My Boiler Wont Switch Off... Danfoss Motorized Valve

[@aumshanti2514]

Mine started banging violently earlier! Switched off the timer, used manual after I stopped panicking abiut YET ANOTHER Cost - watched some videos and switched it back on with manual. Now it won't switch off. So THANKS TO YOU, I now know what to do and how! Thank you 🙏👏

[@perryj500]

Legend thanks saved me having to shell out on a plumber, took my Danfoss actuator off for the Hot water and noticed it had a really stiff valve, bit of WD40 and unstiffed using some pliers now back to working order, what made me notice this was that my hot water from the taps was beyond hot it was scolding, this was new, noticed my heating pump & boiler wouldn’t shut off even though the hot water was turned off

[@alan4x]

excellant😊

[@TheFlyingBusman]

Love this channel and Mr Howatt’s off the wall sense of humour. I can relate to that especially when it comes to vehicles.

[@WayWalker3]

Thanks very much for this well explained video. I've just had the same failed actuator problem. The unit kept clicking and trying to operate the valve, but couldn't. I slid the silver lever to manual (top left of the unit) and the downstairs is heating up again. Will get a new unit tomorrow.

[@Musicmatttheonly1]

Great. Fantastic video. This happened to me too with the same age of valves before they broke. Just got both fixed yesterday. £40 per valve and £80 for the electrician to do the job and source the parts.

[@alan4x]

Glad it helped

[@markbramley3732]

I fitted a relay Brown wire and netural to the coil and then split the orange wire across a set of normally open contacts. So when the switch within the valve fails the relay controls it, I have had this system fitted for about three years now with no problems. My valves always failed within the warranty period I returned them to Danfoss for a replacement. There are different manufacturers heads you can fit.

[@TheStephen4181]

Hi Alan, my Danfloss 3 way valve electronics were changed by me 12 months ago, then I had the physical Danfloss 3 way valve changed and a Google Nest Thermostat Gen 3 installed to manage my hot water and heating by a heating engineer. Every 2 hours, whilst both the heating and the hot water are both switched OFF at the Nest, the boiler comes on for 30 seconds, the water pump is churning the hot water tank (I can hear it gurgling) the rads don't heat up and the Nest is not showing a request to burn but I can see from my energy supplier gas smart meter (shows usage every 30 mins) that I am using an extra 8 kW of gas a day (more than additional £1 a day). I rang Danfloss and got through to some pr1ck in their tech support who wouldn't help me because I was not a qualified electrician or heating engineer and refused to help me full stop. I have now ordered a Honeywell 3 way valve from my heating engineer to replace that Danfloss sh1te and will report back later. If the problem goes away, I am sending the Danfloss equipment back to their HQ in Uxbridge for them to dispose of it.

[@mikestrange6969]

Actually totally bloody useful 😊 we were sweltering with the temp running at 25C. Yep it's the heating HPA2 valve head failed Cheers pal!

[@AnthonyFrancisJones]

Bang on! This is a very strange fault and many suspect the boiler or timer. In many ways one can consider the little micro switch in these units as holding your whole heating system hostage! Once you know about this it is easy to solve what seem to be very odd issues with the boiler staying on or not starting up. BTW one of the problems with the actual water valves getting stuck closed is the boiler will start up and then fail as it cannot pump against a closed valve even if it thinks it is open. Ovalling of the plastic part of the zone valve can cause a loose fit too which is problematic!

[@QuattroUK2011]

Thanks for the video - this is exactly what my HPA2 is doing, it keeps calling for hot water (in my case) to heat up the hot water tank. Luckly the tempreature thermostate kicks in and stops the boiler.

[@alan4x]

Glad it helped

[@paddyhalliwell]

Thank you! Had my suspicions about the valve. Your video is super helpful in confirming and giving some familiarity to the problem and fix!

[@hairydolphinrecords7404]

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge I've one of these in the house we bought didn't really know what it was or does... not anymore ATB.. Paddy

[@alan4x]

Glad it was helpful! cheers paddy

[@marp155]

Thanks for that video, now I know what’s going with my heating system

[@boogie3382]

Mine did not last 2 years, and it was a brand new house with brand new boiler system. After 3 years 2nd one is gone as well. They are set to fail after warranty period is over.

[@TimHolmes222]

Helped me resolve a pump overrun issue, playing around with the auto/manual slider on the hot water valve eventually I got the pump to stop so now I know where the fault lies.

[@TimHolmes222]

No need to replace though, remove, strip down, squirt a load of contact cleaner into the microswitch, press a few times manually and allow to evaporate then reassemble.

[@Orkneyudh8hggbvhh]

Great Man especially with the mk5 Mondeo learned such a lot from Alan keep up the good work thanks

[@alan4x]

cheers bry

[@jamespaul1097]

Just dealing with the same thing ! except my valve was shutting off at a 45degree allowing hot water cylinder heat to heat rads when off .. cheers

[@TheFlyingBusman]

Been there, bought that tee! Try it with an oil fired boiler next to your bedroom LOL. I knew what it was so when plumber came (I rent the property so why should I fix it!) he had the new valve head with him. All down to a ten bob micro switch being fudged.

[@sdgelectronics]

Always swap those for Honeywell ones. The Danfoss ones bugger up all the time

[@steverpcb]

Agreed, a summer project for Alan :)

[@kevincuthbert3058]

Agree , I fitted Honeywell myself and had 2 over 24yrs, am on my second Drayton in 6 yrs. The last one gave up after 11 months and I battled for a warranty replacement. Any more trouble and I will swap it out for Honeywell. The price comparison tells you all you need to know.

[@chrismeese3666]

No….it was just what I needed….thanks

[@kennykrc3500]

Exactly the issue i have...my hotwater one also.lasted 7 years and my central heating one 9 years..spooky ...thanks for the post

[@androidmartian457]

Mine lasted 5 years

[@ifrtutor]

Thank you for the video. I have one of these I suspect is stuck open. If I remove it from the pipe work and disconnect cables (mine has a 4 pin connector so just unplugs) should this stop that system constantly calling for heat? I have 2 zone heating and it’s just the one for one room that seems to be stuck on. I need the main house ch and hot water still while I get around to replacing it.

[@irenestewart8541]

Many thanks for this video. It’s helped enormously.

[@banditpete12]

Iv replaced these in my house about 2 years ago interestingly I just had no heating as mine is wired in to the time clock so the boiler would still fire up at the programmed times but it wouldn’t pump the water round the system because the motorised valve didn’t open unfortunately it wasn’t as easily found as yours and had to pull up half of the house floor to find it.

[@MrSimonmurray]

Good video, explained it well thanks

[@grahamshillingford8229]

Hey Allan great channel, I have a similar problem with my CH system but I think my issue is that the valve has siezed causing the motor to burn out. My heating is'nt working at all as a result??? Its the second siemens valve I've fitted, both have lasted roughly 10 years. I have a honeywell on its way. Maybe I'll do a vlog & post it!!

[@alan4x]

i hear from a plumber friend that honeywell are the best brand

[@pl2514]

I have 2 x Danfoss HPA2, one Hot Water and the other for the Radiators. The lever on the Hot Water one is constantly loose and on the Radiators one the lever still has the resistance so presumably off (closed) but the rads stay permanently on....any ideas?

[@steverpcb]

On the subject of boilers, magnetic and electric descalers do not work, you should use a Combimate on the cold supply, and a MagnaClean inline with the radiators, there are youtube videos about these.

[@alan4x]

cheers

[@no-ic3rg]

I have 2 danfoss zone valves one for the heating one for the unvented hot water cylinder. I have an ideal icos he12. My boiler isn't firing up but the pump won't shut off. Would this be the same issue. A faulty zone valve?

[@thewisearchitect]

This was very useful. Thanks.

[@EternalQuestion]

Turns out I don't need to picture the scene at all, because this exact thing happened to me and that's why I'm here 🤣

[@timbird6186]

not useless at all :-) helped clarify how they work Ta muchly

[@michalki123]

Hi hpa2 actuator work only with danfoss thermostats or can i connect any one?

[@eldodos83]

I had one of these that resonated through the pipes and sounded like chewbacca when it switched off lol

[@alan4x]

lol

[@factsandstorie]

Hi, can you please help me out my motorised valve moving when i turn the heating on and off upstairs, but the boiler won't turn on unless I turn the downstairs heating on.

[@AnthonyFrancisJones]

Check that the boiler is getting a connection (often orange) from the upstairs set so that it gets the signal to turn on and that the microswitches in the valves upstairs are actually being switched on by the motor turning far enough. Sounds like this is not happening.

[@vintagemusings5566]

Should the valves be set to auto all the time or manual?? Thank you

[@matcraigon]

I have a similar problem, the valve appears to jam open. When the programmer tells it to switch off/close, it doesn't, and I have to go whack it a few times and jiggle the manual overide switch on the actuator, until it eventually drives closed. I have replaced the actuator maybe 3 or 4 times, and cant find a solution, thinking it is a controls issue or the valve is overheating and jamming (its in the under stairs cupboard, under a hatch which is carpeted. Any solutions??? or juts keep replacing the actuator every few years?

[@grendo89]

Would this valve have anything to do with heating hot water only? Currently can't figure out how to heat hot water without having 1 radiator on which can't be turned off individually

[@michaelinkster4977]

£59 for actuator and valve on Amazon today - these often fail so I have bought three!

[@crackspider101]

Interesting that you said yours was broken and you couldn't move the lever. Mine failed wherein the lever can be moved totally freely. Surely if you can't move the lever at all, it's stuck shut and your boiler should be OFF? Anyway, I've replaced mine once before and now the same one has failed again. The first one failed after about two years, the next four. Bloody things.

[@daffical]

After I light a fire my boiler keeps pumping hot water to the radiator for days unless I turn it off at the mains. Doesn't do it if I just turn on oil heating. Would this be the same problem?

[@onsight2822]

Great vid , always are 👍

[@Rubikoolkid]

My boiler doesn’t auto switch on . However if I manually switch on it works . If I turn boiler off it auto switches off. Do I need a new auto valve?

[@alan4x]

probably but have an experienced electrician look at it first

[@jamespaul1097]

Helped me ,thank you

[@Fifthgear08]

What happened to the ford Mondeo channel

[@alan4x]

this was boredom when not at work

[@24163361]

Many thanks for the video. This is exactly what's been happening to my boiler during the last two weeks. I found the valve lever locked into the fully open position. I have a Hive controller which said it was 'Off' but the boiler continued to operate outside of the scheduled periods. Can these valves lock themselves into that fully open position?

[@d.a.r.a.n.o.i.d]

Yes they can, slide the lever to the MAN (for manual) side and it should lock in the 'on' position

[@chrise7058]

I would be very unhappy with 7 or 9 years. About to replace one of my Honeywells after 26 years!

[@axores20]

Look alan works aswell on boilers. If u fit a mondeo water pump there it should work better? 🤣 🤣 Good video 😉

[@alan4x]

it probably would lol

[@steverpcb]

You would need to change it every 100'000 miles but it would only last 70'000.

[@tdi1505]

Nice to know this thanks again 😎

[@feedthefrog]

Thanks for this video. I think I currently have this exact problem. Do you think this repair would be too difficult or dangerous for a complete novice to undertake? Would it be better to get in an electrician to do the rewiring or would a different kind of engineer be required?

[@roberthemsley2]

You can do it yourself. You posted this three weeks ago so interested to know what you did.

[@feedthefrog]

​@@roberthemsley2 I've ordered two replacement valves, should be arriving shortly. Still not 100% sure how I will proceed but am planning to check out the parts and evaluate the situation at that point. :) I had a technician round who actually thought it might be an issue with our heat interface unit rather than the valves and tested the valves repeatedly and decided they were fine... only for the valves to exhibit the exact same issue a few hours later, after he'd left of course. It was all outside of his specialism though so he couldn't say for sure. At present my plan is to replace them, hope that fixes the issue, and if not then get someone in to hopefully look over the HIU.

[@roberthemsley2]

@@feedthefrog I ordered a vale on Amazon next day and gotten them myself. Works perfect now.

[@markbramley3732]

@@roberthemsley2 I fitted a relay Brown wire and natural to the coil and then split the orange wire across a set of normally open contacts. So when the switch within the valve fails the relay controls it. My valves always failed within the warranty period I returned them to Danfoss for a replacement. There are different manufacturers heads you can fit.

[@mondodaftasabrush]

I had those, sadly mine used to explode, and create a smell due to valve seized, and stink the aired clothes out in acrid electrics ,but in my modern house it would trip the mcb and rcd and then house alarm would kick in to awake you in the middle of the night , Oh brill. heating broke again Fitted a horstmann no more issues

[@mattyjamess7818]

Mines lasted 2 and a half years, today is the day I change it over 😂

[@makingtheweb6620]

I have a heating pump running all the time no ch or hot watetr calling

[@Derek-tfm]

Not "totally bloody useless" :-) Thanks.

[@armunro]

Makes a change from Mondeos! Your CH seems a bit over complex for a modern system? I just have a boiler that does everything so you just change parts in it. Forgot to add: entertaining as always!

[@alan4x]

i think everything is complicated these days lol

[@sdgelectronics]

Heat only boilers are almost always a better long term solution

[@George-po7fo]

Well I found it reassuring someone else has the same type of luck as me , 🤣

[@timdawson5807]

Not mentioned in this video is that the valve actuator contains a microswitch which (in my case at least) is used to switch the boiler on when the valve is open. I'm getting a problem with the boiler not switching off, even though the valve is closed. I think it's the micro-switch that is the problem.

[@steverpcb]

That's called a zone valve, to hold the valve open against the spring the motor stays on and gets hot, and because it's on the hot water pipe it gets even hotter and so the motor burns out :( The actual motor inside should be available on its own for a lot less than you paid for the unit.

[@alan4x]

thanks for that explanation, that would have sounded much better in the video, you know your stuff here...i thought i was getting a good deal with just the motor unit...the internals are not advertised unless like you know how to obtain these parts but thanks for the information, appreciated

[@steverpcb]

@@alan4x I was waiting for you to open the lid to show the motor.

[@alan4x]

i did open it but the motor was in a metal housing so nothing interesting to see so left that bit out

[@steverpcb]

@@alan4x search for "synchronous motor for motorised valve"

[@alan4x]

so for ten pound you can fix an expensive unit if you know what to look for, thats pretty good to know, cheers

[@ranat5526]

This might be a solution for remote starting my generator.

[@SalimKhan-gk1fh]

Danfoss used to be a good brand but not anymore

[@maovi7652]

You should have 10 years warranty on this valve Alan

[@alan4x]

really.... i don't have a maintenance care plan for the boiler etc

[@SimoneOconnell]

its actually 2.00 in the morning i am boiling up

[@Chris_905]

Hope your manager has approved this vid , or you are in big trouble .!!!

[@alan4x]

lol

[@EhButU]

Ridiculous designs on these things that the motor has to stay energised (using electricity) to work against the return spring for the duration of the time that the heating is on

[@alan4x]

yes and not very reliable either