KLD Water Valve Install Guide
- Thread starter CharlieWayne
- Start date
CharlieWayne
Member
I've gone back and edited my post in #7.
While I might not be expressing my idea here I want to ask if what I have written makes sense to you guys.
If not understood, its no big deal and I can either start over or make more edits.
Please both positive or negative feedback it welcome.
While I might not be expressing my idea here I want to ask if what I have written makes sense to you guys.
If not understood, its no big deal and I can either start over or make more edits.
Please both positive or negative feedback it welcome.
CharlieWayne
Member
REPORTING VALVE STATUS/POSITION TO A HOME AUTOMATION CONTROLLER.....
Above we established that Bucko was using a unused contact switch and a zone input on his alarm panel. But with our B2 wiring style we lack this unused contact switch.
If we were to utilize the contact switches that are used to stop the motor when the valve is at desired position several things would occur. The issue with using a zone input would be that it might possibly back feed up the circuit from the contact switch when that switch is open or even pull the voltage down after the circuit when its closed. Pulling the voltage down would likely result in motor never shutting off.
However we could monitor the voltage after the valves contact switch and use Logical High or Logical Low Voltage to reports the valves position. ( I seen many places on the PCB where it would be easy to tie into these circuits)
What I am unsure of is about hardware that is on the market that can both monitor this voltage and report to our HA equipment.
Any ideas here?
Above we established that Bucko was using a unused contact switch and a zone input on his alarm panel. But with our B2 wiring style we lack this unused contact switch.
If we were to utilize the contact switches that are used to stop the motor when the valve is at desired position several things would occur. The issue with using a zone input would be that it might possibly back feed up the circuit from the contact switch when that switch is open or even pull the voltage down after the circuit when its closed. Pulling the voltage down would likely result in motor never shutting off.
However we could monitor the voltage after the valves contact switch and use Logical High or Logical Low Voltage to reports the valves position. ( I seen many places on the PCB where it would be easy to tie into these circuits)
What I am unsure of is about hardware that is on the market that can both monitor this voltage and report to our HA equipment.
Any ideas here?
pete_c
Guru
You can build a little circuit that does that:
You can probably rig up something with this circuit board and isolated debounce relays.
I utilize this one for my doorbell.
http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-960-delay-timer-module
I utilize this one for my mailbox sensor
http://www.wayengineer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2185
You can probably rig up something with this circuit board and isolated debounce relays.
I utilize this one for my doorbell.
http://www.elkproducts.com/product-catalog/elk-960-delay-timer-module
I utilize this one for my mailbox sensor
http://www.wayengineer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2185
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CharlieWayne
Member
Thanks Pete.
I'll look over this and see if my local electronics supply has some of these materials. I might take me a while but doing a mod like this after the valve has been installed should be too easy.
If we use CAT cable to control the open and close of this valve there should be enough wires left over to report back its status if we do make this idea happen
I'll look over this and see if my local electronics supply has some of these materials. I might take me a while but doing a mod like this after the valve has been installed should be too easy.
If we use CAT cable to control the open and close of this valve there should be enough wires left over to report back its status if we do make this idea happen
kurtmccaslin
Active Member
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:789]
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:788]
(finally) installed one of my KLD valves from the group buy today. The valve is used to supply water to a tank. I previously had a sprinkler valve in this service, but replaced it with this KLD valve. The reason is because 1) the sprinkler valve had developed a slow leak and need replacement, and 2) the sprinkler valve slams shut-- causing a lot of jerking in the piping. I live in an area with a lot of rock, and am concerned that the jerking will eventually wear a hole in the pipe where it contacts a rock underground. The KLD ball valve closes slowly-- no water hammer.
The controller uses an ELK 924 relay wired in the "non-sensitive" manner as per the Elk instructions. I did not see a reason to subject the circuit to risk of accidental operation from a stray current when I have a high current rated dry contacts float operating it.
There is a float in the tank that closes when the tank reaches the low level, and opens when the tank reaches the high level. There is about 3 feet between the low and high level. The float was already in the tank for the previous sprinkler valve.
You will also note that I added a push button switch on the top of the control box. This shorts across the float and enables me to test the valve manually.
I used a 12v wall wart that was designed for a CCTV system. There is a power jack in the bottom of the box.
It is working great!
pete_c
Guru
Very nice and thank you for sharing rockinarmadillo.
I have only placed mine next to the pipes to remind me to get to it.
I did though get a hammering of the pipes (copper) here that I never noticed over the years and it lasted for about a week last month.
Well we could hear it on the 2nd floor from the basement pipes. Sounding a bit like someone or something was banging on those pipes.
None the less it just went away by itself after a few days. Looking at the water pressure guages didn't notice anything different. Wondering maybe just the change in temperatures that did it?
I have only placed mine next to the pipes to remind me to get to it.
I did though get a hammering of the pipes (copper) here that I never noticed over the years and it lasted for about a week last month.
Well we could hear it on the 2nd floor from the basement pipes. Sounding a bit like someone or something was banging on those pipes.
None the less it just went away by itself after a few days. Looking at the water pressure guages didn't notice anything different. Wondering maybe just the change in temperatures that did it?
CharlieWayne
Member
Sweet.
We have plumbed 3 valves so far and have wire run for the controls. Just haven't made the connection yet cause I don't like the wiring of the B2 ( 2 wire valve). Last week I was talking to engineering at KLD about if we can change our valves to a 3 wire or even better a 3 wire w/status reporting. The man is in the field at some trade show conference.
I'll update this board if anything comes of this.
Charlie
We have plumbed 3 valves so far and have wire run for the controls. Just haven't made the connection yet cause I don't like the wiring of the B2 ( 2 wire valve). Last week I was talking to engineering at KLD about if we can change our valves to a 3 wire or even better a 3 wire w/status reporting. The man is in the field at some trade show conference.
I'll update this board if anything comes of this.
Charlie
pete_c
Guru
Thanks Charlie!
The valve is so modularly built that it might just be a new cover and controller board.
Here the endeavor of a new water meter had me replace the copper soldered on elbows to brass elbows with more weight to them.
The new water meter while mostly now plastic is some 2-3 times larger than the old one such that I had to shift the copper pipes up and over a bit and subsquently put in brass elbows after initially soldering on the copper elbows.
I mean there was a flimsy look to the copper elbows (even at 1" diameter). Well that and one of the issues with the old brass water meter related to some new EPA thing about brass and water stuff versus plastic and water stuff.
I did make room though for the valve while doing this stuff.
I do recall though starting this endeavor with an acetylene torch setup that was difficult to get down into the basement (tanks were as tall as me). It was almost too hot such that I went back to using my MAPI tank of gas.
The valve is so modularly built that it might just be a new cover and controller board.
Here the endeavor of a new water meter had me replace the copper soldered on elbows to brass elbows with more weight to them.
The new water meter while mostly now plastic is some 2-3 times larger than the old one such that I had to shift the copper pipes up and over a bit and subsquently put in brass elbows after initially soldering on the copper elbows.
I mean there was a flimsy look to the copper elbows (even at 1" diameter). Well that and one of the issues with the old brass water meter related to some new EPA thing about brass and water stuff versus plastic and water stuff.
I did make room though for the valve while doing this stuff.
I do recall though starting this endeavor with an acetylene torch setup that was difficult to get down into the basement (tanks were as tall as me). It was almost too hot such that I went back to using my MAPI tank of gas.
