MECHANICAL & MATERIALS CONSIDERATIONS: Solenoid valves are your fastest acting option when controlling flow, they can be repaired in-line (without breaking plumbing connections in most designs), and they can be less costly than other electrically operated valves.

But there are a few measures that can increase your satisfaction with solenoid valves:

1 — install strainers or filters to prevent foreign materials from entering the valve and interfering with operation
2 — avoid teflon tape: those stringy leftover pieces can travel downstream and hang up in the valve
3 — use pipe dope sparingly: globs of it in the line can affect solenoid valves and other control elements
4 — add check valves to your design if it is important to prevent back flow through the solenoid valve
5 — consider plumbing solenoid valves in series (double-block) where any leakage is unacceptable
6 — ask for a plated operator to protect special grades of stainless steel from corrosion.

And be sure to let your distributor or region manager know about everything in the line fluid: additives in air, water or other fluids can change the soft-seal requirements.

Thanks to Jesse Smyers of Sunbury Controls for offering technical input on this topic. For those efforts he receives a GC Valves coffee mug filled with a variety of “old fashioned” candies.

Chuck Stevens – GC Valves Solenoid Valves
PO Box 2057 – Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania 16066
724-772-8900 – fax 412-202-9616
chuck.stevens@gcvalves.com

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