Abstract: Systems (100) and methods (300, 500) for controlling an electromechanical valve element (116). The methods involve: building up a magnetic flux through a valve (206) of the electromechanical valve element by supplying a PWM signal to an electromechanically inductive coil (202) of the electromechanical valve element at a power level lower than a power level needed to actuate the valve. When the valve needs to be opened, an amplitude of the PWM signal is increased such that the power provided to the electromechanically inductive coil rises to a power level sufficient to actuate the valve. Notably, the valve opens when a power cycling time of the PWM signal increases beyond a minimum power required to open the valve.