D&d Solenoid

[snappinghippy]

hi just got my d&d co2 kit today, can any one tell me if the solenoid should get hot, the body is warm but the centre shaft is very hot.

 

[gizmo001i]

Hiya snappinghippy, don't worry, all solenoid valves get hot. It is the way that they work. Due to the fact that they have no moving parts and work on magnetism to work, you get alot of what is called residual current which is the main cause of heat build up in any electrical item. Don't worry, it is normal and it will not catch fire, blow up or anything else. It is completely safe to use. Obviously, don't have it too near anything that might burn or get damaged by the heat it produces. I have mine attatched to the inside of my cabinet. I know that the cabinet will discolour over time, but seeing as it is inside, I'm not that bothered about it. Hope this helps and puts your mind at ease.

 

[themissingelf]

Yep, mine does exactly the same too. Made a bracket for it so that it could be mounted in such a way to keep it away from anything else and also keep the hottest parts away from the cabinet.

 

[themissingelf]

Some pics of the my solenoid mounted inside the cabinet on a homemade bracket here: http/plantedaquarium.blogspot.com/

 

[snappinghippy]

cheers guys i had emailed D&D they also said that they run hot,this fish keeping is not very green in the way that so much energy is wasted ie hot solenoids and old style lighting ballasts,crazy man cheers again.