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So, I bought five of these solenoid valves (5 port, 12vdc) from FrightProps earlier this year and put them all into props that I built for this year's haunt.
They worked long enough to build and test my props. So far, though, since we opened our maze on October 3rd, four out of the five of them have failed.
The mechanical valve is still OK, but the solenoid coil is not working. There are LEDs that should light up inside the solenoid coil housing, they don't light when 12v is applied. The solenoids are just dead.
I told FrightProps, and they said they would suspect the controller or the power source.
I've been using the TStraub 4-button prop controller on all of the ones that have failed, but I've also been using that controller on a couple of BSPT solenoid valves that I bought from China, and they are still kicking.
The dead solenoids died on both utility and on generator power, neither of which has caused me any problems with anything else.
Has anyone ever experienced problems like this?
80% failure rate within 3 weekends of use is not a very good reliability rating.
Has anyone used the model of solenoid valve, from FrightProps, shown in the picture?
(I just ordered 2 more solenoid valves from FrightProps so that I'd have spares on hand, and they appear to be from a different manufacturer.)

They worked long enough to build and test my props. So far, though, since we opened our maze on October 3rd, four out of the five of them have failed.
The mechanical valve is still OK, but the solenoid coil is not working. There are LEDs that should light up inside the solenoid coil housing, they don't light when 12v is applied. The solenoids are just dead.
I told FrightProps, and they said they would suspect the controller or the power source.
I've been using the TStraub 4-button prop controller on all of the ones that have failed, but I've also been using that controller on a couple of BSPT solenoid valves that I bought from China, and they are still kicking.
The dead solenoids died on both utility and on generator power, neither of which has caused me any problems with anything else.
Has anyone ever experienced problems like this?
80% failure rate within 3 weekends of use is not a very good reliability rating.
Has anyone used the model of solenoid valve, from FrightProps, shown in the picture?
(I just ordered 2 more solenoid valves from FrightProps so that I'd have spares on hand, and they appear to be from a different manufacturer.)