Solenoid Valves

Solenoid valves use an electrical current to control the flow of fluid through a pipe.

There are many types of Solenoid valves used for water control, which can make it tricky to find the right one. With this in mind, we have catagorised them to help you to find the one for you.

Some key information before you start

Voltage Rating - The industry standard voltage used to operate most irrigation valves is 24 V [AC].
- This is used in most applications (large and small) and these valves will generally fit most mains powered control units and are probably the cheapest way to automate your irrigation system.
- There are other voltages available and these maybe suitable for your home automation systems (like Hive) and these can be used with 9, 12 and 24 V [DC] and so on... (depending on the transformer you are using)
Type - Most valves used will be 'Normally Closed' valves - this means that no water will pass through the valve if there is no electrical current passing throigh it - i.e. the power needs to be on to open the valve. (Note: In a power outage situation the valve will therefore close)
Operating Presure - Solenoid valves have a minimum operation pressure that they will need in order for the valve to open. With most it will be ~ 0.8 bar, however some will open at ~ 0.2 bar. If you are trying to control your watering from a low pressure (gravity fed) system, then you may need to look at Butterfly valves
Maintainance - Valves can be installed above and below ground. If you are installing valves below ground then you should use some Manifold swivels, so that the valve can be removed easily during servicing or repair.
Keep the clean - Solenoid valves do not cope well with grit or sand, as this prevents the valve from closing correctly. You should always install a filter at the start of the system and when you are installing the pipe and valves, be careful to make sure that no dirt enters the end of the pipe.