Honeywell Zone valves

Jim_47

Looking for any similar experiences.  Installed 8 new honeywell zone valves in the last 2 months at 5 diffrent addresses. Have had 3 call backs all for blown out O-rings. I have been doing these zone valves for years without ever a fail. All of the zone valves have the new actuator plates( plastic and sheet metal, 2 parts instead of the old brass plate).

So the question is: Has anyone else experienced problems with the new Honeywell re-design zone valves?

billtwocase

Jim

I have not had that problem as of yet, but I am not impressed with cheapening of the base plate. I have always disassembled them before sweating them in. Don't know if that is key, but just an old practice for me

Mark Eatherton

OOOooppsss...

I'm thinking maybe Honeywell forgot to state in their installation instructions that the valve has to be completely disassembled prior to soldering. Otherwise, failure will occur.



I know I saw a bunch of them in one of my wholesalers office... Same problem.



ME

Jim_47

zone valve troubles

I guess I should have added, Yes I do Disassemble befor sweating.

I usually have 2 & 3 zone manifolds done in the shop for stock. Now I'm running low on the old plates and O-rings to cover the shop built manifolds. (I keep taking them for these Emer Calls.)

billtwocase

What is Honeywell's thought

on this Jim? I would certainly contact them if there is a run on defective valve bodies. I have only installed a few of the new style, but hundreds of the brass base plate valves. The brass ones also fail, but after years of service, and sooner if there is antifreeze in the system.  Let us know what becomes of this, and I will also run it by one of my reps

EddieG

Good to know

I haven't ran into the new designed HoneywelI valves yet, but sounds like I may not want to! I will be keeping my eyes open. Is there a Pro-Press zone valve out there yet? How about a threaded model? I think I might have seen some threaded models before. We have switched to Pro Press and I order most components just  threaded. I was thinking about a threaded zone valve with a union connection would be nice. I know you can change the heads, but sometimes you need the whole thing.

Jim_47

**** UPDATE ****

I  finally was able to call Honeywell tech support today and found that there have been to many problems with the Sweat zone valve and those plastic plates. So sometime recently Honeywell began shipping all SWEAT zone valves with the brass actuator plates.  Now we have to wait for the local supple houses to purge out all the plastic stock and get in new brass ones.

I actully have not sweat in one of these new units yet. But a good rule to go by is ALWAYS disassemble the zone valve when seating in  the body. lets hope this problem is over.

billtwocase

Thanks Jim

for that heads up. When I first saw that, I knew it would be a problem. Plastic, sometimes good, sometimes bad.

Plumdog_2

plastic is no good

I'm so friggin' old I can remember when there was NO plastic. Or least not much of it. Remember "The Graduate"? "The future is in plastic, son"  And those plastic Chevrolets? Like a cardboard Ferrari. And then plastic fishing poles. You gotta be kiddin' me!

But, you gotta make do with what they give ya. So I wrap a damp rag around the valve body and make quick work of the sweat job, then douse it with a WET rag. Also, HW has been sending out little "plastic" envelopes with new O-rings and screws. Now if they would just give us the End Switches in boxes of a hundred for about twelve bucks........

billtwocase

that certainly

made me laugh a bit plumbdog. It's always about give them less and charge them more. I can see the possibility of less corrosion by using plastic, but it won't hold up long, even though it states it's heat ratings, with those temp changes. JMHO