Activating a solenoid to control Liquidator

[carlscan26]

Note: I wasn't sure if this post belonged in this forum or under Chemical Automation as it kind of bridges both...

I'm having an issue with my chlorine levels swinging significantly with the Liquidator - and it turns out it's due to running the solar. Depending on the day the solar may run for 4-8 hours or not at all. When the solar is active the pump runs at a much higher speed therefore suctioning more chlorine from the liquidator. I can adjust the flow valve for this higher rate but then on days when the solar isn't active as much (or at all) I don't get enough enough chlorine to the pool

I run a cleaner cycle in the early morning for two hours and then filtration from about 10 am to 10 pm. The filtration cycle is enabled for solar heat. Solar hours are really only about 10am - 4 pm right now, and I imagine that in the summer I won't even need the whole day as I'm already getting the pool up to 80 (that was today's temp ).

So I have an idea to install one of these http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-5859-electronic-shut-off-solenoid-valve-with-qc-fittings.aspx in the line running from the liquidator to the pump, and to use the Aux2 connector to trigger the solenoid with its 24VAC signal along with Aux2 schedules to open the solenoid at specific hours when I know the solar won't be running - say during the cleaning cycle and from 6:00 - 10:00 pm.

Two questions:

1. Does anyone know if the Aux terminals are in fact 24VAC or are they 18 VAC? For some reason I think the motherboard runs on 18 and the accessory and valve switches are 24

2. The solenoid above only draws 200 mA. I'm guessing that the relays used to switch on pumps and lights draw at least that much current (the relay draw not the load draw). Will I be OK to wire the solenoid directly to the Aux port? Basically I'm asking is the solenoid a reasonable repalcement load wise to a relay?

Any other thoughts on this? Have I gone off the deep end?

 

[racket]

Two questions:

1. Does anyone know if the Aux terminals are in fact 24VAC or are they 18 VAC? For some reason I think the motherboard runs on 18 and the accessory and valve switches are 24

2. The solenoid above only draws 200 mA. I'm guessing that the relays used to switch on pumps and lights draw at least that much current (the relay draw not the load draw). Will I be OK to wire the solenoid directly to the Aux port? Basically I'm asking is the solenoid a reasonable repalcement load wise to a relay?

Any other thoughts on this? Have I gone off the deep end?

The relay outputs are 24VDC (pentair, compool, jandy, goldline, and most others)

The valve output(s) are 24VAC so you can always jump power off of them and assign one of the valve to an aux circuit.

I do this quite often for water slides, and small features. If you can get your hands on a valve pigtail it makes it easy, otherwise you can jamb the relay socket on to the valve.

On the valve output there are 3 wires. 1 is hot normally active (NC), common, and hot upon activation of the valve (NO). You can identify which on is which with a multimeter. I seem to do this so infrequently I have to check every time.

 

[carlscan26]

Thanks racket. So the relay output is 24V DC not 18V? I spaced on how a relay works, of course it has to be DC . DC may still work for a different solenoid - they've all blurred together.

 

[carlscan26]

Yeah, here's one that works off DC or AC: http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-1243 ... tings.aspx

 

[carlscan26]

Hmm tying into the solar valve actuator connector is a really interesting idea - I could set it up to open the solenoid when the solar is off and vice versa with no need to program another schedule. Or do the reverse with a normally opened solenoid and only draw power when it's closed. Things to think about