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Need advice on electric remote control of a tap

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Clive Foster11/05/2015 18:23:00
3630 forum posts
128 photos

Carl

Thanks for that very inspirational picture. Close to one of the things I was considering. Nice to know that the concept works and can be done neatly.

Bruce

Car door lock motor was about Plan J! Bought two generics very cheap but couldn't get a safe operating rod run from where there was room for the actuator to the tap. Frustratingly close tho'.

Although it didn't work ou in the end I can understan why the original slenoid valve was used as it made for avery neat installation. Unfortunately some associated, very hard to change, details have made doiing anything else very hard.

Many thanks for all the suggestions. When you've thought yourself into a corner with an intractable problem it really helps to get advice from folk who aren't too close to the details.

Clive

Neil Wyatt11/05/2015 18:38:51
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19226 forum posts
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86 articles
Posted by Michael Gilligan on 11/05/2015 09:00:02:
Posted by Clive Foster on 10/05/2015 00:21:26:

Anyway the tap in question is already fitted. Was supposed to have a simple mechanical connection to an external lever but there is no practical route for control rod and a solid centre wire flexi cable as per old style car choke cable or heater controls don't reliably turn the thing fully off.

.

Neil, for info. ^^^

MichaelG.

Ah. it obviously needs a return spring on the valve so the cable always works in tension..

Neil

Michael Gilligan11/05/2015 19:57:16
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23121 forum posts
1360 photos
Posted by Neil Wyatt on 11/05/2015 18:38:51:

Ah. it obviously needs a return spring on the valve so the cable always works in tension..

.

Good point, Neil star

MichaelG.

Nick_G11/05/2015 20:30:35
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1808 forum posts
744 photos

.

I was in Maplins today and thought of this thread when I saw this :-

Nick

peter ravenscroft12/05/2015 14:51:09
100 forum posts
3 photos

hi

mt advice is to buy a automatic watering system that are on sale in the garden centers they run of 3 volts ie 2 d cells

regards peter

Martin Kyte12/05/2015 15:16:26
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3445 forum posts
62 photos

I've had several of those auto watering systems and the fancy programmable ones die fairly often. Especially when the batteries get discharged. Hence someone should have a broken one somewhere if you can source it. Sounds easy enough to hack the wiring to get at the motor lines. So if you want cheap. . . ask around.

regards Martin

Clive Foster12/05/2015 18:54:41
3630 forum posts
128 photos

In a classic example of how discussion forums like this get you to reconsider concepts that may have been discarded for inadequate reasons the penny finally dropped.

If one piano wire inner flexi cable isn't quite strong enough to reliably push the tap fully off use two. Needs a double sided pivot connector on the tap and acutating levers with double cable mount fulcrums but thats relatively easy. Bit of overtravel on the drive side will bend the wires producing a keep it shut spring. Two flexi cables will threadal though almost as easy as one to where there is plently of room for a powered operator. Undecided whether to get an RC servo and drive or just use one of the door lock motors I have in stock. no going to get done immediately as other things have priority but at least I have a method.

Thanks

Clive.

.

Jeff Dayman12/05/2015 21:22:27
2356 forum posts
47 photos

If you speak to a heating/ ventilation contractor or dealer just ask them for a DC zone valve actuator for hydronic zone heating. There are many varieties of AC and DC actuators for these products. A useful property of them is slow operation and high flow when open. Many have spring return feature when power is off. Most have excellent long term reliability.

Honeywell and MUT are two good brands. JD

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