HR80UK valve stroke adaptation

[JohnnyP]

Hi - first post from me. I've recently installed a Honeywell CM Zone system using HR80UK valve controllers. All seems well, with one exception. Several times now I've noticed that a radiator is cold when it should be hot. Even when I turn the knob until "On" is displayed, the valve is not opened. The HR80UK clearly "thinks" that it's already in the open position even though it isn't. At this point I usually remove the HR80UK body and rotate the internal (blue) cog wheel anticlockwise to manually open the valve. I then replace the HR80UK body and then everything seems to work as advertised for a few days. Could anyone offer any advice? How does the valve stroke adaptation work? I've been wondering if I should switch the HR80UKs to "Full" (no adaptation) instead of "Def". BTW the TRV bodies are all new Danfoss RA type, so I'm using the included adapter collar.

Thanks.

[Bracken26bwr]

Had a similar problem a couple of time when first installed. It turned out that the locking of the HR80 body to the valve adaptor didn't/wouldn't stay put. This allowed the body to lift slightly (actually it tilts back a bit) -not by much but just enough to disengage the drive from the valve. Discovered this on a couple of rads even after becoming aware of the possibility. A little blue tack stops the problem.

Also when you installed/reinstalled the adaptor did you rotate the adaptor to the end-stop before putting the head on (with a reset)? The first thing it does is to exercise the valve to determine the working range. When operating there after it would appear (sounds) it adapts/optimises the valve movement/control over time.

[Bracken26bwr]

ah!....I have just checked the 'CMzone TRV Compatibility List' -supplied to me by Honeywell when I was bashing there ears about adaptors (long story). In it the Danfos RAS, RAS-C2 Combi & RAS-C Combi 5050 have a 'no' in the column headed "Std HR80 Module" and under the "Adaptor Required" column it has "Small White Adaptor". I cannot remember what was supplied with the 6-pack I bought but remember there was a few other bits and pieces beside the std HR80 adaptor that comes by default.

OK, here's an abbreviated version of the long story....I found I needed adaptors for some of my rads with 28mm heads. I found (at the time) that the Honeywell part (HU02?) cost £17.56 a shot!! What's more there's no swap-out program so you get to throw away £17 quids worth of default adaptor. In was telling my tale of woe to the guy at HeatingControlsOnline.co.uk -from whom I had purchased the 6-pack, and he suggested trying a simple Myson adaptor they used for underfloor heating controls. He sent me one which I duly fitted, tried, checked, measured and they work a treat! As a consequence that part is now listed on their web site in the CM Zone section. At £5.75 its is a damned sight cheaper and a lot less complicated and environmentally friendly a solution to the Honeywell "cough & toss" option.

Reason for including the above is just in case anyone else is thinking of taking up the CMzone stuff 'blind' only to find out afterwards that you may have to either change your TRV's or buy additional £17.56 adaptors as well -ouch!

At £17.56/adapter it can work out cheaper to swap out the TRV's but that means draining down etc. You don't need to buy anything fancy since you will be discarding the TRV head -the expensive bit. Generally speaking plumbers merchants don't sell valve bodies...but I see now that HeatingControlsOnline.co.uk do at £6.90/body. Well done them!!!

Despite the added cost of adaptors fitting the CMzone stuff has saved me a lot over the 9 months of running. I have an oil fired boiler and fuel prices have gone from 32p/ltr to 65p/ltr and now 43p/ltr in that time. I had in mind a 3yr payback when fitted. But thanks to the fuel price hike it's pretty well paid for itself in the first year.

[JohnnyP]

Thanks vm, I have hope! I shall look for movement between the HR80UK and the valve body. I think my Danfoss RA type (not RAS) are OK though and fit the included white adaptor. Also, although I was rotating the blue cog to the end stop, I wasn't resetting the HR80UK, so I'll try that as well.

Hopefully just teething troubles. I already love the much improved performance from my heating system (speedy radiator heat-up, and heat when and where you need it) and am keeping fingers crossed for lower oil consumption. (Incidentally, when oil was sky-rocketing in the summer I had a look at boilerjuice.com which seemed good at the time, never pulled the trigger though.)

Cheers.

[JohnnyP]

Still no joy. The adapter supplied with the HR80UK is a perfect fit for a Danfoss RA, so no movement between valve body and HR80UK coupling module.

Also, no reply after one week to my email to Honeywell technical support.

And I can pretty much recite the "we are currently very busy, so go .... yourself" from the helpline. (Actually, that's not word for word.)

Starting to think I've bought a lemon. Any suggestions appreciated. Has anyone out there set there HR80UKs to "Full", and how did they get on?

[Crabby]

Same problem on my Hometronic system. Everything seems fine, and then you come across a cold radiator, or several cold radiators which should be hot. Honeywell helpline and tech support - ahh, I remember the days when I thought I might get through, or receive a reply. It seems so foolish now... I too would love to hear a solution, but I'm quite old, and don't expect to live that long .

[JohnnyP]

Problem solved

Having had no reply from Honeywell, and being unable to get through on the alleged helpline (I think you're just calling a phone box), I finally went with my first guess and switched all the HR80s to "Full". The system is now working beautifully.

[bradley]

ah!....I have just checked the 'CMzone TRV Compatibility List' -supplied to me by Honeywell when I was bashing there ears about adaptors (long story).

HeatingControlsOnline.co.uk[/B] -from whom I had purchased the 6-pack, and he suggested trying a simple Myson adaptor they used for underfloor heating controls.

I bought a CM-Zone pack about 6 weeks ago from HeatingControlsOnline.

Before then I had talked to Honeywell via email to see if any adaptor was needed and they sent me that Compatibility List and according to it I need adaptors for my Myson TRV 2-Way TRV bodies.

So I called HeatingControlsOnline to order the CM-Zone pack and also to order adaptors and he said no adaptors needed for my TRVs......and he was right, the stock HR80UKs fitted right on, no problems.

Honeywell don't seem to know their own product at all!

The only problem 'I had with CM Zone so far was that one of the radiators was still warm despite the HR80UK showing the heat was off - I finally figured out that on one of the HR80UK base plates the pin that pushes down on the TRV body pin was shorter on that base than on all the other ones. However a quick email to HeatingControlsOnline and they posted me a replacement out.

Usual Disclaimer: I have no connection with HeatingControlsOnline, I'm just a satisfied customer.