Common Problems with Your Liquid-Line Solenoid Valves

Common Problems with Your Liquid-Line Solenoid Valves

Your commercial refrigeration system may be just one aspect of your entire facilities’ operations, but within this system itself are numerous parts, components and features that deserve their own degree of attention. It’s not enough to just worry about the operation of your commercial refrigeration system: you also need to be cognizant of the operation of critical components within it. This can be hard to understand—especially when it comes to worrying about parts that might operate out of sight and out of mind.

One aspect of your commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR that’s going to require attention at some point in time or another are the liquid line solenoid valves that govern them. These valves are dictated by your system’s thermostats and act to open and close as needed, to help cool the refrigeration environment they help to manage by releasing or containing liquid coolant. And, as you can very well imagine, when these components don’t work right, it’s going to cause a myriad of problems for the entire system in general.

Problems cause by faulty solenoids

The problem with solenoids—as mentioned above—is that you can’t see them to know if they’re damaged or not. Realistically, you’re going to have to pay attention to the function and behavior of your refrigeration system to become alerted to a potential solenoid issue. Some of the things you might observe include:

  • Variable cooling temperatures. If your thermostat is fluctuating between several degrees, cycling on and off over and over again, it could be a sign that the solenoid isn’t functioning appropriately at the request of the thermostat.
  • Refrigerant leaks. This happens when a solenoid is no longer able to close all the way. Liquid refrigerant is going to bypass the valve and leak out, which can cause erratic cooling or low-refrigerant level warnings within the system.
  • Compressor damage. A faulty solenoid is going to place a burden of operation on the compressor in your system, causing it to work harder and wear out faster.

Problems with the solenoid

Despite being enclosed within the closed loop of your commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR, liquid line solenoids are subject to a number of common issues that can hinder their performance, including:

  • A loss of power to the solenoid can be cause by an electrical malfunction. A short, damage circuitry or power interruptions can all affect the solenoid, causing it to freeze in the open, closed or partially-opened position is was last operating in.
  • Perhaps the easiest issue to identify is a dead electrical coil, which will show when the valve doesn’t function with a consistent power supply.
  • A leaky valve usually means that the solenoid is stuck open or partially open. This can be cause by a number of issues, but inevitably creates leakage of liquid refrigerant.

While you pay not be an expert when it comes to commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR, you can definitely observe problems as they arise within your system. Keep in mind that something like your liquid line solenoid isn’t visible, but it’s still doing a job that’s imperative to proper operation, which means it needs to be considered when it comes to servicing and maintaining your system.