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Solinoid valve out of irrigation system?

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:47 am
by Bubba05
I just had a thort.
Over the summer i've been helping mu uncle out with some land scaping and we been installing solinoid valves into a irrigation system.
My question was could one handle the pressures required for a cannon?

Bubba

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:48 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
It should be good for at least 100 psi, check if they have a rating.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:52 am
by Bubba05
Yeah i did they dont really have a rating on em anywhere?
They can handle mains pressure? dono what that is thoe?

Bubba

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:56 am
by jackssmirkingrevenge
Most sprinkler valves I've seen are rated to 10 bar or 145 psi, do you have a the brand and model number/ if so you can probably look up the manufacturer's specifications online.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:01 pm
by Bubba05
Yeah not on me now! Im at my other job.
Im a night dutie mental heath nurse! FUN FUN FUN
kewl thanks for the help Jack!!

Bubba

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:19 pm
by Hotwired
Most solenoid valves used on spudguns ARE irrigation valves :wink:

As jack said the norm is up to 145-150psi and they do work fine on cannons. Problems generally only happen when someone tries to mod one to go fully pneumatic and fails.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:45 pm
by Bubba05
Oh ok!
Full pnematic? dont follow there.
To be honest the only experiance i have with making pnematics it one i lashed together using a fire extinguisher.

Bubba

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:26 pm
by Hotwired
Modding to make it fully pneumatic means you take off the electric solenoid that normally triggers it and do some drilling and filling of vent holes so a blowgun triggers it instead.

If the holes are incorrectly drilled and epoxy is put where it should not then it's possible to ruin the valve.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 1:58 pm
by Bubba05
AH HA!! Yeah nah im not into mucking around with things like that!
I was just woundering if it would work as the bordom grows strong these days and was thinking of expanding my collection!

Bubba

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:24 pm
by tansit234
Mods are pretty straight forward if you're careful, easiest way is to leave the solenoid in with the wire clipped, you can use the manual test lever or drill and tap the cap which is where you actually get better performance from the valve by using a blowgun as a pilot valve.

Go with 9V batteries until you're sure of yourself with a drill and a pricey valve. (3.) 9 volt batteries in series wiring and a push button will do just fine, better than a ball valve.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:27 pm
by jackssmirkingrevenge
some links on modding the valve here, as tansit234 said it isn't that hard.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:52 pm
by BigGrib
Hotwired wrote:Most solenoid valves used on spudguns ARE irrigation valves :wink:

As jack said the norm is up to 145-150psi and they do work fine on cannons. Problems generally only happen when someone tries to mod one to go fully pneumatic and fails.
Man you make it sould like modding a valve is a real brain buster. dude it takes me all of 1/2 hour to mod a valve from 3/4 to 2" drill a half inch hole tap in a 1/4" npt fitting and hook a blowgun to it. if you can't figure that out then wow. search modding a sprinkler valve and you will find several step by step how to's it's easy as hell my first one i modded was a 1 1/2" irritol valve and it worked perfectly from the get go.

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:05 am
by Hotwired
My evil plan to discourage bubba from modding a valve has failed :roll:

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:33 am
by Bubba05
Thanks for the help guys! heaps handy.
This is all handy stuff for a bloke to know!

To be honest in not to keen on modding things im a off the shelf bold on guy. really just interested in making stuff that is everyday into some thing fun to play with.

I havent shown you my fire extinguisher gun as i dont have a computer i can upload pics to. but its streight forward and easly hidden from sight in the boot of my car!

I also have an asortment of other types of combustions and i was venturing into pnematics for the first time. But one cant venture blindly and that when you guys have put me on the streight and narrow.

Hopefully I will get a gun to work and still have all my fingers by the end of it!

Bubba