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How to wire 3-wire motorized ball valve
Choose LOW voltage motorized ball valve for electrical safety.
3-wire version
1) Check the rating label
Read product labels carefully ... is it 12 or 24 volt AC or DC?
Often things are sold as 12-24 volt, meaning it works with either.

2) Check pipe diameter... 3/4" lets out more water than 1/2"/ but 3/4" might clog less.
Rating plate at bottom of Fig 3 shows 1/2" pipe thread.

3) If ball valve is rated DC, then an LED driver is needed instead of transformer.
Rating plate on Fig. 3 shows 9-24 volt AC/DC, so transformer -or- LED driver will work.

4) If ball valve is rated AC and AC/DC, then transformer is cheaper and smaller than LED driver ... and will fit inside enclosure (electrically-rated box) with more space.

5) Rating plate Fig. 3 shows IP65 ... this means the plastic enclosure is rated IP65, weatherproof ... it cannot be under water, but it can withstand open exposure to weather.\

ABSOLUTELY the ball valve requires clean water ... it will clog on sticks n leaves and old snail sheels etc. That's why you do NOT locate the bulkhead fitting at very bottom of rain barrel. Larger diameter ball valve (1") is better than small (1/2").

Buy:
24 volt motorized ball valve
Recommend: Multitap 8-16-24 volt transformer
Weatherproof LED driver 

How to wire 3-wire mototized ball valve

All connections made inside electrically-rated enclosure (box) ... not homemade box for electrical safety

Parts: 
-120 volt timer or wi-fi module, 
-relay with 120 volt AC coil, 
-24 volt AC Transformer, 
-24 volt AC motorized ball valve
Buy:
Plug in transformer/ power supply
IP67 power supply of LED driver
Spring wound timer
24 volt plug in transformer
Wifi outlet
Low voltage wire
Thermostat wire
24 volt motorized ball valve
15 amp relay
 
Connections
1) Connect 120 volt to timer or wifi module or wifi switch
2) Also connect 120 volt transformer (for AC ball valve) or LED driver (for DC ball valve)

3) Connect transformer or LED driver output as follows:
-Connect 1 wire to relay Terminal  6
-Connect other wire to ball valve on wire marked 'connect to Negative'

3) Ball valve has 3 wires ...... yellow, blue, red for example
-One wire (yellow) will be marked or defined as 'connect to negative' ... connect this wire to one terminal on the transformer or LED driver
-Other two wires (blue and red) are connected to relay on Normally closed terminal 1 and Normally open terminal 4, (experiment with either connection.)

How the 3-wire ball valve works...
-The ball valve has two positions Open (water runs out of barrel) or Closed (water stops running)

-When power is connected to the yellow and blue wires, the valve is Open and stays open. (until timer or home automation signals a change)
-When power is connected to the yellow and red wires, the valve reverses to Closed, and stays closed.
-The valve can only change position by applying power to the wires, there is no manual override.

-Suppose the timer or home automation is OFF.
-Fig 4 wiring diagram shows that the transformer is always ON. So power will be flowing to the ball valve via the yellow wire and the red wire on NC1 terminal. This means the yellow and red wires have power and the valve is Closed. No water is flowing from rainbarrel.

-When the timer or home automation turns ON, then power is flowing to the ball valve via the yellow wire and the blue wire on NO4 terminal.  
This means the yellow and blue wires have power and the valve is Open, and water is running out of rainbarrel.

Troubleshoot:
-The timer or home automation controls the relay.
-When timer is turned ON, the ball valve should Open the ball valve. If not then reverse the red and blue wires on the relay.
-When timer turns off, the ball valve should Close.
-Check your wiring, check wire colors vs instruction sheet, use tester to verify voltages, look at product labels to verify voltage rating. Don't connect 120 volt to 24 volt ball valve, it will pop like firecracker but spark and flame will stay safely contained inside the IP65 weatherproof ball valve enclosure.
-Caution, if timer turns off power to transformer or LED driver, then the circuit will not operate at expected. 

ABSOLUTELY the ball valve requires clean water ... it will clog on sticks n leaves and old snail sheels etc. That's why you do NOT locate the bulkhead fitting at very bottom of rain barrel. Larger diameter ball valve (1") is better than small (1/2").

Convert flat flange element to screw-type elementTransformer   Convert 120 volt to 24 volt AC
Choose 24 volt transformer for ball valves rated AC voltage
20 watt output is fine. The ball valve draws 2 amps.

Buy:
Recommend: Multitap 8-16-24 volt transformer 20 watts
Honeywell 24 volt 40 watt transformer
Doorbell transformers 16-24 vac
Larger image
LED driver installed inside Nema 3R (wealther-resistant) enclosure
LED drivers are used for DC voltage... note the output on this driver is 12 volt, 100 watt.
The ball valve draws 2 amp, so the output on the driver is good.
Don't worry, just because the driver can deliver 100 watts, it only delivers the wattage that is called for by the load ... or 2 watts.

Note the 4-1/2" x 7-1/2" x 3" deep space inside enclosure is ample for driver or a transformer ... plus space for the 1" x 3" x 2-1/2" tall relay shown in illustration.
AC transformer would take up less space than a DC driver.

Buy
Weatherproof LED driver
Beige plastic Nema 3R enclosure
Grey platic Nema 3R enclosure
Nema 3R Polycarbonate enclosures
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