Solenoid valve questions.

How would it let air through as a safety measure? Unless there is some sort of safety valve on it… What type of solenoid it is? Some are made for air/gas. Did you Frankenstein this part off something else? Like a washing machine or a pool pump or something?

I wouldn’t go past the recommended pressure. It may not just be the valve that fails, but the pressure chamber. Be careful.

I am building the chamber out of abs pipe. It has a bleed valve but I would just trigger it. I figured if you exceed the reccomended PSI the valve spring or whatever it is wouldn’t be able to hold it and it would le air through till it could, or so I’m hoping.

It is intending for a springkler system, I bought it new. I have seen virtually the same one used for 75 PSI but I want to take that further. It just says it is an in-line valve and on the instructions it says it is a solenoid.

Well, it’s going to fail at it’s weakest point, so just be careful. It might not turn out to be the valve it’self. It has a bleed valve? Will it trigger automatically? If the valve does fail under too much pressure, don’t expect it to work properly again. These things are just cheap little bits of plumbing, not industrial use quality.

You have to unscrew the bleed valve. Do you know where I could order a solenoid valve that could hold 300 PSI?

wholy moly! 300psi? Where are you? I don’t even live in the US. I wouldn’t have a clue where to buy things like that there. You’ll have to google it. Home Depot? hahaha… Oh.. just a thought… a hot water heater! they’re rated for pretty high pressure, aren’t they?

I think you’re skating on thin ice even using 150 psi with Schedule 40 PVC pipe (normal “household” type). This fails and there will be plastic shrapnel all over (including in your body).

The failure mode of a solenoid valve depends on whether it is a normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC) type. If the valve is being held closed by spring tension, it may open like a safety valve at a certain pressure.

For pressures around 150 psi, you should be using at least Schedule 80 pipe.

Not sure what schedule it is, but I am sure it is for household. If I went to 300 psi I would choose metal.

@XOIIO Schedule 80 or above carbon steel pipe. You’ll also need an industrial type NC solenoid valve rated for that pressure (for gas use).

OK. I only plan on taking this to 100 PSI at most anyway.

Just make sure your plumbing material is rated for 300psi, buy an industrial grade valve, you can easily order them online/catalog. Valves, like many other things can usually withstand much more than their rating, but its still smart to stay within the psi rating for the most part. Your question is kind of confusing, solenoid valves are used for almost anything: water, air, oil, hydraulic fluid, gas, chemicals, etc. Solenoids are just valves that use an electromagnet to open/close mechanical energy.

Well it is working out now. The valve couldn’t release 80 PSI but that is because I am only using 1 9 volt.