BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Yup the OMs are a great value.
DIY Valve Actuator? or Automated 3-way valve?
- Thread starter driftin
- Start date
J
johnski
i agree OM's are great products , but they dont suit the application i want to use the actuated 3 way ball valve for. I want to set up my flow from the closed loop pump so that the flow goes from left to right for 6 hours , then the valve switches and the flow goes from right to left for 6 hours then repeats
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Then yes, an actuator like the hayward is what you want.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Yup and a 3 way pool valve will do what you want.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Replacing the 1rpm clock motor with a stepper would do it.
I have an OM squirt and needed a way to ensure that it was indexing. My maroon clown was causing sandstorms and causing the squirt to get stuck. I came up with a few simple ideas. The first was putting a small magnet in the base of the drum and placing a small reed switch in the OM base at the bottom of each port. I came up with several others... but figured the stepper motor would be much easier.
I have an OM squirt and needed a way to ensure that it was indexing. My maroon clown was causing sandstorms and causing the squirt to get stuck. I came up with a few simple ideas. The first was putting a small magnet in the base of the drum and placing a small reed switch in the OM base at the bottom of each port. I came up with several others... but figured the stepper motor would be much easier.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I also came up with a plan using an infrared led emitter and 4 recievers. I never implemented either.
The reed switch idea would be very simple... I jsut never got around to drilling the holes and installing the switches.
The reed switch idea would be very simple... I jsut never got around to drilling the holes and installing the switches.
Its real simple, we just did the same. Planned one out and never implemented it. The reed switches and a magnet. Timer would hold the position using the no side of the timer and nc would drive the motor. Reeds power the timer @12v. I havent found any one that is willing to drill their OM.
I may be able to supply the timer if you want to give it a shot.
Don
BrainBandAid
New member
My plan was obviously modeled after Weathersons, but I had an idea to have the valve direct the suction and discharge of the pump, and alternate as it turned. This would (hopefully) create a greater back and forth motion, and to just be different.
But I thought of using PVC as well... the only thing I had access to that most people might not is a lathe... but everything else was bought at either a hardware store, or ebay, and worked with everyday tools. And maybe a drill press.
I thought I had more pics, but this one is the HDPE cylinder inside the clear PVC pipe (2in. dia), and the end-caps.
I have since shortened it a bit, drilled the holes though the pipe and cylinder, and glued threaded PVC adapters (slipXthread) over the holes in the pipe. For the adapters, I first ground out the rough shape of the pipe on the slip side with a dremel. Then I wrapped another section of 2in PVC in sandpaper to get the adapters down to size. (That took a while)
The larger diameter section of HDPE that pokes out has been turned down to about 5/8 in. to facilitate a standard size ceramic shaft seal. I drilled a hole in the flat end-cap for the 5/8 dia. shaft, and glued a PVC ring (that fits over the stationary seal) over that hole.
I've gotta find those other pictures cuz' I don't think I'm explaining this right...
Anyway, I glued the end caps on, the one with the plug lets me pull the cylinder in and out.
I haven't figured out how I'm gonna turn it yet, and it probably won't even work, but it was kinda fun figuring it all out. I estimate about $35.00 for everything.
This is my pathetic drawing:
The blue part is the HDPE cylinder... each hole through the diameter is 90 degrees from the next. So on the bottom half, the suction and discharge always stays the same. On the top, it alternates.
The holes are sized so that the pump is never actually blocked off, but inbetween cycles, it kind of short cycles... giving me a nice sinusoidal wave... well, that's the idea anyway.
My tank is inwall, so the only place I had for a closed loop is on the ends... I was going for a side to side motion.
driftin
New member
That's an interesting idea... all of them I mean! Could someone explain in a bit greater detail how the reed switches would work? Would they trip a timer-relay and stop the OM from rotating for a set period of time?
I am waiting on a few parts to arrive from the ebay sellers I've bought from, after which I should be able to go to Home Depot and buy the rest of the parts. I can't make these last few purchases without knowing measurements of some of these parts... I'm still thinking it may be two weeks before I can test drive something.
I am waiting on a few parts to arrive from the ebay sellers I've bought from, after which I should be able to go to Home Depot and buy the rest of the parts. I can't make these last few purchases without knowing measurements of some of these parts... I'm still thinking it may be two weeks before I can test drive something.
Pbrown3701
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11140104#post11140104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BrainBandAid
My plan was obviously modeled after Weathersons, but I had an idea to have the valve direct the suction and discharge of the pump, and alternate as it turned. This would (hopefully) create a greater back and forth motion, and to just be different.
But I thought of using PVC as well... the only thing I had access to that most people might not is a lathe... but everything else was bought at either a hardware store, or ebay, and worked with everyday tools. And maybe a drill press.
I thought I had more pics, but this one is the HDPE cylinder inside the clear PVC pipe (2in. dia), and the end-caps.
I have since shortened it a bit, drilled the holes though the pipe and cylinder, and glued threaded PVC adapters (slipXthread) over the holes in the pipe. For the adapters, I first ground out the rough shape of the pipe on the slip side with a dremel. Then I wrapped another section of 2in PVC in sandpaper to get the adapters down to size. (That took a while)
The larger diameter section of HDPE that pokes out has been turned down to about 5/8 in. to facilitate a standard size ceramic shaft seal. I drilled a hole in the flat end-cap for the 5/8 dia. shaft, and glued a PVC ring (that fits over the stationary seal) over that hole.
I've gotta find those other pictures cuz' I don't think I'm explaining this right...
Anyway, I glued the end caps on, the one with the plug lets me pull the cylinder in and out.
I haven't figured out how I'm gonna turn it yet, and it probably won't even work, but it was kinda fun figuring it all out. I estimate about $35.00 for everything.
This is my pathetic drawing:
The blue part is the HDPE cylinder... each hole through the diameter is 90 degrees from the next. So on the bottom half, the suction and discharge always stays the same. On the top, it alternates.
The holes are sized so that the pump is never actually blocked off, but inbetween cycles, it kind of short cycles... giving me a nice sinusoidal wave... well, that's the idea anyway.
My tank is inwall, so the only place I had for a closed loop is on the ends... I was going for a side to side motion.
It's a good idea - but one thing i think you should reconsider is the intake side of the pump. When the drum rotates slightly and closes off half the port on the pump intake, the pump is going to cavitate. You're basically restricting the input to the pump momentarily between port openings - which is a bad idea.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11138773#post11138773 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by H20ENG
There is room in the drum to recess a little magnet if your careful, then epoxy fill the hole. You'd have to mill a small pocket for the switch too unless the magnet was super strong.
4 magnets, even better
We had this all figured out a year ago but never tried it. IIRC drill the screw holes for the om deeper to fit the reed switches. Then use hollow screws for the little wires to go through. Add one magnet to the drum.
The reed would control 12vdc - to the timer and open the nc contacts for a preset time, Then it would go back NC and move to the next switch.
Don
BrainBandAid
New member
Maybe I could say this better.... the holes in the cylinder are sized so that before the suction (or discharge) is blocked off, the other side of the suction is opening, so it would never actually be blocked off. I have yet to test it, so you may be right, but there was a plan for that.
Picture the holes in the drawing about twice as big. That might cause the flow to "re-circualted" too much, I don't know.
Picture the holes in the drawing about twice as big. That might cause the flow to "re-circualted" too much, I don't know.
JaredWaites
Premium Member
If the drum is rotating, even if the holes went all the way through you would have to have a hole that was exposed to the suction fully in order to prevent it from cavitating as Pbrown3701 has stated.
The return side doesn't matter so much as you can restrict this and it won't affect your pumps internal part so much. When you starve a pump for water, bad things can happen. You can spin impellers off, melt the diffuser or seal plate, trip breakers, etc. You get the idea.
The return side doesn't matter so much as you can restrict this and it won't affect your pumps internal part so much. When you starve a pump for water, bad things can happen. You can spin impellers off, melt the diffuser or seal plate, trip breakers, etc. You get the idea.
Young Frankenstein
New member
Yah...if you have 200.000 in equipment
wizsmaster
Moved On
Hahn,
Which actuator do you have? I have a EVR2 K - have you found a double circuit relay for it, or another way to control the actuator?
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