HR80UK...E3 message

[dennyboy]

Hello,
in one of my HR80UK it appear the "E3" message.
The manual say that this message appear when the motor can't be move.
So means that is broken?Damaged?Or there is a procedure to unblock it?
Sorry for my bad english....

Thanks

[SensibleHeatUK]

You are right about the E3 message, this is displayed when the motor cannot move either due to a seized valve or motor/gear problem.

If you take the HR80 off the TRV valve can you push the valve pin in at all? If the valve has stuck then sometimes you can free it by giving it a gentle tap with a light hammer. If the vavl does not free up then a new valve body is required.

If the valve pin can be pushed in and springs back out when released then temporarily try swapping the HR80 with another unit and see if the problem is replicated at the original radiator or moves with the HR80. Again if the probelm remains at the radiator then you need to get the valve replaced. If the fault moves the HR80 then it has the fault and you can source a replacement.

[dennyboy]

Unfurtunately the valve go up & down without problem...
And the Hr80 give me the same message if i mount in other radiator....always E3...
Is broken?

[SensibleHeatUK]

From what you have said then it does sound like the HR80 is broken I'm afraid.

[Adrian Wallis]

Hi,

I've had 2 HR80's with the E3 problem and both have been fixed by the same solution:

Dissasemble

1. Remove the batteries
2. Remove the base (as though you are going to sync the unit)
3. Remove the top wheel that manually adjusts the temperature - be gentle and it just pulls off
4. With the battery case open insert a screwdriver into the top middle - where the notch is
5. Gently ease the screwdriver upwards with a rocking motion to release the top cap

Fix

6. Using 2 bits of wire, connect a 1.5v AA battery directly to the top of the 2 motor terminals - it doesn't matter which is positive/negative
7. You should now be able to hear and possibly see (if you're good at holding wires in weird positions) the gear wheel at the bottom of the unit turning

Re-assemble

8. Ease the top cap back on. Start with the back and ease down the front until it locks
9. Gently refit the top wheel - you may need to turn it a little to line up with the pot gear
10. Refit the bottom
11. Insert the batteries

You should now be able to test the unit off a radiator by turning the top wheel between on and off and hear the motor and cogs turning again.

I hope this helps a few people as I was starting to think I'd wasted my money after 2 units failed with this problem.

Adrian

[cic10_0]

Adrian

Hi,

I've had 2 HR80's with the E3 problem and both have been fixed by the same solution:

Dissasemble

1. Remove the batteries
2. Remove the base (as though you are going to sync the unit)
3. Remove the top wheel that manually adjusts the temperature - be gentle and it just pulls off
4. With the battery case open insert a screwdriver into the top middle - where the notch is
5. Gently ease the screwdriver upwards with a rocking motion to release the top cap

Fix

6. Using 2 bits of wire, connect a 1.5v AA battery directly to the top of the 2 motor terminals - it doesn't matter which is positive/negative
7. You should now be able to hear and possibly see (if you're good at holding wires in weird positions) the gear wheel at the bottom of the unit turning

Re-assemble

8. Ease the top cap back on. Start with the back and ease down the front until it locks
9. Gently refit the top wheel - you may need to turn it a little to line up with the pot gear
10. Refit the bottom
11. Insert the batteries

You should now be able to test the unit off a radiator by turning the top wheel between on and off and hear the motor and cogs turning again.

I hope this helps a few people as I was starting to think I'd wasted my money after 2 units failed with this problem.

Adrian

Thank you for your advice, Adrian. I've just had an E3 problem with an HR80, although the system is only a couple of months old.

I followed your very clear instructions and the unit is now operational.

Do you know why this situation arises? After all just dismantling and then reassembling the HR80 really changes nothing.

By the way, another problem I've had with my EvoHome system is interference from my WiFi computer. Lots of errors until I moved the controller to another room. Now running smoothly.

Claude

[Adrian Wallis]

Hi,

The problem has since come back on one of the 2 units. It clears every time with the above procedure and then comes back a day or two later.

I have no definite idea why this works as a fix but I'm going to speak to an electrical engineer friend tonight and maybe he can shed some light on the problem. If it recurs again he'll have a look at the unit and see if he can diagnose the problem.

Honeywell are just about to release a new TRV head in the UK (HR92), hopefully these won't have this same problem.

I'll update this thread when I know more.

Thanks
Adrian

[Adrian Wallis]

Hi again,

Listening to a unit with the E3 problem compared to one without the E3 problem shows that the tone of the motor running on the E3 unit is different and running a lot slower than a unit that has never had the problem. A small squirt of WD40 on the underside of the unit off the radiator has definitely increased the speed of the motor. My guess at the moment then is the main cause of the problem is any grease/oil on the blue plastic screw bit under the unit is drying out.

1. Remove the unit from the radiator
2. Remove the bottom as though you are registering it with the controller
3. Set the temperature of the unit to off using the top wheel - so that the blue screw is fully exposed
4. A small squirt of WD40 (silicon grease is probably better)
5. Make sure the blue wheel is to the top of unit before re-assembly

I'll keep an eye on the unit and update as to whether the problem comes back on this unit.

[wahltho]

Adrian,

did the E3 reoccur since then.

I have an self-installed Evohome-setup with 10 HR80 running since September 2013.

In December I had the first HR80 with E3 error, which was replaced due to warranty,

Last month the second HR80 reported an E3. I used your "WD40-tric" and since then it works fine again.

Applying the "battery trick" to get the mechanic working again was not necessary. I just moved the little gear wheel at the back of the unit a little bit with my finger tips.

Best Regards

Thomas

[Adrian Wallis]

Hi,

1 of the HR80's now won't stop producing the E3 code and is useless, the other one has the problem from time to time but always clears with the procedure.

I think that one of the design problems may relate to the end of the plastic stopper arm wearing down and jamming the 'stopper' on the wheel, but I can't be sure.

I'm hoping that the new HR924UK units are going to be more reliable when the eventually come out.

Cheers
Adrian

[MichaelD]

I've had a problem with two of my HR80s where the metal post that is meant to press down the TRV valve pin actually just slides up and the TRV doesn't get pressed. The post seems to be an interference fit in the plastic cog, and after a few years it slips and doesn't press down any more, this also gives the E3 error.

In both cases I took off the HR80 head, unwound the cog to lift the pin to the top, then put superglue on the metal post and fitted it back to the TRV, pressed the post down so that it just touched the top of the TRV valve pin, then left it 24 hours to set on the TRV before refitting the HR80 head. The superglue goes on the sides of the pin, you need to fix the pin in place within the plastic cog. This glues the pin in place at the top of the stroke, so the HR80 can then wind it down to shut off the flow. Its worked for the last two years on one HR80, and I've just done the second one tonight.

[wahltho]

I do not think, that this is really relevant. The thickened part of the metal post, which presses down the valve pin on the inner side of the spindle. It is therefore pressed down by the gearwheel movement even when it is not firmly attached to the spindle. Pushing out is guaranteed by the valve spring.

I meanwhile talked to Honeywell support and they told me, that the E3 error was related to a certain production series of the HR80.

My recommendation is also to maintain the valves themselves and ensure that they are easy going to ensure that the gear of the HR80 has not work to strong.

[sharpener]

I meanwhile talked to Honeywell support and they told me, that the E3 error was related to a certain production series of the HR80.

Can anyone say which batch nos. are affected by the E3 problem? I have had to replace 5 out of my original 8 HR80UK actuators now.

TIA

[mdearman]

3 out of 8 of my HR80s have failed, and its been driving me nuts for a while. The fix above was working for days or weeks before the units failed again so i did some more investigation. I have now taken 2 modules apart and both have faulty motors, they are pulling 6-10x the current they are supposed to, and they sometimes stall when a small load is applied which is what causes the E3 error.

I replaced the motors with a similar part from precision microdrives:

https://catalog.precisionmicrodrives.com/order-parts/product/124-001-24mm-dc-motor-12mm-type

and now they are working like new (so far anyway). will post a guide to replacing the motor when i do the third one, but all you have to do is de-solder then re-solder the wires (keeping the polarity the same) and then the hard part... remove the cog from the old motor without breaking it, and fix it to the new one. I did that by using a pry bar to pull the cog and shaft out of the old motor, then using a centre punch / nail to drive the shaft out of the cog.

Mike

[wahltho]

This sounds reasonable. I also suspected the electric motor to be the root cause.

Could you pls. provide the exact specifications or identification number for the replacement motor?

The one your links directs to is a 6V motor.

Thx + Best Regards

Thomas