- Apr 26, 2021
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- If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
- United States of America
- What type of forum member are you?
- DIY or Homeowner (Perhaps seeking pro advice, or an electrician)
Hello,
So I'm an idiot homeowner who has enough knowledge to be dangerous.. I tried to make my own shortcut by tinkering and I seem to just be making something simple more complicated and need help digging out of the hole I created..
BLUF: I need help figuring out an inexpensive/simple way to run a 110vac solenoid valve for at least 1 minute after a float switch is triggered. maybe a capacitor of some kind?
the TL
R version: My house came with a water feature in the front yard, it's a small waterfall and pond by the front walkway.. after replacing the pump, we discovered it was losing water at a rate that suggested more than just splashing/evaporation, but wasn't too bad.. we would have to throw the hose in an refill it once or twice a day..
I put some JB underwater weld along some seams that looked suspect, but it still wasn't retaining as well as it should. Now the smart person would have stopped there, pulled up all the rocks and replaced the liner and everything else right there. I am not a smart person..
First step was a battery powered bluetooth timer valve. I had it set to run for 4 minutes every 5 or 6 hours, and that worked mostly, but needed 2 AA batteries every 3-4 months. additionally, when it rains, the feature fills up too high and we were using a small bucket to bail water out..
I wanted this to be more automated, so I hatched a grand plan that has become a headache. I bought two float switches, some solid core 14ga wire, a small water fountain pump, and a quick acting solenoid valve. Some of you already see what I did wrong here..
I used a set of wires from my garage that were going to an old closed junction box, killed the breaker, changed that box to a GFCI outlet, and ran them out to the float switches. If the water level gets too low, one switch is triggered to activate the solenoid and refill it. If it gets too high, the other switch is triggered to activate the pump and spit water through a hose down to my sidewalk.
The quick acting solenoid caused some pretty bad water hammering, even with a hammer arrestor I was fearful of plumbing damage, so I bought a slow acting solenoid ball valve. water hammer is a thing of the past now, BUT the valve HAS to run for at least 1 minute for it to have enough power to slowly close. If it has power for less than a minute, it just leaves the valve wide open and overflows the pond. Then the top switch triggers, and I wind up with a small fountain pump spitting water at my curb, and a large valve emptying water into the pond.
It only NEEDS to run for like 25 seconds when it hits the lower limit. The water flow is enough that it fills the pond and disconnects the float switch in well under a minute. My thought now is finding someway to add something that when the lower limit float switch is triggered, it activates some kind of capacitor/timer so that it doesn't matter if the float switch is disengaged, the valve will continue to receive voltage for a minute to allow it to close properly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've been told to undo everything I did and just redo the liner, and I've been told to switch to a 24v sprinkler control, and other drastic redesigns, but I only have like 4 weeks to do this before I leave for work for almost a year, and I'm trying to make this self-running for my wife who will have to deal with it when I'm gone.
current valve: 1/2" Brass Electric Ball Valve - 2 Wire Auto Return - https://www.electricsolenoidvalves.com/1-2-brass-electric-motorized-ball-valve-2-wire-auto-return/
So I'm an idiot homeowner who has enough knowledge to be dangerous.. I tried to make my own shortcut by tinkering and I seem to just be making something simple more complicated and need help digging out of the hole I created..
BLUF: I need help figuring out an inexpensive/simple way to run a 110vac solenoid valve for at least 1 minute after a float switch is triggered. maybe a capacitor of some kind?
the TL
R version: My house came with a water feature in the front yard, it's a small waterfall and pond by the front walkway.. after replacing the pump, we discovered it was losing water at a rate that suggested more than just splashing/evaporation, but wasn't too bad.. we would have to throw the hose in an refill it once or twice a day..I put some JB underwater weld along some seams that looked suspect, but it still wasn't retaining as well as it should. Now the smart person would have stopped there, pulled up all the rocks and replaced the liner and everything else right there. I am not a smart person..
First step was a battery powered bluetooth timer valve. I had it set to run for 4 minutes every 5 or 6 hours, and that worked mostly, but needed 2 AA batteries every 3-4 months. additionally, when it rains, the feature fills up too high and we were using a small bucket to bail water out..
I wanted this to be more automated, so I hatched a grand plan that has become a headache. I bought two float switches, some solid core 14ga wire, a small water fountain pump, and a quick acting solenoid valve. Some of you already see what I did wrong here..
I used a set of wires from my garage that were going to an old closed junction box, killed the breaker, changed that box to a GFCI outlet, and ran them out to the float switches. If the water level gets too low, one switch is triggered to activate the solenoid and refill it. If it gets too high, the other switch is triggered to activate the pump and spit water through a hose down to my sidewalk.
The quick acting solenoid caused some pretty bad water hammering, even with a hammer arrestor I was fearful of plumbing damage, so I bought a slow acting solenoid ball valve. water hammer is a thing of the past now, BUT the valve HAS to run for at least 1 minute for it to have enough power to slowly close. If it has power for less than a minute, it just leaves the valve wide open and overflows the pond. Then the top switch triggers, and I wind up with a small fountain pump spitting water at my curb, and a large valve emptying water into the pond.
It only NEEDS to run for like 25 seconds when it hits the lower limit. The water flow is enough that it fills the pond and disconnects the float switch in well under a minute. My thought now is finding someway to add something that when the lower limit float switch is triggered, it activates some kind of capacitor/timer so that it doesn't matter if the float switch is disengaged, the valve will continue to receive voltage for a minute to allow it to close properly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've been told to undo everything I did and just redo the liner, and I've been told to switch to a 24v sprinkler control, and other drastic redesigns, but I only have like 4 weeks to do this before I leave for work for almost a year, and I'm trying to make this self-running for my wife who will have to deal with it when I'm gone.
current valve: 1/2" Brass Electric Ball Valve - 2 Wire Auto Return - https://www.electricsolenoidvalves.com/1-2-brass-electric-motorized-ball-valve-2-wire-auto-return/
- TL;DR
- DIY idiot needs help getting 110vac to a solenoid valve for a very short duration after power is switched off (float switch)
