Electrical Solenoid valve to control water tanks?
- Thread starter achjimmy
- Start date
Always thought about it, never really researched it too much. It would be awesome!
That's it. It's exposed and on the starcraft it's in the rats nest that jayco call wiring. I am thinking a tee with two solenoids wired each side of the tee to two switches. Both off water off, one on that tank active or both on ? Plus you could then tuck That all up inside the chassis out of the way. Plus no wet knees changing over. Just a thought.
My next batch of mods will include a normally open 12v solenoid on the mains pressure pipe just inside the van under the lounge behind the filler box.
I going to attempt to connect it into the Drifter pump switch, maybe via a relay, so i can switch on the pump and isolate the mains pressure with one button.
The relay would only require power to close, remaining open and inactive the majority of the time, and considering the possibility that if the solenoid fails we only end up with exactly what we now have anyway
That way i can easily get at my tank water from inside the van without disconnecting or turning off the main pressure hose. (we drink a lot of water and use van tanks primarily for keeping our precious drinking water, that at the moment i cant get out unless i disconnect the damn mains hose)
Not sure how solenoids would work on the tank lines ... would it best to have open or close solenoids? Either way, one solenoid would always need constant power.
I going to attempt to connect it into the Drifter pump switch, maybe via a relay, so i can switch on the pump and isolate the mains pressure with one button.
The relay would only require power to close, remaining open and inactive the majority of the time, and considering the possibility that if the solenoid fails we only end up with exactly what we now have anyway
That way i can easily get at my tank water from inside the van without disconnecting or turning off the main pressure hose. (we drink a lot of water and use van tanks primarily for keeping our precious drinking water, that at the moment i cant get out unless i disconnect the damn mains hose)
Not sure how solenoids would work on the tank lines ... would it best to have open or close solenoids? Either way, one solenoid would always need constant power.
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I'd estimate it's about that. I particularly like the garden sprinkler hose clamps.....
I thought about it when my 3 way tap chucked it in but thought a lot of ginning around so bought 2 garden irrigation taps for $3.95, much easier .
@Crusty181 if you haven't got a simple handraulic tap set up on your rig yet like the rest of us how are you ever going to get an electronic water gate set up done....??????
@Crusty181 if you haven't got a simple handraulic tap set up on your rig yet like the rest of us how are you ever going to get an electronic water gate set up done....??????
Im one step in front of you. I can rebuild the Space Shuttle just by looking at the parts list .... its the simple things i struggle with. I cant remember where my car is parked, or how the toaster works. Im getting my cat to type this reply (.... and Fluffy said she could sense sarcasm in your tone)
Worth a read:
http://www.candm.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=13785
Pretty simple solution, I'm impressed!
http://www.candm.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=13785
Pretty simple solution, I'm impressed!
Gave up on this, thinking I am just lazy but while away I ran out of water on the front tank and had to go change over the tanks on a cold wet night after I'd got into bed. So It's back on the radar.
If you were going to go down this path of electronic gizmo's for everything surely you would have digital tank gauges so you would know your nearly out of water and therefore change over before it was dark and scary outside ????????.............
@Drover ..... its the standard horror movie plot. Monsters only come out at night and we need @achjimmy to discover late at night that he hasn't turned over the tanks; late at night after the boogie man starts roaming around. Horror movie victims always do the opposite of what they should do.
Of course he could have flicked over the tanks during the day, and of course he didn't need the water while he was in bed .... but thats not the point. The point is, what sort of horror movie would it be if he flicked over the tanks in the afternoon, went to bed, and fell asleep. What the hell is the boogie man going to do then ...... sit and watch the electronic gizmo digital tank gauge all night???
PS Ive got the whizz bang digital tank gauge, but never look at it and run out of water regularly. But I aint going out when its dark and scary.