Low pressure Rain barrel water timer

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Reasons for saving water you might not realize ...

The following are aspects of saving water that pertain to water heating and electricity (topics on my website).
Saving water saves electricity from not pumping water.
Conserving water means a smaller water heater... and less energy consumption. Smaller water heaters have higher efficiency. 9 ways to save Water heater EF
Dripping hot water side of faucet removes hot from water heater tank that is replaced with cold water that needs to be heated to set point, wasting water and the water needed for electric generation.
Water is essential for generation of all electricity, for example cooling the coal-or-oil-or-gas-or-atomic generator, steam explosion powering the generator, hydroelectric generation.
Some regions (South Texas for example) the rice crop was cancelled several years during the drought so there was enough water for the power plant and towns etc.
PV solar generation does not require water during generation ... but making aluminum frames for solar panels requires smelting aluminum... requiring massive electric generation ... usually from hydroelectric plants in the NW.

What is water worth?
Price of water

Ordinary bath uses 20 gallons water... 17 hot, 3 cold.
If you carry each gallon of water from the river up to 2nd floor bathtub, when would you start to conserve?
Average home uses 1/4 to 1/2 acre-foot water per year.
135,000 gallons = 27,000 5-gallon buckets

If each bath cost $30, would you conserve?
Remember, conserving resources is 'conservative'

Average home with water well pays $12 per year to pump water.
Read about growth and electric consumption

Rain barrel timer/ battery operated Toro zero pressure rain barrel timer Water timers cannot be exposed to freezing temperatures, or freezing water can expand and crack timer Buy: Toro low pressure rain barrel timer at Amazon Zero pressure Rain barrel timer Variable cycle timer instructions Set frequency... this is the number of times you want to water each week For example the timer can turn On once each 24 hours or once each 2 hours etc Then set duration of watering... this is amount of time the water will run ... choose from 1minute to 2 hours Resource: Toro manual
Rain barrel collection system: Buy: 55 gallon drum Bulkhead fittings For low impact land development and to meet LEED quaifications for sustainability: "install permanent infiltration or collection features (e.g., vegetated swale, rain garden, rainwater cistern) that can handle 100% of the runoff from a two-year, 24-hour storm":
Bulkhead fitting Buy: Bulkhead fittings Hole saw For 1/2" outlet pipe, drill size into barrel 1-1/4" using hole saw ... order 1/2" For 3/4 outlet pipe, drill size into barrel 1-5/8" ... order 3/4" 1" outlet ... drill 1-3/4" Come in brass and plastic/ max wall thickness of tank around 2" Sal with rubber gasket and flanged nut/ add silicone as needed. General pressure range for plastic up to 150 psi ... plenty good for designs shown on this page. Drill on a flat area of tank or barrel, near bottom, but not all the way at bottom so debris will not get into pipe. Outlets: There are solvent-weld and threaded types.
Pour bath water into rain barrel Bathtub uses 20-25 gallons water Use 5 gallon bucket to empty bathtub and pour into rain barrel 5 gallons x 8.4 lbs per gallon. I used closed-head 55 gallon barrel... cut hole in top, leaving 1" rim around top to attach hardware cloth and screen. Re-use water in garden and for grass and trees Pour in 2 pints hydrogen peroxide occasionally to deodorize For example: Order 1" bulkhead fitting, and drill 2" hole, 1" IP thread Buy: Bulkhead fitting at Amazon Closed head 55 gallon plastic drum Open head 55 gallon plastic Motorized ball valve --Check voltage rating
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 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").
Transformer 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
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Buy: Plug in transformer/ power supply 24 volt plug in transformer Spring wound timer Low voltage wire Thermostat wire 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves --Check voltage rating Transformer and timer cannot be exposed to weather. Sprinkler valves specify AC power 20-100 watts (or VA) is plenty of power. I use the 200 watt 'waterproof' IP67 LED driver for more power and longer distance wire, and then splice a plug end onto wire ... and plug into GFCI-protected outlet. Install transformer or power supply inside structure or enclosure (box), install timer in surface-mounted box, and drill through wall for wire connection. Spring-wound countdown timer requires no electric power to operate. Simply rotate dial to select amount of time. Valves usually work with AC or DC. Use low voltage wire outdoor wire for best result, or thermostat wire or bell wire
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Buy: 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves --Check voltage rating
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Sprinkler valves are rated for AC (alternate current), but the ball valve works with DC (direct current). Buy: Low voltage wire Thermostat wire 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves --Check voltage rating Advantage: 200 watts vs 20-40 for plug in transformers. Means longer distance wire without power loss. 100-200 watt 'waterproof' IP67 LED driver for more power and longer distance wire ... and plug into GFCI-protected outlet. Advantage: waterproof ... locate timer between plug and driver.
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Buy: IP67 power supply or LED driver Wifi outlet Low voltage wire Thermostat wire 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves --Check voltage rating
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve DIY rain barrel water timer/ normally closed Normally closed valve: When Power is OFF, valve is Off When timer is ON, valve is open Buy: 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves 12 Volt DC transformer/ 30 watt 24 Volt AC transformer / 40 watt 24 Volt AC transformer Resource Compare countdown timers
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Programmable wall timer 7-day and 24-hour timers can be used to control water valve Low wattage transformer will wirk fine. Buy: Programmable wall timers 2-wire motorized ball valve Motorized ball valves --Check voltage rating Resources: Compare programmable timer features How to wire timers
This illustration works with 2-wire motorized ball valve Orbit 57894 timer and valve Buy: Orbit programmable sprinkler timer Orbit sprinkler timers 24 volt motorized ball valve --Check voltage rating Resource: Orbit 57894 manual
This timer works with 2-wire motorized ball valve T8845PV/ 120volt input / 24volt output/ no rain sensor terminals All-in-one control Mechanical 24 hour dial timer, with fully repairable part replacement Not susceptible to surge event Outdoor enclosure Insert 156T1950A trippers on outer edge of yellow dial. Each tripper represents 15 minutes/ Set minimum 12 minutes- max 20 hours 45 minutes Insert four consecutive trippers for 1 hour of watering time. Buy T8845PV 120V input 24V output timer Replacement 156T1950A trippers Resources: T8845PV timer manual Add rain sensor to timer
Additional parts to connect with rainbarrel and hose Buy: Hose barbs Hose clamps 1/2" Brass nipples 1/2" pipe to hose thread adapter

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