Remote propane valve solenoid causing low flow

[Mariner]

Before departing on our trip this week, I had the propane filled and added a connection to the Magma Barbecue. Prior to our first use on this trip, it had probably been since last fall that we used the stove at all.

When I went to use it, it barely worked. Pressure was good, and a leak down test of the system showed that it was not leaking anywhere. diassembled the entire system, and isolated the restriction to the solenoid valve. With the valve removed, the entire system works great; good flow at the BBQ and the stove, even with all burners simultaneously lit. I disassembled the valve and it seems to be working properly, but I can see where it doesn't open very far. I'm not sure if it's supposed to open farther or not, but it's clearly not opening far enough to allow enough gas to flow, even to run just one burner. Anyway, for the time being, I've got it bypassed and am just manually turning off the gas at the tank after every use. But I'm sure that having it bypassed in some way voids our insurance policy or something, so I'd like to replace it, but I don't want to spend $100 on a new solenoid valve only to have it produce the same symptoms.

Has anyone else had a valve like this fail in this manner? Did replacement solve it?

[jleonard]

I have a solenoid valve on the boat system...I've had 2 burners and the oven going at once so I must have plenty of flow. But I never tried it on my Magma grill...I still use the small bottles. I think my solenoid is a "Trident" brand ...it's from Defender.

Was the valve intended to be used with a grill? Maybe the flow spec for the valve isn't correct.

By the way I now work for a company that makes solenoid valves. Could be one of several problems...orifice size (will give a certain flow) , plunger length to name a few. Could also have something inside like a chip or part of a torn seal that is impeding flow. Did you use teflon tape on the threads? Not a good policy for a solenoid valve because pieces of tape can impede flow. If you have an air gun you could try blowing it out to see if tha clears it. Are you sure you have the in and out correct? They could be mismarked (yes that can happen). You might try reversing and doing another test.