Solenoid Valve Operating Magnet Applications
Solenoid valves are used to control the flow of liquids and gases across a wide range of equipment, from refrigeration systems to industrial machinery.
Where Are Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets Used?
For engineers working with compatible solenoid valves, a Solenoid Valve operating magnet can be used to manually operate the valve during servicing, testing troubleshooting and maintenance.
Fridgenius operating magnets are already used within refrigeration and air conditioning, as well as water, oil, gas and fuel installations. However, the potential applications for the tool extend across many systems and industries where solenoid valves are used. Below, we explore some of the common applications for solenoid valve operating magnets.
Refrigeration & HVAC
Refrigeration and air conditioning are established applications for solenoid valve operating magnets.
Solenoid valves perform a number of roles within refrigeration systems, controlling refrigerant as operating conditions change. Engineers may need to manually operate these valves when installing, servicing, testing, commissioning or recovering refrigerant from a system.
An operating magnet allows an engineer to actuate a compatible valve manually without relying on its electrical coil.
This can be particularly useful during:
● Refrigeration system servicing
● Refrigerant recovery
● Commissioning and decommissioning
● Testing and fault finding
● Solenoid coil failure
● General HVAC/R maintenance
Fridgenius operating magnets can also be used with compatible 3-way reclaim and 4-way reversing valves, providing additional applications within refrigeration and air-conditioning
systems.
Pneumatic Systems
Solenoid valves are commonly used in pneumatic systems to control the movement and direction of compressed air.
They can be found throughout automated machinery and industrial equipment, where electrical signals are used to control pneumatic components.
During maintenance or fault finding, manually operating a compatible solenoid valve can help an engineer check the valve’s response independently of its electrical coil.
An operating magnet can therefore provide a useful diagnostic tool for engineers working with compatible solenoid-operated pneumatic equipment.
Potential applications include:
● Automated production machinery
● Pneumatic control systems
● Compressed-air equipment
● Industrial actuators
● Machinery maintenance and servicing
Industrial Maintenance & Machinery
Modern industrial equipment can contain numerous solenoid valves controlling liquids, gases and compressed air.
When machinery develops a fault, identifying whether the problem lies with the valve, its coil or another part of the control system can take time.
Being able to manually operate a compatible solenoid valve gives maintenance engineers another way to investigate the system and observe how the equipment responds.
Operating magnets can be kept as part of an engineer’s toolkit for planned maintenance, breakdown response, commissioning and general fault finding on suitable equipment.
Water & Fluid Control
Solenoid valves are widely used to start, stop and redirect water and other suitable fluids.
As a result, they can be found across a broad range of water-handling and fluid-control equipment.
Potential applications include:
● Water treatment equipment
● Pumps and pumping systems
● Irrigation equipment
● Dosing systems
● Process-water systems
● Cleaning equipment
● Commercial and industrial appliances
Where a compatible solenoid valve is used, an operating magnet may assist engineers during testing, maintenance or commissioning.
Manufacturing & Process Equipment
Automated manufacturing processes often depend on valves to control the movement of air, water and other process fluids.
Solenoid valves are particularly useful because they allow this flow to be controlled electrically as part of a larger automated process.
For maintenance engineers, however, that means a valve can form just one component within a much larger electrical and mechanical system.
Manually actuating a compatible solenoid valve can assist when checking individual parts of the system during maintenance or commissioning.
Applications can range from production and packaging machinery to specialist processing
equipment.
Oil, Gas & Fuel Installations
Solenoid valves can also be used to control suitable oils, gases and fuels within appropriately designed systems.
Fridgenius Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets are designed for use across refrigeration and air conditioning as well as water, oil, gas and fuel installations.
For engineers working on compatible equipment, an operating magnet can provide a means of manually actuating a suitable valve as part of servicing, testing or maintenance procedures.
As with any application involving controlled or potentially hazardous fluids, engineers should always follow the relevant system manufacturer’s instructions and site safety procedures.
Servicing and Emergency Uses
Commissioning & Installation
Operating magnets aren’t limited to diagnosing faults in existing equipment.
They can also be useful when installing and commissioning new plant and machinery.
Manually operating individual compatible valves gives engineers additional control when checking how different parts of a newly installed system respond before it enters normal service.
This makes them relevant not only to service engineers responding to breakdowns, but also to engineers installing and commissioning equipment.
Emergency & Temporary Operation
A failed solenoid coil can prevent an otherwise functioning valve from operating electrically.
In suitable circumstances, a Solenoid Valve operating magnet can manually actuate the valve while the coil is unavailable.
An operating magnet should not be considered a permanent replacement for a failed coil, but it can provide engineers with another option when diagnosing and responding to a problem.
Our Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets
The tool can be used during testing and troubleshooting or manually activating and controlling direct solenoid valves, a pilot-operated 2-way solenoid valve, a 3-way reclaim valve, or a 4-way reversing valve. In emergencies, such as the failure of a Solenoid coil, it can also be used to keep a system operating until a replacement coil is fitted.
One Tool, Multiple Applications
From refrigeration systems and pneumatic machinery to water installations and manufacturing equipment, solenoid valves are used across a huge range of applications.
For engineers who regularly encounter them, having the ability to manually operate a compatible solenoid valve can make servicing, commissioning and fault finding easier.
Fridgenius manufactures Solenoid Valve Operating Magnets in 10mm, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm and 24mm sizes, providing options for a range of valve stem sizes.
Explore the Fridgenius range to find the appropriate operating magnet for the solenoid valves you work with.
