Looking for SIMPLE and CHEAP valve actuator control

[J_Loh]

I have an Intermatic P1353ME digital timer controlling my 2 speed pump and cleaner booster bump. I have a water feature plumbed into the return side (obviously). I would like to setup a valve actuator that could be controlled from a remote or an X10 switch (I really don't want to dig any more holes to bury cables....so X10 or wireless preferred) to control the valve for the actuator.

My thinking...I can just purchase any of the valve actuators that are all 24V. Buy a 24V power transformer...but the problem is....I don't know how the actuators are wired. Are they wired with a common and 2 or 3 leads (one for each valve "destination") or what?

Ideas...recommendations please?

Jim

 

[Bama Rambler]

The valve actuators use a 3 wire scheme, Common, Direction 1 , Direction 2. Common is -24v then you apply +24v to either of the other wires to get the valve to move to the direction you choose. Smarthome makes an I/O linc low voltage relay module that would work for you.

 

[J_Loh]

HHHmmm....looking at that relay module you mentioned it is 5v output only. The actuators are 24V. What is the missing piece between? My original post I might have portrayed myself more knowledgeable about all this than I really am...

 

[Bama Rambler]

Inputs are 5v. The relay is rated for 5 amps at 30 volts.

 

[Pool Clown]

Intermatic also makes the valve actuators you need, At almost half the price of the Jandy or the Pentair!

 

[J_Loh]

So basically..the 3 wires you mentioned from the actuator go to: COM, N/C, and N/O. I have an HAI Omni II controller with the X10 interface. I see the 2450 has only one x10 address. Can x10 send more than on/off? I'm fairly new to this whole x10 thing. Would I just set the 2450 to run x number of seconds (long enough to open or close the valve) and set it so "off" is one way of the valve and "on" is the other way?

After answering the slew of questions above...can anybody point me in the correct direction for learning about all this? I am a technical individual but I have yet to do much with x10 / automation.

 

[Pool Clown]

Not if your looking to make your own home brew controller. We can help with selecting what controller would work for you, but it sounds like you want to make the controller your self to save some cash.

Good luck.

 

[J_Loh]

No...I definitely plan on using the 2450...but I'm not understanding how it would work. The way I see it...there are a couple of pieces here.

1. Some type of switch/remote/controller
2. The 24v actuator to control the valve
3. Something that will respond to the switch/remote/controller and drive the actuator.

2 is the 2450 (I believe connected the way I mentioned above set in "momentary and x number of seconds" mode.
3 is Jandy 24V actually (4424) or Intermatic PE24VA
1 is my HAI or some wall switch or some remote control???

Ideally I can control the 2450 with my OmniII using x10 controls as well as having some remote or switch around.

Am I over-complicating this?

 

[Bama Rambler]

You are over complicating it a little but it's ok I do the same thing.

The way you would wire it would be to run -24v directly to the neg of the actuator then run +24v to the com and then a wire from NC to default direction 1 on the actuator and one from NO to direction 2 on the actuator.

The output of the 2450 would be set to maintained to make it simple. There are switches in the actuator that break the circuit to stop travel in either direction. You could set it to momentary but there's no need to.

Smarthome is as good a place as any to learn about x-10 stuff. It pretty straight forward but you'll be better served by using the insteon side of that module. It's more realiable than x-10.

 

[dschlic1]

I believe that most valve actuators use 24 VAC, not DC. No rectification necessary.

 

[Bama Rambler]

You're right maybe I should have used hot & neutral instead of + & -. Sorry for the confusion.