Solenoid valve installation, maintenance, and related troubleshooting

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Solenoids are being used more and more widely in our daily work and production. So what aspects should be taken into consideration when installing them? Let’s take a look. Care must be taken during installation, and it is important to follow the instructions precisely. 　 　　Care must be taken during installation to avoid striking solenoid valves made of brittle materials. Before installation, the solenoid valve should be inspected to verify its specifications and model, and to check for any damage, especially to the valve stem. It needs to be turned a few more times to check if it is skewed, as the valve stem can easily get misaligned during transportation. The debris inside the valve also needs to be removed. 　　When lifting the solenoid valve, do not tie the rope to the handwheel or valve stem to avoid damaging these components; it should be tied to the flange instead. The pipelines connected to the solenoid valve must be thoroughly cleaned. Compressed air can be used to blow away iron oxide filings, sediment, slag, and other debris. These debris can easily scratch the sealing surface of the solenoid valve. When installing a threaded solenoid valve, the sealing filler should be wrapped around the pipe threads and not allowed to enter the solenoid valve, so as to prevent accumulation inside the valve and interference with the flow of the medium. 　　When installing the flanged solenoid valve, be careful to tighten the bolts symmetrically and evenly. The solenoid valve flange and the pipe flange must be parallel with an appropriate gap, to prevent excessive pressure from being generated in the solenoid valve, which could even lead to cracking. Special attention should be paid to brittle materials and solenoids with low strength. For solenoid valves that need to be welded to pipes, spot welding should be performed first, followed by fully opening the closing element, and then carrying out a full weld. Precautions for installing solenoid valves: 1. First, check whether the solenoid valve matches the selected parameters, such as power supply voltage, medium pressure, pressure difference, etc. In particular, pay attention to the power supply; using the wrong voltage can damage the coil. The supply voltage should fall within the specified voltage fluctuation range: +10% to -15% for AC, and +10% to -10% for DC. Under normal circumstances, the coil assembly should not be disassembled. 2. Before taking over, the pipes must be flushed to remove metal powder, residual sealing materials, rust, and other impurities from them. Pay attention to the cleanliness of the medium; if dust, impurities, and other substances are present in it and interfere with the proper operation of the solenoid valve, filters or strainers should be installed in the pipeline. 3. The electromagnetic coil of a standard solenoid valve should be oriented vertically upward and installed vertically in a pipe that is horizontal to the ground. If space constraints or operational requirements necessitate an inclined installation, this must be specified when placing the order for the valve. Otherwise, it may cause the solenoid valve to fail to function properly. 4. Manual shut-off valves should be installed in front of and behind the solenoid valve, and a bypass should also be provided to facilitate maintenance of the solenoid valve in case of failures. 5. Solenoid valves are generally directional and cannot be installed in the reverse direction; the flow direction of the medium is indicated by an arrow on the valve body, and it should be installed in accordance with the direction indicated by that arrow. However, it can be installed in reverse in vacuum pipelines or under special circumstances. 6. If the medium is prone to water hammer phenomena, an electromagnetic valve with water hammer protection functions should be used, or appropriate preventive measures should be taken. 7. Try not to keep the solenoid valve powered on for long periods of time, as this can reduce the lifespan of the coil or even cause it to burn out; in other words, normally open and normally closed solenoid valves cannot be used interchangeably. 8. A steam trap should be installed on the inlet side of the solenoid valve for steam, and the pipe there should be inclined. Troubleshooting

I. The solenoid valve does not function after being powered on
· Check whether the power connections are poor → Reconnect the wires and connectors.
· Check if the power voltage is within the ± operating range → Adjust it to the proper range.
· Is the coil desoldered? → Resolder it.
· Is the coil short-circuited? → Replace the coil.
· Is the operating pressure difference inappropriate? → Adjust the pressure difference or replace with a suitable solenoid valve.
· Is the fluid temperature too high? → Replace with a suitable solenoid valve.
· Are there impurities that cause the main spool and armature of the solenoid valve to stick together? → Clean it; if the seals are damaged, replace them and install a filter.
· Is the liquid viscosity too high, the frequency too high, or has the product reached the end of its lifespan? → Replace the product.

II. The solenoid valve cannot be closed
· Are the seals on the main spool or armature damaged? → Replace the seals.
· Is the fluid temperature or viscosity too high? → Replace with a suitable solenoid valve.
· Have impurities entered the spool or armature of the solenoid valve? → Clean it.
· Has the spring reached the end of its lifespan or become deformed? → Replace it.
· Are the throttle holes or balance holes blocked? → Clean them promptly.
· Is the operating frequency too high or has the product reached the end of its lifespan? → Choose a different product or upgrade it.

III. Other situations
· Internal leakage → Check whether the seals are damaged or whether the springs are improperly installed.
· External leakage → Loose connections or damaged seals → Tighten the screws or replace the seals.
· Noise when powered on → The fasteners on the solenoid valve are loose; tighten them. The voltage fluctuation is outside the acceptable range; adjust the voltage accordingly. If there are impurities or irregularities on the core engagement surface, clean it promptly or replace it.