An apparatus for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective, the apparatus including a mechanical component, a transducer coupled to the mechanical component, the transducer configured to measure a mechanical component property, and a processor in communication with the transducer, the processor configured to determine whether the mechanical component is defective using the mechanical component property. In an embodiment, the processor is configured to compare the mechanical component property to a baseline to determine whether the mechanical component property is within a predetermined range of the baseline, and responsive to the determination that the mechanical component property is not within the predetermined range of the baseline, indicate that the mechanical component is defective. In other embodiments, the mechanical component is a valve and the apparatus is incorporated into a chemical composition analyzer. Also disclosed is a method for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective.