advice would be to turn all the power to the property off at the consumer unit, unless you have the equipment and expertise to test all is safe.
    2. Remove the actuator.
    3. You will need to trace the cable back to a wiring centre. Looks as if it might be the white plastic box on the front of the hot water cylinder, but you must check.
    4. Make sure you only do anything to the cable for the actuator you are replacing. Cut the cable 25 mm or so outside the wiring centre, and strip the outer sheath off to reveal the coloured wires inside.
    5. Connect the new wires exactly as the old, colour for colour. For each, unscrew the wire from the wiring centre, making sure any other wires attached to the same terminal remain in place. Attach the same coloured new wire to the terminal, again ensuring all other wires for that terminal are also attached.
    6. If any of the 5 wires are not connected to a terminal in the wiring centre, protect the end of it in the same way as the original. This usually means cutting it so that no metal wire is showing, then wrapping with insulating tape.
    7. Put the actuator back on the valve.
    8. Turn the power back on.

    Within the actuator head there will be a very small electric motor, called a synchron motor. These are often the cause of actuator failure, as they are powered on but stalled all the time the valve is open. In most actuators, these motors can be replaced and are generally much cheaper the whole valve. BES item 11025 (https://www.bes.co.uk/replacement-synchronous-motor-11025/) is an example. Changing them is a bit fiddly but eminently doable. You would have to cut the wires from the old motor near the actuator, and join the wire from the new one. It doesn't matter which way round they go. You would need to insulate the join, which is easy if you join them with twist on connectors. Have a look at https://www.bes.co.uk/replacement-synchronous-motor-11025/. If you decide to go this route, you would need to isolate the power (as 1. above) but not alter any of the wires at the wiring centre. If you feel you would need a plumber to do this, it would be better, and probably simpler, to replace the whole actuator either by yourself or by a plumber.
     
  6. Johnboy3000

    Johnboy3000 New Member

    Thanks again Andy, I might wait for a pro to do this and just manually turn the downstairs rads on and off until we are out of quarantine.
     
  7. James C Cali

    James C Cali New Member

    That was quite useful information. I'm a newcomer to this forum and I'm amazed. I'm a plumber, and this forum is fantastic. My senior plumber, who has been using this forum for years, introduced me to it. This topic is extremely beneficial to the general public. I had a lot of customers that were having the same problem.
     
  8. just pumps

    just pumps Screwfix Select

    Sneaky, sneaky there. There are better ways to advertise you know.
     
  9. andy48

    andy48 Screwfix Select

    I'd never use anyone but a Canadian plumbing firm!
     

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