Sonoff for irrigation?

Anyone know where to get a 1" or bigger 12vdc solenoid?

I've tried the 3/4" but the orifice is too small and restricts flow.
 
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So I ended up getting a 3/4" from banggood awhile ago and worked but got hot and started cracking from getting too hot.

Got another from acdc and also starts getting to hot. Measured volts at 16vdc so tried a 7ah 12 batt. The solenoid again gets too hot...

I need to leave it open for ages to full up my Jojo.

Any advise please
 
petum said:
So I ended up getting a 3/4" from banggood awhile ago and worked but got hot and started cracking from getting too hot.

Got another from acdc and also starts getting to hot. Measured volts at 16vdc so tried a 7ah 12 batt. The solenoid again gets too hot...

I need to leave it open for ages to full up my Jojo.

Any advise please
Click to expand...
Have you considered something like this:

eiferer.co.za

Smart Valves

Home automation with sonoff products, wifi smart switches and voice controlled devices. Smart home with sonoff remote control, automate, monitor home devices like lights, temperature, and more.
eiferer.co.za
 
petum said:
So I ended up getting a 3/4" from banggood awhile ago and worked but got hot and started cracking from getting too hot.

Got another from acdc and also starts getting to hot. Measured volts at 16vdc so tried a 7ah 12 batt. The solenoid again gets too hot...

I need to leave it open for ages to full up my Jojo.

Any advise please
Click to expand...
The standard Hunter / Rainbird / Orbit etc. for residential use is 25 mm / 1" rated at 9,000 l/h.

However, one can get 50 mm commercial valves rated at 45,000 litres an hour - if you are prepared to spend the $$$ :)

I don't know the source of the water that you use fill your JoJo, but if it is municipal (typically 19/20 mm, increasing the size of the valve would not help: you would have to go with a number of shorter cycles e.g. 45 minutes flow, followed by 15 minutes off.
 
@hellfire / @Duke of Hazard

Re controlling the Sonoff 4 channels: is there a method that can be used to override the default times for the individual circuits without resorting to manual control in a (for example) "don't water 'cos it is raining" scenario ?

Or, even better, to measure the water flow and adjust the watering times on-the-fly using a linked ESP32 ?

EDIT: What I am looking for is (preferably) a solution based on the existing firmware i.e. without the need to flash an alternative e,g, ESPHome
 
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Just an observation; isn't the Sonoff 4 channel Pro a bit of an overkill for an irrigation system? The solenoids on the valves don't draw much power.

This 4 channel item from Bangood is significantly cheaper, it has isolated relay contacts and it has a number of options for power feed.

[R169.77 50% OFF]AC/DC Power Supply ESP8266 WIFI Four-way Relay Module ESP-12F Development Board Secondary Development Module Board from Electronic Components & Supplies on banggood
 
deesef said:
Just an observation; isn't the Sonoff 4 channel Pro a bit of an overkill for an irrigation system? The solenoids on the valves don't draw much power.

This 4 channel item from Bangood is significantly cheaper, it has isolated relay contacts and it has a number of options for power feed.

[R169.77 50% OFF]AC/DC Power Supply ESP8266 WIFI Four-way Relay Module ESP-12F Development Board Secondary Development Module Board from Electronic Components & Supplies on banggood
Click to expand...
It is a bit of an overkill. OTOH, it has the advantage of being certified for use in South Africa, i.e. no arguments with any insurance claims :)
 
rrh said:
It is a bit of an overkill. OTOH, it has the advantage of being certified for use in South Africa, i.e. no arguments with any insurance claims :)
Click to expand...
Has anyone actually seen a certification mark on any Sonoff device?

In any case, the unit will typically be in the garden, in a waterproof container, as close as possible to the solenoids. Gardens don't normally burn down...
 
deesef said:
Has anyone actually seen a certification mark on any Sonoff device?

In any case, the unit will typically be in the garden, in a waterproof container, as close as possible to the solenoids. Gardens don't normally burn down...
Click to expand...
Ditto any kettle, toaster etc - just because they don't have an imprimatur doesn't deny the fact: all consumer devices are legally required to be certified as being safe for normal use before they can be marketed in South Africa.

That said, the Sonoff is an indoor unit that is capable of handling mains voltages ... granted fires are unlikely, but a nasty shock or worse ?
 
Keep in mind the normal off the shelve valves 25mm uses 24V AC

I use sonoff SV's in "pass-through" mode to power the valves. Then use a seperate 12V DC adapter to power and control the sonoff's.
My 24V AC was bought from Step Building supplies
 
I tried a 6vdc battery. Works a charm. The solenoid still Gets slightly warm.

The supply is a solar borehole so takes awhile to full up.

I think I'm going change to 24vdc for future projects.

Thanks for the help.
dfb0484c2dc29e346ce1792c22e25c90.jpg
 
One of the relays on my Sonoff 4Ch R3 Pro seems to have given up.
It's stuck in the closed position (i.e. making my sprinkler stay on), and neither the physical button nor the app are working to toggle the relay.
Any idea if this is something I can replace or fix, or do I need to buy a new Sonoff controller?
 
hellfire said:
One of the relays on my Sonoff 4Ch R3 Pro seems to have given up.
It's stuck in the closed position (i.e. making my sprinkler stay on), and neither the physical button nor the app are working to toggle the relay.
Any idea if this is something I can replace or fix, or do I need to buy a new Sonoff controller?
Click to expand...
I know this is some time since you posted, but did you find a solution to this or just replace the whole sonoff?
 
ElixirCoder said:
I know this is some time since you posted, but did you find a solution to this or just replace the whole sonoff?
Click to expand...
Replaced.
I even tried replacing the relay.
But replaced with the Wyze sprinkler controller
 
Hi all,
I am currently using a Rainbird STP6PL controller for my 4 sprinkler zones. The LCD panel has faded quite a bit (it is 12 years old) and I want to replace it (however new controllers with Wifi is about R5k, which ain't gonna happen :) )

So I am looking at the Sonoff 4CHPro R3, as I only need 4 channels. I have watched this video, but the wiring seems a bit different to what my Rainbird is, and what should go into the Sonoff (not knowing much about irrigation, I need som advice)

-> This shows how the common daisy chains over the 4 channels on the Sonoff. However, this is the current setup on the Rainbird:

1677482208368.png

Am I right in assuming the "BUS" for common might be running behind the scenes between the ports on the Rainbird, and the cabling as per the video is correct for the Sonoff?
 
LandyMan said:
Hi all,
I am currently using a Rainbird STP6PL controller for my 4 sprinkler zones. The LCD panel has faded quite a bit (it is 12 years old) and I want to replace it (however new controllers with Wifi is about R5k, which ain't gonna happen :) )

So I am looking at the Sonoff 4CHPro R3, as I only need 4 channels. I have watched this video, but the wiring seems a bit different to what my Rainbird is, and what should go into the Sonoff (not knowing much about irrigation, I need som advice)

-> This shows how the common daisy chains over the 4 channels on the Sonoff. However, this is the current setup on the Rainbird:

View attachment 1483319

Am I right in assuming the "BUS" for common might be running behind the scenes between the ports on the Rainbird, and the cabling as per the video is correct for the Sonoff?
Click to expand...
I connected my sprinkler system yesterday. What the okes do is connect all the commons at the valves together and then connect to the black common as in your pic. It's 24 AC, so the wires on the valves aren't colour coded. Anyone can be common and the other goes to 1,2,3,4,5,6
 
LandyMan said:
Hi all,
I am currently using a Rainbird STP6PL controller for my 4 sprinkler zones. The LCD panel has faded quite a bit (it is 12 years

Am I right in assuming the "BUS" for common might be running behind the scenes between the ports on the Rainbird, and the cabling as per the video is correct for the Sonoff?
Click to expand...
Yep
 
HunterNW said:
I connected my sprinkler system yesterday. What the okes do is connect all the commons at the valves together and then connect to the black common as in your pic. It's 24 AC, so the wires on the valves aren't colour coded. Anyone can be common and the other goes to 1,2,3,4,5,6
Click to expand...
Ok, will check at the valves. If they do combine the commons at the valves, do I still need to daisy chain the common at the Sonoff, or just one into the Sonoff, similar to the Rainbird?
 
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