Honeywell zone valve stuck

bignozzle

installed 3 zone valves Honeywell v8043 e about 2 months ago  to add zones to existing system. Worked fine, but today no heat in zone 1. the lever on the valve was off and I gave it a little nudge and it opened right up. Anyone have this problem before?

hot_rod

check all the wire connections, make sure they are tight and all the wire strands are accounted for. If it is the type with leads, there may be wire nuts under the cover that you should check also.

mattmia2

What is the total load on the transformer and the transformer's rating?

bignozzle

Each valve is .32 amps so 3 is about 1 amp the transformer is 40 volt amps

bignozzle

there are 2 wire nuts under the cover the yellow and orange wires they seem pretty secure. When I installed them I used new wire and soldered all wire nut connections 

EdTheHeaterMan

Are the valves installed in the correct direction? The arrow is on the outside so the water can't see it and may go the wrong way.

Respectfully submitted,
Mr.Ed

bignozzle

Double checked it and it is going the right way

HomerJSmith

A Honeywell ZV is about 7.6 VA. The maximum number of ZV's on a boiler 40VA transformer is usually 3. If it gives you trouble, it has a one year warranty.

You can remove the screw that holds the motor on the power head and remove it and check the lever and the motor. It sounds like the lever is binding.

I had a bunch of Honeywell ZV's go bad. years ago. What I found out was the top bearing on the motor dropped down, allowing the rotor to pole out.

EdTheHeaterMan

bignozzle said:

Double checked it and it is going the right way

That is good, Then the valve actuator got stuck. If you place the actuator in Manual, loosen the 2 mounting screws, jiggle it a little, then tighten the screws evenly. Let it operate for a time to see if the problem reoccurs. If it does, then return the actuator for warranty replacement. If there is no warranty return because you purchased a complete valve, then purchase a complete valve and swap actuators. After a time if the problem is solved, return the unused valve with the defective actuator head. Tell the supplier there is a defective actuator and you need a refund.

If the problem is not resolved then replace the valve portion, Follow good soldering practices so as not to overheat the valve components. Overheating the small (non-metal) ball that closes against the valve body will damage the valve. Use your judgment as to the warranty or if you overheated the valve when returning the defective part.

Respectfully Submitted,
Mr.Ed

PS Honeywell literature states that up to 4 Zone Valves can work with one 40 VA transformer. Only 3 Taco Zone Valves 571 on a 40 VA transformer

bignozzle

I called Honeywell he checked that my transformer could handle the number of zone valves then told me to take the motor off and see if the valve seems to be binding. Think I’ll try the advice of loosening the screws to let it adjust 1st. I wired the valve open for now, which is okay because a pellet stove is heating the other 2 zones this time of year. I’ll report back next week. Thanks everyone for all the input.

mattmia2

For what its worth, i like the taco zone sentry valves a lot better than honeywell.