Three Way Valve gone?

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 balmybaldwin 30 Dec 2020

My Hot water has packed up.

Old fashioned (I guess now) hot water tank low pressure system.  Heating works fine, but no hot water.

Pipe into hot water tank hot (but only conducted from valve) pipe out cold. 

Im slightly confused as I thought 3 way valves only fail in the hot water on position, but obviously not!

I've had a tinker with the elctric box, and can't shift the lever manually, however as the box is removeable, I can take it off, and I can move the valve with pliers an get hot water... however it seems a bit stiff.

The elctric box has changed position now it's not attached to the valve.... so do you think my valvle is semi seized and the electric motor can't cope (i.e. Change the valve)

or is my electric motor given up the ghost and I can get away with just changing the motor unit?

Valve was only changed about 6 years ago.

 Snyggapa 30 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

not my area of expertise but have seen exactly this before, if the valve is too stiff to move by hand then my money goes there first. Can it be WD40d or similar to loosen it up- or google the make/model of valve sticking to see if it is a common problem. 

Typically it's no dearer to buy a complete motor & valve, so you can try the motor first as a quick fix.

 Dax H 30 Dec 2020
In reply to Snyggapa:

> not my area of expertise but have seen exactly this before, if the valve is too stiff to move by hand then my money goes there first. Can it be WD40d or similar to loosen it up- or google the make/model of valve sticking to see if it is a common problem.

Try find something that fits the valve better than a pair of pliers and move it back and forth a good few times. Might just be a bit sticky with lime scale and might free off. 

 Oceanrower 30 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

As above. The difference between a complete unit or the component parts is negligible in cost but the hassle in changing is phenomenal!

Buy the complete unit. Swap over the motor (a matter of minutes) and if that doesn't work then change the whole lot.

But, be warned. In my experience if the valve has jammed it's not the motor that goes but the teeth in the cogs. Don't let the old valve bugger the new motor...

Post edited at 21:22
OP balmybaldwin 30 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

Much as I thought.... will try and give it a good wiggle, but otherwise it looks like I'm going to have to drain the system somewhat.

 nikoid 30 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

I had a similar problem where the actuator worked but the valve was too stiff and the actuator couldn't provide enough torque to move it. I operated it manually with a spanner for a few weeks until the spindle snapped! Sounds like you need to change the valve. (In my case I had to buy the actuator and valve together).

In reply to Dax H:

> Might just be a bit sticky with lime scale and might free off. 

Shouldn't really be limescale in the closed cycle heating circuit. But could be magnetite, so manual tweaking may well break off any residue. Have also read that some 3-ways use a polymer valve, that distorts or swells.

 Cobra_Head 30 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

got to give lubrication a try before you ditch it, surely.

 MattJ753 31 Dec 2020
In reply to balmybaldwin:

Get a small adjustable spanner and move spindle on brass valve body from side to side many times which should free it up.

After this it should then move easily by hand.

Then see if motorised head still has the power to move it.

If not, change mororised part...or, for much cheaper you can buy just the "synchron motor" itself and just change that. 20 quid ish, rather than 90 for whole thing.

This is assuming its a Honeywell.

If you cant free the spindle sufficiently to start with, then change whole thing.


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