How Do You Maintain Solenoid Valves?

Valves are a vital part of pneumatic equipment, and their maintenance is essential to maintaining their efficiency and reliability. If left to operate without proper care, these small components can become unresponsive, increasing the opportunity costs and risk of downtime as well as the financial cost of scrapped work and productivity losses.

The function of a solenoid valve is to convert electrical energy into a mechanical pull/push action, which is controlled by the coil and plunger. The coil is made up of wire tightly wrapped around a core that is then magnetized. The coil’s magnetic field lines form a magnetic flux that is used to control the operation of the plunger, which in turn opens or closes the valve.

A good starting point for assessing whether a valve needs to be repaired or replaced is to inspect the coil and valve body for signs of damage, cracks and leaks. These signs indicate that the coil isn’t operating properly and that moisture might be penetrating the coil.
Other issues that might indicate a replacement are broken springs or worn rubber parts that may be making the plunger stick, and other deteriorated valve components. Once these elements are addressed, the final decision to replace or repair a valve should be made based on the size and application of the valve.

Solenoid valves come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common types include normally closed, direct, and indirect operated valves. There are also bi-stable, or latching, valves. These valves are often used for special applications that need more than one type of operation, such as mixing or diverting media.