Knowing when a solenoid is bad?

[whaler23]

I think my solenoid is bad on a toilet switch. The toilet is hooked into a Lectra-San. The switch is push button and first activates the toilet motor through a solenoid switch, toilet runs for a one cycle flush then shuts off, then the lectra san unit runs for it's minute or so. A guest broke the switch so I replaced it with another momentary switch and now the solenoid switch appears to not function. I crossed the two contact terminals (at either side of the solenoid) and the toilet runs fine, however, the switch now only activates the lectra san. Could I have somehow burnt out the coil in the solenoid valve during this momentary switch replacement? 32V system.

 

[REBrueckner]

I presume you are not in this new 6/2009 no discharge zone??:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/nodischarge/

It's highly unlikely changing a switch caused any problem with the solenoid.....even if you accidentally shorted the wires together it would simply activate a cycle on the solenoid. Always a good idea to switch OFF your circuit breaker(s) when doing such work.

Are both the toilet and the Lectrsan are connected to the same terminals??
If the toilet works and the Lectra san doesn't, sound like maybe a loose connection or broken wire near the solenoid going to the Lectrasan...or the Lectrasan coincidentally concked out at the same time (much less likely) ....all fuses and circuit breakers ok??

 

[Brian Degulis]

I think my solenoid is bad on a toilet switch. The toilet is hooked into a Lectra-San. The switch is push button and first activates the toilet motor through a solenoid switch, toilet runs for a one cycle flush then shuts off, then the lectra san unit runs for it's minute or so. A guest broke the switch so I replaced it with another momentary switch and now the solenoid switch appears to not function. I crossed the two contact terminals (at either side of the solenoid) and the toilet runs fine, however, the switch now only activates the lectra san. Could I have somehow burnt out the coil in the solenoid valve during this momentary switch replacement? 32V system.

Easy to check the solenoid. There should be 2 small terminals on the solenoid one is grounded Probably yellow wire. Run a temporary wire from the large terminal on the solenoid that does not go to the toilet motor to the small terminal that is not the ground (yellow). If it clicks and runs the solenoid is good. If it doesn't then your going to want to check for power at the large terminal and check for ground on the small terminal. If they check out then the solenoid is bad.

Since you just changed the switch I'm guessing you may have left a wire off.

Brian

 

[REBrueckner]

Brian's idea:
"Since you just changed the switch I'm guessing you may have left a wire off."

is an excellent one, but from your symptoms I think you need to hunt for two unconnected wires....you need two between the switch and the solenoid; two others between the solenoid and the Lectrasan....the toilet is apparently connected ok since you said it works....when the solenoid is activated

 

[whaler23]

No loose connections, the switch is connected to the lectrasan unit via an electronic ribbon from a pre printed circuit card so there is no direct link between the switch wires and the solenoid, it goes through the lectra san unit. I will check the unit again to see if I knocked something loose on the lectra san unit as it appears the solenoid is fine. Thanks.