Recommendation? Best Motorized Ball Valve / Solenoid For Auto Propane Forge Shutoff?

I'll report back with pictures and video of how I get it all rigged up. Thanks for the help yall.
 
As a side note... I'm not sure that US Solid motorized ball valve is made for gas... they won't give a straight answer when asked online:



I'm honestly not sure if this is a concern or not... probably not

Edit: Just thinking out loud... I feel like the issue would be if a.) the seals weren't designed for gas (which I don't think is an issue with PTFE and propane) or b.) if this was in an enclosed space where there was an unrelated leak that caused this motor to be surrounded by flammable gas and then it tried to open/close.
 
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What I read in the specs again. I agree that you can't find the materials rating easily. A little looking and it is rated - Suitable Media: Air, Water, Oil.
The first question asked on the sales page is about propane and the reply is that it is not rated for it.

However, it will likely work for what we are doing if the forge has a blown burner.
1) We are only dealing with low pressure propane and low flow rates - 1-5PSI. High pressure flammable gas would be a NO Go situation.
2) It will only be in use while the forge is running. Because we always turn off the tank at the end of the forging session. (I sure hope everyone turns the tank off when done!)
3) The material for the seal, PTFE, and the stainless steel body are compatible with propane.
4) We are not installing to meet OSHA and other Underwriters Laboratory standards. This is home-built hobby equipment that is not for sale.

I would say that it is an acceptable risk.
I looked for a motorized propane rated valve and couldn't find one for less than a grand. All I find at affordable prices are solenoid actuated propane rated valves, which is what I have been using all along. I suppose if you thought the solenoid was too warm you could mount a $5-$10 muffin fan (computer fan) blowing down on it.

None of the above changes my new recommendation of a NVR switch. Whatever valve you use needs one to be 100% safe.

When my motorized valve comes, I'm going to open it up and see what type motor and such is in it. I'll look for any potential spark sources. I will cycle it a couple dozen times to smooth out the seal, then connect it to a propane tank after the regulator and test by nose after an hour. I'll use a six-foot propane hose between the valve and the regulator so I can tell which smells like gas. If I can't detect any mercaptan at the valve, I'll take it to a friend who has a gas sniffer. My guess is that the regulator leaks more gas than the valve will. It may be a while, but I'll let you know the result.
 
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Here is a preview of what I did... Will put it all together in a video since I also re-did my burner and re-lined the bottom of my forge... Thanks for the ideas yall... I think this is as safe as it's going to get.



PS: I decided to stick with the solenoid that I have... if we ever find a motorized ball valve rated for propane I may switch... but this thing has been doing just fine.
 
With that setup you've got both the belt 'n suspenders approach. Looks good. This has been an interesting thread - thanks for starting it.
 
Yes, that covers all the baes. I never had an issue with the standard solenoids, but like the idea of a motorized valve. Like Ken, I wish they made one with a propane rating. I received the motorized valve and will test it for leakage soon. Got a back yard picnic party for 60+ people this coming Saturday. HMM, I could install it in the line to the BBQ and test it then ... nah, probably not the best time to do that.;)
 
This has me thinking of installing a NC sail switch somewhere ear fan and before propane port. We used these on weapon control systems to verify airflow before energizing, or to secure in case of air failure. They are just a switch with a ”sail” or thin metal sheet to move with the air flow, pretty cheap. Basically to energize gas solenoid, you would need airflow first, loss of airflow or power, = forge secures.
 
Not a bad idea. Similar to the mass airflow sensor in a car.

Since we can pretty easily tell the blower is on when we throw the switch, it is probably totally unnecessary, but certainly a good feature in an uber burner setup.

Another option would be to add a 5 to 10 second delay relay to the gas solenoid valve power lead to let the manifold pressure get established before the gas can flow.
 
Ok so this is what I ended up with. Thank yall for the ideas and help!





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Also... in order to tie these threads together; I went back and found my original burner build thread to post here.... this morning I deleted the video I posted in that thread since I honestly don't want anyone emulating that fuel gas inlet design. It's just weak and for no reason.

Lowering Forced Air Forge Temp via Burner Design? - https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/lowering-forced-air-forge-temp-via-burner-design.1674348/page-2
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