X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: EL34 on April 09, 2008, 02:49:04 PM

Title: Water valve suggestions
Post by: EL34 on April 09, 2008, 02:49:04 PM

I need to turn on and off some water lines to my garden.
I have a couple of the X10 universal power modules that I can use to switch the water valves electrical connections with.

Need suggestions on what types of valves other people are using and what has worked out good for them.

Thanks

Title: Re: Water valve suggestions
Post by: Knightrider on April 09, 2008, 07:15:54 PM

OK, you could try this:

http://www.smarthome.com/1284.html . 

It's a little pricey, but it works. The um506 is rated 5 amps at 24vdc, so 1 amp at 12vdc should not be a problem.

Looking for something a little cheaper?  Try an old washing machine fill valve.  You'll have to cap the 3/8" output and use the hot for an input ant the cold for an output.  I power these with an appliance module connected to a 120 VAC relay (appliance mod powers the relay, relay fires both sides of the fill valve).  The relay cuts off the sensing current to the fill valve.  Without the relay this mod doesn't work.

Price of the fill valve:  +/- $20, or if you're lucky, free from a junk washing machine.

Title: Re: Water valve suggestions
Post by: EL34 on April 09, 2008, 09:36:34 PM

Holy moly,  I was thinking more like rainbird sprinkler irrigation valves  ;D

Ok, $400 plus is way more than I want to spend.  ;D

Title: Re: Water valve suggestions
Post by: EL34 on April 10, 2008, 01:28:52 PM

$14.00 for residental 24V valves here at this web site.
http://www.mrdrip.com/sprinklervalves.htm

probably give a couple of them a try and see how it goes.