Modding A Sprinkler Valve

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PCGUY
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Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:23 pm

MODDING A SPRINKLER VALVE


Image Tutorial Below
Provided By - Tim Brown
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Step 6: Cutting your hose<br /><br />Your next step is to cut your hose to the desired length. I have chosen to use 1/4&amp;quot; id by 1/2&amp;quot; of air hose. This is available at Mcmaster.com<br /><br />After you cut your hose to the desired length you will want to insert one end into the barbed adaptor on your valve cover and the other end into a 1/4&amp;quot; male adaptor. Secure both ends of hose with hose clamps. Next, cover the threads of your male adaptor in Teflon tape and thread it into a blowgun rated for at least 100 PSI. You are now all set to start using your souped up sprinkler valve. Enjoy, and as always, Keep it safe…
Step 6: Cutting your hose

Your next step is to cut your hose to the desired length. I have chosen to use 1/4&quot; id by 1/2&quot; of air hose. This is available at Mcmaster.com

After you cut your hose to the desired length you will want to insert one end into the barbed adaptor on your valve cover and the other end into a 1/4&quot; male adaptor. Secure both ends of hose with hose clamps. Next, cover the threads of your male adaptor in Teflon tape and thread it into a blowgun rated for at least 100 PSI. You are now all set to start using your souped up sprinkler valve. Enjoy, and as always, Keep it safe…
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Additional notes:<br />If your now obsolete solenoid is getting in the way you may simply scrap it, however you must fill both small holes in the solenoid port with epoxy.
Additional notes:
If your now obsolete solenoid is getting in the way you may simply scrap it, however you must fill both small holes in the solenoid port with epoxy.
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Once your adaptor has been threaded into your cover you may replace all parts inside your valve and screw the cover back down.
Once your adaptor has been threaded into your cover you may replace all parts inside your valve and screw the cover back down.
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Step 1: Buying the correct valve<br /><br />The first thing that must be done in order to soup up a sprinkler valve is to buy the valve. There is one major thing to consider when buying a valve, does it or doesn't it have a guide rod? A guide rod is a small metal bar inside the valve that guides the diaphragm. I have found two different valves that don't have guide rods and are very simple to work with and soup up. The first valve is a Rainbird 1” inline automatic sprinkler valve. The second valve, the one pictured below and through out this how to, is a Watermaster 3/4&amp;quot; inline automatic sprinkler valve.
Step 1: Buying the correct valve

The first thing that must be done in order to soup up a sprinkler valve is to buy the valve. There is one major thing to consider when buying a valve, does it or doesn't it have a guide rod? A guide rod is a small metal bar inside the valve that guides the diaphragm. I have found two different valves that don't have guide rods and are very simple to work with and soup up. The first valve is a Rainbird 1” inline automatic sprinkler valve. The second valve, the one pictured below and through out this how to, is a Watermaster 3/4&quot; inline automatic sprinkler valve.
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Step 3: Drilling hole in cover<br /><br />Once you have removed your cover you need to drill a hole in the center of it. You will thread a 1/4&amp;quot; barbed hose adaptor into this hole. You can either use a 1/4&amp;quot; NPT pipe tap or you can simply drill a 1/2&amp;quot; hole and thread it with your fitting. Make sure that the hole will not be in the way of the spring. If your valve has a guide rod, drill to the side of the cover but make sure that it isn't in the way of anything. If you plan to use a 1/4&amp;quot; pipe tap, instead of the 1/2&amp;quot; hole, drill whatever size your tap recommends.
Step 3: Drilling hole in cover

Once you have removed your cover you need to drill a hole in the center of it. You will thread a 1/4&quot; barbed hose adaptor into this hole. You can either use a 1/4&quot; NPT pipe tap or you can simply drill a 1/2&quot; hole and thread it with your fitting. Make sure that the hole will not be in the way of the spring. If your valve has a guide rod, drill to the side of the cover but make sure that it isn't in the way of anything. If you plan to use a 1/4&quot; pipe tap, instead of the 1/2&quot; hole, drill whatever size your tap recommends.
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This is what the top of your valve should look like after drilling the hole.
This is what the top of your valve should look like after drilling the hole.
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Step 4: Tapping the hole<br /><br />Now that your hole has been drilled you are ready to tap it for your fitting. If you are using a pipe tap simply tap the hole and move on to step 5. However if you don't have a pipe tap and are going to be threading the hole with your fitting you will need a drill and a 1/4&amp;quot; male barbed hose adaptor.
Step 4: Tapping the hole

Now that your hole has been drilled you are ready to tap it for your fitting. If you are using a pipe tap simply tap the hole and move on to step 5. However if you don't have a pipe tap and are going to be threading the hole with your fitting you will need a drill and a 1/4&quot; male barbed hose adaptor.
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You now want to insert the hose adaptor into your drill chuck like this:<br /><br />Now slowly and as straight at possible spin your adaptor into the hole. Once you have gone almost all the way, about 1/16” of threads still showing, stop. Remove the adaptor from the drill chuck and then remove the adaptor with a crescent wrench.
You now want to insert the hose adaptor into your drill chuck like this:

Now slowly and as straight at possible spin your adaptor into the hole. Once you have gone almost all the way, about 1/16” of threads still showing, stop. Remove the adaptor from the drill chuck and then remove the adaptor with a crescent wrench.
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Step 5: Threading in your fitting and putting it all back together<br /><br />You will want to wrap the threaded end in Teflon tap before screwing it into your valve. If you are going to be using the same adaptor that you used to tap the hole, you will also want to cover that in Teflon tap and thread it back in. Once you have threaded your fitting back into the valve cover it should look like this:<br /><br />Once your adaptor has been threaded into your cover you may replace all parts inside your valve and screw the cover back down.
Step 5: Threading in your fitting and putting it all back together

You will want to wrap the threaded end in Teflon tap before screwing it into your valve. If you are going to be using the same adaptor that you used to tap the hole, you will also want to cover that in Teflon tap and thread it back in. Once you have threaded your fitting back into the valve cover it should look like this:

Once your adaptor has been threaded into your cover you may replace all parts inside your valve and screw the cover back down.
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Last edited by PCGUY on Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
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CS
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Fri Jul 29, 2005 4:10 pm

This vavle should work shouldnt it? Second can you drill your hole for the air fitting somewhere besides the center because if i do the spring on the inside wont have any where to sit.
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Rain Bird CP-100
Rain Bird CP-100
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fisherron
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Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:54 pm

Hi pimpmann

From what ive found this model of valve doesnt release fast enough.What i ended up using is the Rain bird Apas-075

hope this helps

buhyah
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fenderfrk10
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Tue Aug 30, 2005 7:47 pm

i was just wondering...

i don't quite understand how the blowgun trigger moves the diaphragm. i was wondering if you could clarify that for me?
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spudshot
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Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:01 pm

there is pressurized air on both sides of the diaphragm, using the blowgun you exhaust the air on top of the phragm, so there is no pressure above, and your chamber volume is still pushing from below, that pushes the phragm up and allows the air go to to the barrel
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Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:03 pm

Hmmm, how to explain without getting complicated. A sprinkler valve works on the property of pressure diferences. When you fill the gun, the air goes through an equalization hole in the diaphragm, and keeps it seated. The area that keeps the diaphragm down is called the pilot area. The solenoid vent the pilot, but not nearly as fast as possible. So by putting the blowgun there, you exhuast the pilot faster, and that means the valve open faster. If you need any help, you can im me on AOL or MSN.

EDIT: Spudshot beat me. :(
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fenderfrk10
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Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:40 am

thanks guys. i'm going to home depot today to get it

EDIT: unfortunately not one of my hardware stores carry it. this is going to be an adventure

NOTE FROM SPUDSHOT: please edit your posts instead of double posting
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boom_o_matic
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Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:08 pm

I havent been able to find the valve at any hardware store. What isle at Lowes should I look in. I know it is not in the pipe area, so where should I look?
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sergeantspud2
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Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:52 pm

the sprinkler isle
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saladtossser
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Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:11 pm

nope, right beside plumbing, called irrigation
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CS
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Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:59 pm

Why dont you just ask someone at the store?
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CaptPIKel
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Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:22 pm

How big of a difference is there in a modded sprinker valve and a normal solenoid one? I'm going to keep using the solenoid though. I much prefer an electric fire.
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saladtossser
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Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:26 pm

10x faster, but u can keep both triggers, if u do it right, the solenoid doesnt bother you at all.
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boilingleadbath
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Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:08 pm

Is the number acctualy "10x"? I'm not so sure of that number, but I'd like to check - what is the flow provided by one of those solinoid valves?
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kevl12377
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Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:34 am

Will this make my seloniod valve stop makeing that really loud noise like an airhorn?
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