Air source heat pump heating issue

[Themorganator4]

Hi - I think you've got a control system problem and an ASHP problem.
My best guess is the orange wire from the zone valve is not being made L so the ASHP doesn't know to make heat. If you go near those zone valves be aware there are 240V connections - Danger Morgan, Danger. Several faults can have the same effect (cabling, microswitch, motor for example). An experienced Electrician should confirm if the fault is there fairly quickly, just saying. After the control system is working properly that will still leave the defrost problem, sorry.

Don't worry, I may not have much experience in electrics but I know how to isolate a system and not touch live wires haha.

Frankly I don't care about the defrost issue currently as it never ices up much. As long as I get heat on demand then I'm happy

 

[Themorganator4]

And I assume if the orange wire reads 0 then it's a new valve?

 

[Wilko]

Hi - no no no, maybe .
Power may not be coming into valve on the the grey wire. Or the connection from the orange to the boiler may be no more etc ...

 

[Themorganator4]

Hi - no no no, maybe .
Power may not be coming into valve on the the grey wire. Or the connection from the orange to the boiler may be no more etc ...

So the orange is the wire which tells the ASHP the valve is open and to make heat and that's what you suspect is the issue?

Are you also saying if that wire is not live then it doesn't necessarily mean the valve is faulty?

 

[Themorganator4]

Luckily I have a friend who is a plumber and he may have a spare valve motor we can try just to see if that is the problem

 

[Themorganator4]

Also one of the valves has the switch stuck on manual (it has been jammed for some reason) would that cause this issue. I forgot to mentiin this earlier! Sorry.

 

[solarsavings]

Could be your programmer not sending a signal to the valves

 

[Themorganator4]

Could be your programmer not sending a signal to the valves

I don't think that's the problem as when the heating is off but hot water on then there is no heat, so the valve seems to be working ok

 

[Wilko]

Check which valve is stuck

 

[Themorganator4]

Check which valve is stuck

As in hot water or heating? If it's the heating valve then id imagine that's the problem and it will just be a case of moving it to auto (if I can free it) or getting a new valve motor

 

[Wilko]

As the Zen master says - we will see

 

[Themorganator4]

Before I check the orange wire with a multi meter, I'm looking for 250v on this wire when the heating is on and 0v when heating off right?

 

[davesparks]

Before I check the orange wire with a multi meter, I'm looking for 250v on this wire when the heating is on and 0v when heating off right?

With a multimeter you may get a reading of 240V regardless of whether it is actually live or not.

 

[Themorganator4]

With a multimeter you may get a reading of 240V regardless of whether it is actually live or not.

Ok so how would I test it to see if it is faulty? Measure resistance?

 

[solarsavings]

It might have volt free switching. What will you do then?

 

[Themorganator4]

It might have volt free switching. What will you do then?

I would test the connection between the grey and orange wire maybe? What do you recommend

 

[solarsavings]

I could, but it would be very expensive as I would charge traveling time + time on site

Photos.

 

[Themorganator4]

I could, but it would be very expensive as I would charge traveling time + time on site

Photos.

I will take some tonight about 7pm when I am home

 

[davesparks]

Ok so how would I test it to see if it is faulty? Measure resistance?

A voltage tester which doesn't give false readings due to phantom voltages would be my choice of tester for this. You could try the multimeter, but there's no guarantee that the results you get will. Be correct unfortunately.

 

[GBDamo]

Right, before you start pulling things to bits you need to check whether there is power at terminal 9 of the heat pump wiring centre, see page 9 of the manual.

If you have 230 at terminal 9 then the HP is asking the MV to open, if there is no power then the HP is not asking for heating regardless of what the controller says.

I still think this is a parameter error or sensor fault.

If you have power at terminal 9 and no power at the MV then a broken wire you have, or a hidden JB.

The ones I've seen tend to power the MVs from the HP, the orange/grey being used to power pumps via contactors.

Is there and internal wiring centre? If so a loose connection in there may be the cause.