sprinkler valve options/idea

[shredGnar]

what's up community???.. need some advice or ideas on my irrigation set up.

i have an inline pump hooked up to a 1" pvc manifold which has irrigation heads attached.

the reservoir is above the pump, and obviously when the res is full gravity pushes the nute mix thru the pump and out of the heads.

to combat this i put an inline 1" sprinkler valve past the pumps discharge but before the feeder heads. heres a picture

my problem is this... the sprinkler valve is 24v, so i had to purchase a sprinkler timer to control the valve. it only has the options to feed 4 times a day at set intervals.

i want to be able to plug this 24v valve into the same 120v timer that cycles the pump. this way when it is feed time the both come on from the same timer and i can have unlimited feeding options.

i am growing trees in 5 gal coco containers and i think they need a night cycle or at least 5 or 6 feeds a day.


thanks a lot for any ideas or advice,

peace

 

[shredGnar]

http://www.surveillance-video.com/p...BfrnPK7GIW2cQ9ybuhHLpLKbDDoZHivtpPxoCnsTw_wcB

is this all I would need???

 

[Eighths-n-Aces]

sounds like you need a transformer and all the sprinkler timers i have seen have them built in.i think you could do it without the sprinkler timer.

doorbells and thermostats run off 24 volt dc AFAIK ....... wire one of those transformers to the valve and plug it into the same timer the pump runs off of.

that should work for you if i am correctly understanding what you you are trying to do

 

[shredGnar]

sounds like you need a transformer and all the sprinkler timers i have seen have them built in.i think you could do it without the sprinkler timer.

doorbells and thermostats run off 24 volt dc AFAIK ....... wire one of those transformers to the valve and plug it into the same timer the pump runs off of.

that should work for you if i am correctly understanding what you you are trying to do

yes the sprinkler timer operates the valve no prob. I just don't like having to run my pump off one timer and then having to sync the feeding times with the sprinkler timer. the sprinkler timer options are very limited, also.

i'd like to plug the valve into the same 120v timer that runs the pump.

to do this all i would need is a 24v transformer??

thanks bro!

 

[Eighths-n-Aces]

i'd like to plug the valve into the same 120v timer that runs the pump.

to do this all i would need is a 24v transformer??

yes. and everything you need should be on the shelf at just about any local hardware store. you're also going to need a plug to go from the 24v Dc transformer to the 120v timer (i'm not sure if you are going to need a grounded plug or not ...... if the transformer has a ground lug then ground it!)

this will make it so the pump and the valve work together, but you might want to see if the valve is actually actually capable of shutting the water off completely before you put all this together, i've never tried to use one at low pressure and it could leak a little or not shut off at all depending on the valve ...... it might be a good thing to know before you buy a bunch of shit you can't use.



good luck!

 

[wheeliejun]

get a pump relay that is activated by the 24 volt sprinkler timer. Home depot usually stocks it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-2-HP-Pump-Start-Relay-57009/100181554?keyword=pump+relay

 

[shredGnar]

yes. and everything you need should be on the shelf at just about any local hardware store. you're also going to need a plug to go from the 24v Dc transformer to the 120v timer (i'm not sure if you are going to need a grounded plug or not ...... if the transformer has a ground lug then ground it!)

this will make it so the pump and the valve work together, but you might want to see if the valve is actually actually capable of shutting the water off completely before you put all this together, i've never tried to use one at low pressure and it could leak a little or not shut off at all depending on the valve ...... it might be a good thing to know before you buy a bunch of shit you can't use.



good luck!

the valve definitely does what i need it do.. the thing that is holding me back is the sprinkler timer. it only allows for 4 feedings a day and at pre scheduled intervals. the options are very limited and aren't suiting my needs as my plants are asking for at least 5 feedings a day...

 

[shredGnar]

get a pump relay that is activated by the 24 volt sprinkler timer. Home depot usually stocks it.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-2-HP-Pump-Start-Relay-57009/100181554?keyword=pump+relay

i appreciate the info, bro. but with this i would still be limited by the sprinkler timer, that is what i'm trying to eliminate.

the timer my pump uses can have 100 different programs from 1 second on all the way up to on all the time. unlimited options.. this is what i want the valve to operate from as well.

 

[r2k]

Controlling the pump can be done with a "pump start relay". It takes 24 VAC to control it and will switch up to 230 VAC. About $40 at Home Depot, $32 on Amazon. It all depends on how big you need.

As for timing, it seems like you need to get a smarter timer. I know Hunter Industries sells a sprinkler controller that has (A) contacts for starting a well pump when watering and (b) all kinds of options for setting watering options. I think it can run up to 12 times per day, battery backup, Variable length cycles each time it runs, etc. It's all a function of what you want and how much you can spend.

-r2k

 

[Smartbee]

shredGnar, it sounds like you may benefit from installing a SmartBee control system to handle your irrigation. Better yet you could irrigate based on the moisture content in your medium using your custom thresholds through our simple to use multi-platform web app.

Take a look at our irrigation controls:

What your looking at here is the irrigation controls that are specific to a room you designate. This room has our SmartBee Water Content Sensor taking moisture content and root zone temp readings and sending them to the The Hive™ Gateway which is the main logic controller.



Here is what the data looks like to you from the Room Details page:

The Square wave for the pump turning on is the green line. The light green broken line is the soil temp and the blue line is the moisture content.



Here is what the interface looks like when adding irrigation schedules for a pump controlled by our Stinger™ Smart Plugs and or Smart Strip 4 which can turn devices on or off wirelessly:

The system will also allow or disallow irrigations based on that low/high moisture setting. If the medium is too moist and the schedule says to irrigate and the moisture content is where it needs to be, it disallows the irrigation to take place and notifies vie email or text message so you can adjust your irrigation times. The emergency irrigation settings are where you set the duration for emergency irrigations should your plants need it and your not there.

 

[shredGnar]

Yea, sounds cool bro. But unless you're trying to sponsor me I think it's way overkill.

I did what eights suggested and used a 24v doorbell transformer and wired it to my pump's timer for power, then to the valve. Cost about $30 wires and fixtures included.

Works flawlessly. .thanks for the idea eighth.