Water Controll Device

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BaCaRdi

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Anyone know where to get some electronic valves for a project I want to do with drip emitters. I want something to hook-up to a hose, so I need a way to control the water, a Electronic Valve of some sort? Anyone have any ideas / sources would be a great help. Just for controlling the flow of water, in the simplist form, on/off no granular controlling needed at this point.

This is to be a on-off for a personal design idea, nothing commercial, well not in mind at least.

Cheers,
-BaC
 

Hmmm.... I wonder why

Try the solenoid from a clothes, or dishwasher. There are commercial ones available for sprinkler systems ~30$, which I've seen in hardware stores.
 
HEHE

Good idea, but a bit pricey. However, I just need a FPT(Female Pipe Thread) Solenoid vale and I can adapt it to an outdoor hose vale. So got me looking in the proper place now!

Cheers for the idea, I was thinking of those valves use in Forced Hot Water type heating systems for zone control. I will have to price them as well, but anything with Honeywell on it seems to be over priced anyway.
-BaC

BeeBop said:
Hmmm.... I wonder why

Try the solenoid from a clothes, or dishwasher. There are commercial ones available for sprinkler systems ~30$, which I've seen in hardware stores.
Click to expand...
 
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Most any hardware store should carry solenoid valves for sprinkler systems, washer machines, dishwashers, ice makers and so forth. Just assuming the liquid is water. Can't really help much, with information provided. What voltage will you be using. How much volume from the source? Yeah, I know you said 'drip' for the output, but for a single output, or dozens (hydroponics)?

The more detail you provide, the greater the response and more useful the information. Since you stated this is for personal use, and no immediate interest in making a commercial product of it, why so secretive? If you let us know what you are trying to build. we might have already done something similar, and know just what the part you are looking for.
 
Buy the valves they sell for lawn sprinkler systems at your local Home Depot/Lows/Manards whatever. That is what they are for.

They are triggerd by 24VAC, work well, and are common as snot.

You may also find battery operated ones with built in timer if that is what you are after.

Regardless of what you go with if you have line voltage at any point use a GFI outlet or circuit.
 
You should be able to get a 3/4 or 1 inch for about $20. It has been a few years so I do not know.
 
Home Depot (and certainly others) sell irrigation valves for as little as $11.27. Lowes $11.98. Some articles are available in contractor's packs if you want more than a couple.
 
mneary said:
Home Depot (and certainly others) sell irrigation valves for as little as $11.27. Lowes $11.98. Some articles are available in contractor's packs if you want more than a couple.
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Better yet. I recall them being 15 or so a few years ago. Liked the toro with the adjustable flow esp for drip.
 
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I Just wanted to build my own version of a drip emitter system, thats all, nothing secretive at all. Instead of using a product and hacking it up to use. I figured why not make all of it, I have some specific needs.

I want to be able to house indoor plants, here in northern California it's very dry. I have some Sensirion Temp/Humidity sensors I was going to use them by to control the Humidity in the room/enclosure, and if needed ventilation as it does get HOT! here.

Right now we are in a heat-wave, temps are 100+ for the next week, so having a fan in this room / enclosure would help vent off the excess heat.

Even lighting can be controlled from the main PIC, not sure which since I have not figured out all the bells-and-whistles I am going to add. When I get to those parts that is.

Thank you very much for all the information, a fantastic starting point.

-BaC
EDIT: I think I am going with Rain Bird 3/4" In-Line Valve all for $15.18, Cheers again 3v0 / mneary and all!
 
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BaCaRdi said:
-BaC
EDIT: I think I am going with Rain Bird 3/4" In-Line Valve all for $15.18, Cheers again 3v0 / mneary and all!
Click to expand...

We sell rainbird valve comercialy in our systems and i use the bigger ones also for resoirvoir control systems and work fine

the only thing is It's either on or off
so anny inbetween value you have to set on the valve it self by limiting the max flow

if you want to have a more dynamic system then you can controll the open time of the valve with a low flow or control the watersuply pressure/flow

Robert-Jan
 
EDIT: I think I am going with Rain Bird 3/4" In-Line Valve all for $15.18, Cheers again 3v0 / mneary and all!
Click to expand...

For a drip system you will want to control rate into the system. You can do this by getting a valve with an adjustment or by adding a manual adjustable valve just prior to or after the electric one.

I have use similar systems to water deck plants and to do continual drip water changes on fish tanks.

My experience is that this sort of system is not a build it once and forget it thing. You need to keep tweaking the emitters to get the right amount of water.

Good luck
 
Aye, was thinking of such, great suggestions once again. Yeah I can see allot of tunning on the emitter side would be required. Especially when there are different plants or different water requirements on the same system.

Cheers,
-BaC

 
When I had a fishroom I placed a loop of PVC pipe around the ceiling near each wall. Each place I wanted a drip I drilled the pipe and friction fit an emitter. To each emitter I attached a lenght of transparent Aquarium Tubing (TAT). The longer the TAT was the more gravity would increase the drip rate.

To lower the drip rate I would cut the TAT and insert a barbed T. Water from the emitter would flow straight through the T and a 2nd bit of aquarium tube was fitted to the leg of the T to act as an air inlet. After water passed the T the entering air would allow the water to drop. The closer the T was to the celling the slower the drip would be. The distance from the emitter to the T regulated the drip rate. The air intake needs to be run back up above the PVC loop.

In this system the water was feed to the PVC by a weak pump from a resivor of aged water. If you hook the system directly to water line use a valve to adjust the water flow into the PVC so as not to over pressure the system. They sell restrictors for the purpose that may or may not work. Depending on the number of drippers you many want to try using one of the brass needle valves you see for small pipes (1/4 or 3/8 not sure). They are used with ice makers and swamp coolers. Do not get the ones that self puncture a copper pipe. Get the one with threads on both ends.

If this does not make sense I will draw a diagram.

HTH



BaCaRdi said:
Aye, was thinking of such, great suggestions once again. Yeah I can see allot of tunning on the emitter side would be required. Especially when there are different plants or different water requirements on the same system.

Cheers,
-BaC
Click to expand...
 
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Haha, know all about that, was a beta Betta Splenden's breeder at one time


3v0 said:
Do not get the ones that self puncture a copper pipe.
Click to expand...

I hate those, they suck @$$, I always purchase the threaded version and use a little Teflon tape on the fitting as well.

Cheers for the advise
-BaC

 
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