Help - Mid Position Zone Valve - Heating

[Tony]

Can someone please, please explain what this does.

Since I turned my heating on last month, I either get hot water or heating (unless I run them both all day)

During the summer I had the water on for 90 mins at each end of the day which was fine. Then after I turned the heating on, the water was colder than normal which I assumed was because the coil in the tank was taking away the heat (thats as far as I understand it)

The system has a Honeywell V4073A 1039 zone valve fitted, with a little lever at the bottom. It can be locked in MAN OPEN, or pushed across to AUTO. If I dont lock it in MAN OPEN it floats back in the middle of both.

Could you explain what the valve does, and what I should set it to....

Many thanks

Tony

[Palindr☻me]

IANA plumber.

The Honeywell V4073A1039 is 3 port mid position diverter valve has been designed to control the flow of water in small bore domestic central heating systems, where both radiator and hot water cylinder circuits are pumped. There should be three pipes going to it.

"Floating in the middle" (AUTO) is where it normally should be - supplying heated water to both primary circuits (the rads and the cylinder coil). When you give priority to hot water or heating the valve will divert more water to the appropriate outlet. The MAN Open position is where you put it when draining down the system, so both primary circuits can be drained at once.

I suspect that your pump is not running. Have you checked that? It may just need freeing up - if it has an end cap that you can remove and there is a big screwdriver slot inside, you may be able to get it to turn. Once freed up, it will probably be fine for a while, months even - bu you need to think about getting it replaced. It should have isolator valves fitted either side of it, so the pump can be removed without draining down and replaced.

If you leave it on all day, enough heat may be transferred by convection (hot water just rising in the pipes up to the coil and rads and cold water falling back down to the boiler. But nowhere like the flow you get from a pump.

[ARWadsworth]

If it is working correctly then you should not need to touch the valve.

Try turning the water on for a little longer or turning the tank stat up a bit (60 deg is about normal). Do not forget that the water entering your house is quite a bit colder than it was in the summer months.

Have a look at

Adam