reversing valve no heat

[Capndan]

I have the old rotary controls on a cruise air system. My master state room also has the Honeywell thermostat. It cools in both cool and heat mode. Swaped out the thermostat to rule that out and tried removing a wire on the reversing valve to see if it was stuck. The valve does not appear to be getting power because I can remove either wire and do not get any response from the solenoid. Where does the valve get its power from?
I removed the purple wire on the top left of the control box on the unit and got a solenoid snap. That purple wire heads back to the coil and should have nothing to do with the reversing valve. Its wired just like the others and they work properly.
Shouldn't the solenoid at least click when one of the two wires going to it is removed and reconnected? I have a black connector on the top of my solinoid so I am removing the wires at the box instead of at the solinoid.
Its pumping water great and the condensor is running just blowing out nice cold air
Its the only unit not working in heat mode on the boat and I have 8 seperate units.
Lucky me!
Its blowing 40 knots in Bradenton and getting down right chilly.
Thanks!

 

[Regal2800]

I have the exact same problem as you. I even have a honeywell thermostat. I am very eager to hear the answer to this.

 

[spcoolin]

The purple wire in Cruisair is the compressor line.
The Blue wire is Reversing Valve...Yes you should hear it click when powered.

Some Hatt's had a rotary switch in addition to the Honeywell and you had to select Heat from that master switch...Others had a switch at the bottom of the Honeywell.

The power from the main system breaker goes to a terminal strip that should be within 3 Ft of the control...From there it go's thru the Switch/T-Stat then out to the condensing unit, or power relay (Box labeled PWX) & also the fan (orange wire)

If you have full line voltage (115 or 230V depending on system voltage) on the Blue wire and the reversing valve does not click then you either have a bad solenoid coil or a stuck valve...

Steve~

 

[Capndan]

Thanks Steve

I have the rotary control seperate from the honeywell.
Condensor comes on when the thermostat is rotated to higher temps and not when heat is selected on the rotary.
I have no blue wires. Only two black coming off the solenoid.
Crusair model #WF AH16C

Definetly have power to the solenoid so if there is no click would that not lead to a bad solenoid vs stuck valve?

 

[Genesis]

Pull the wires to the solenoid, with power off, and measure ohms on the coil.

If it's open, it's dead. It's almost-certainly not shorted (as that would trip a breaker somewhere.)

If it's NOT open then with both wires off apply power (Use EXTREME Caution: There's full line voltage on those wires - plenty enough to kill you, there's typically no GFI on those circuits, and there are good grounds all over the place on a boat too) and with the switch on HEAT see if you have voltage. If the coil is not open you shouldn't. If you do and the coil is good then the solenoid is bad internally (mechanically.) If there's no voltage start tracing things backward.

In some cases the coil on a solenoid can be replaced separately from the solenoid body by removing a nut or C-clip on the top of the solenoid stem. I never had trouble with mine on my AC systems on the boat but I did run into this on my espresso machine (water valve is solenoid controlled) and the coil was removable without any problem from the solenoid body. This can be to advantage if the solenoid itself is not leaking or otherwise damaged as you don't have to remove it (and deal with the freon in the system, etc)

In my case I ended up replacing the entire solenoid as the base was leaking water, which is how the coil got trashed.

The Honeywell thermostats are easily checked - there are two sets of contacts, one that closes for cooling and one for heating. Same basic deal - turn power off, disconnect it, check the contacts with an ohmmeter. Odds are the problem isn't there though - those thermostats are pretty reliable.

 

[spcoolin]

Thanks Steve

I have the rotary control seperate from the honeywell.
Condensor comes on when the thermostat is rotated to higher temps and not when heat is selected on the rotary.
I have no blue wires. Only two black coming off the solenoid.
Crusair model #WF AH16C

Definetly have power to the solenoid so if there is no click would that not lead to a bad solenoid vs stuck valve?

Sorry, I should have been more clear...In both locations (3ft from the control & inside the condensing unit electrical box) there should be terminal strips...Each terminal strip should have painted screws holding the wires (Cruisair supplied these to Hatteras & one that goes to the switch came pre-wired to the that rotary knob switch) look for the Blue painted screw head.

Hatteras used it's own multi conductor wire (not Cruisair supplied) to run between the switch terminal strip & the unit and or power relay, and therefore the wire colors don't match...If I remember correctly, the reversing valve wire in the Hatteras wire is Red with a Blue tracer.

Take your voltage reading between the Blue screw & either Red/Black (L2) screw if it's a 230 volt system...Or Blue & White (Neutral) if it's a 115 volt system, with the system in the heat mode & running...You must see line voltage for the coil to energize...

One way to tell if the coil is good is to remove it and stick a screwdriver into it's hole when powered...It should hold that screwdriver like a magnet does.

Don't leave it this way too long if working, as it will heat up and can melt/swell from that heat to where you won't be able to get it back onto the reversing valve.

It's the reversing valve that "clicks" internally when the coil is energized...The coil is silent & has no moving parts...It's just an electromagnet...If the coil will hold a screwdriver but you get no click or heat when reinstalled...The valve is stuck, or possibly the system is low on freon (They will quit heating before they quit cooling when getting low on freon)

Steve~

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Not all of the terminal strips had the painted screws. I know of a 1978 that has them and a 1985 that does not. I do believe that the wire color is red with a blue tracer though even if you don't have the painted screws.

If you have the original Hatteras wiring diagrams it really helps. There should be one page dedicated to all of the A/C wiring in the boat. You can match that up to the Cruisair diagrams.

If all else fails, open up the box on the side of the compressor. You will see the blue wire for the rev valve and you will also see the Hatteras wire going to the same terminal.

 

[spcoolin]

Either way...But removing the coil & screwdriver test is easiest...If it doesn't hold the screwdriver...Then check for voltage with a meter...If you have full line voltage the coil is bad.

If it holds the screwdriver you know it has voltage & the coil is good...But either the valve is not sliding internally, or the system is short of freon...

If you'll notice the little tubes on each end of the valve...It's head pressure in those tubes that helps push the slide to the other end of the tube...Low head pressure (low freon) is not much help.

Steve~

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Ah, you guys have not been cycling your reversing valves. Because it is, (used to be), warm in Florida, you still must cycle your AC units to full hot occasionally to operate that reversing valve. If you don't it won't work when you need it. You will probably have to replace the valve. Now remember, cycle those things to heat once every month and you won't repeat this problem.

 

[spcoolin]

Ah, you guys have not been cycling your reversing valves. Because it is, (used to be), warm in Florida, you still must cycle your AC units to full hot occasionally to operate that reversing valve. If you don't it won't work when you need it. You will probably have to replace the valve. Now remember, cycle those things to heat once every month and you won't repeat this problem.

If you upgrade to digital controls...They do it for you...They cycle the valve before the unit starts to equalize pressures so the compressor does not try to start against high head pressure...

We rarely (if ever) see valve stick on units with digital control....

Steve~

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Here in the PNW it's real easy...heat from Nov 1 and then cool from July ????? to could be Oct 1 ....lol..