Heating zone actuator valve stays open

ddcha

Please help. I have the Erie VT2317G13A02A PopTop Control Valve installed in my zones. It had been working properly, but one of my zones (upstairs bedrooms) seems to be stuck open. The lever remains loose even though the thermostat is not calling for heat. Set at 71, rooms are at 76 degrees. The Synchron motor seems to work. When I turn the power off, it reverts to the closed position. The second I turn power on, it opens completely again. I removed the actuator to see if the metal valve behind it is stuck, but it has good movement as it should. I ordered a new actuator, but not sure if this will help. Most trouble shooting info I've researched about faulty actuators usually have the opposite problem where it stays closed rather than open. Please help.

ddcha

one more thing, the Synchron motor is hot to the touch. Pipes remain hot as well, indicating that the motor is working to stay open perhaps.

hot_rod

does it close if you disconnect one of the black wires? If so it is getting a constant call from the thermostat, or shorted wires somewhere.

Yes the motor will get hot, it basically stalls when the valve rotates open and becomes a 5W heater under the cover

EdTheHeaterMan

hot_rod said:

does it close if you disconnect one of the black wires? If so it is getting a constant call from the thermostat, or shorted wires somewhere.

Yes the motor will get hot, it basically stalls when the valve rotates open and becomes a 5W heater under the cover

What he said. If the motor is closing when you shut off all the power (that means the 24 VAC transformer is not powered) and you turn on the power then the valve opens instantly, you have an Unintended circuit being completed (Sometimes incorrectly called a short circuit). Could there be a place where a staple was connecting the wire that goes to the thermostat? That means the thermostat circuit is calling for heat all the time even, if the thermostat in not.

ddcha

Thanks for your responses. Nothing has changed. No stapling or anything. I changed out the batteries to the thermostat in case that might do something. Did not. I'm at a bit of a loss.

hot_rod

Did you disconnect the wires at the zone valve?
At some point you may need a VOM (test meter) to track down the electrical gremlins.

ddcha

I have not disconnected the wires. I have a new actuator coming in the mail tomorrow. Will try that first I guess.

EdTheHeaterMan

ddcha said:

Thanks for your responses. Nothing has changed. No stapling or anything. I changed out the batteries to the thermostat in case that might do something. Did not. I'm at a bit of a loss.

Changes at the boiler room or at the thermostat are not the thing I am talking about. Look over this heated discussion about what might be happening to your situation. https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1703590#Comment_1703590

The nail in the diagram is not in the boiler room, it is not near the thermostat. It is in a random place in the wall to hang a picture in a different room. It just happened to be penetrating the thermostat wire. What are the chances of that ever happening? More than you think.

I wonder if the washing machine vibration has caused a pipe to vibrate and cause a broom to fall that hit a tool on thew work bench that fell onto the floor causing a sharp piece of metal to fly up to the basement ceiling and land in the thermostat wire when no one was looking. What are the chances of that happening? Stranger things have happened! I hope you are getting my point. The wire cross connection can happen without your suspecting a thing.

The bottom line is to use a meter to see if the zone valve is being powered, Probably YES.
Follow the zone valve wire back to the connection to the thermostat. see if the thermostat has 24 volts when not calling, (Disconnected). If NO then the wire from the thermostat is cross connected (or shorted according to @109A_5) somewhere between the thermostat and the zone valve. You need a meter to know for sure. And you need to understand how to use it to diagnose electrical circuits to discover the problem.

Bottom line is you are getting 24 volts to the motor on the zone valve even if the thermostat is not calling for heat. You need to see where that electricity is coming from, by using your mind's eye to look inside the wires. That may mean that you take a trip to another Nation.... The IMAGINation. Enjoy your trip!

ddcha

Thank you Ed for taking the time to explain. What you describe makes a lot of sense. I will get a professional to do that if all else fails (I'm just a homeowner). And I'll read through that thread thanks.

To complicate things further, I woke up this morning to check the actuator. It's closed! And the bedrooms' temperature match the thermostat setting! This is all very odd.

Alan Welch

Smart Thermostat running on 2 wires?

EdTheHeaterMan

ddcha said:

Thank you Ed for taking the time to explain. What you describe makes a lot of sense. I will get a professional to do that if all else fails (I'm just a homeowner). And I'll read through that thread thanks.

To complicate things further, I woke up this morning to check the actuator. It's closed! And the bedrooms' temperature match the thermostat setting! This is all very odd.

Stranger things have happened! With all the checking and touching of components, you may have knocked it back into sync. If it happens again, you will want to leave it in that condition in order for the professional technician to see it happening. Trying to find that intermittent problem when it is not actually happening, is never easy