Time For Another Stupid Electrical Question

[Bobby Smith]

Quick and to the point - have four 1/4" solenoids which will all be controlled by the same ultra short cycle timer - both the timer and solenoids run off of 120V.

I've wired up a few 120V solenoids already (just go to Home Depot and get the cord with the three loose wires at the end and connect to the solenoid wires using wire caps), but was wondering if there was a way to wire up all four solenoids using one cord.

Not a biggie to give them each their own cord and plug into a surge protector which will plug into a timer, but one cord for the four of them seems like a simpler solution, if possible.

Thanks for reading.

 

[hiboy]

Bobby,
I've read your replys to many electrical questions and you seem to have knowledge of the field.
So the obvious answer to your question is pigtail that APPLIANCE whip (cord) and hit your solenoids, but i think you would of thought of this so there must be something i'm not understanding.:icon_spin:

 

[Bobby Smith]

Bobby,
I've read your replys to many electrical questions and you seem to have knowledge of the field.
So the obvious answer to your question is pigtail that APPLIANCE whip (cord) and hit your solenoids, but i think you would of thought of this so there must be something i'm not understanding.:icon_spin:

Lol..........I understand electrical well enough to tell someone to "get an electrician" or explain Ohm's Law, but that's about it.

So you're saying I could simply run one cord, spliced to hit all the solenoids hot/neutral, and run that to the timer?

Obviously one end would be wired to the timer, but where would the other end be? Just stop at the last solenoid and cap it off?

That's kinda where I'm getting into trouble...........

Timer---->>hot/neutral to first solenoid----->>>>same to second, etc.----->>>what happens to the hot and neutral after the last solenoid?

BTW, thanks for your help.

 

[HeadGrow]

it stops, you simply have to daisy chain the "hots" and the "nots" together until the last device and then you stop.

Depending on the wire size it might be hard to do with wire nuts, since you'll have to put at a minimum of 3 wires per connection (cable in / device cable / cable out) until the last device that will have only have two (no cable out). It's kinda hard to explain. Let me know if that made no sense and i'll try to explain it better.

 

[hiboy]

Dont follow you bobby, im pretty high right now:icon_spin: Ya timer activates your solenoids, forgot what your solenoids operate but the wire just ya stops, its not needed after your last solenoid unless you want to operate something else. Hope that makes sense.

 

[gudkarma]

it stops, you simply have to daisy chain the "hots" and the "nots" together until the last device and then you stop.

exactly

 

[Bobby Smith]

Thanks guys.........I did some more research and it looks a little above my expertise level (plus don't want to run wires open like that around all that water).

Need to see exactly what wiring up this timer and pressure switch entails as well........I'm assuming they're gonna need appliance cords, but I'm so far outta my league right now that's really just a guess.

This is gonna get real interesting real quick.............thanks again, I'll have many more questions within the next couple/few days.

 

[HeadGrow]

cool Bobby, let me know if you have any questions. It's what I do for work. I'm an electrical engineer for a hydropower controls company. I've played with high voltage and low voltage circuits a lot.

I'm not sure what you mean about the appliance cords. If the timer takes a plug then you'd just get a blank male end 220V plug and wire to it. After all the daisy chaining the last cable would go to the plug and then u plug that into the timer. If the timer is hardwired then you skip the male plug and wire straight to the timer. Just make sure you get 220V cable (3 wires Red/Black/Green) rated for 30A. Any Home Depot or Lowes will have it. Some 220V appliances use different plugs, like dryer plugs.

If you have a sparky friend it might save you some headaches just having them do it though.

 

[convex]

Use a junction box and pigtail each solenoid ...

 

[gudkarma]

what he ^ said.

go to home depot, electrical section, and get a grey pvc junction box with an o-ring gasket.

...get one with no holes ...and drill & grommet your own.

you can do it!

just wire it up, like advised, and post some pics.

 

[hiboy]

NICE diagram Convex.
That can sure make it simple to explain things other than trying to understand words. \\Cool

 

[Bobby Smith]

Great help guys, appreciate it :)

Solenoids got delivered today, and with your help I think I can do this...........need to run to Home Depot first thing in the morning anyways because I fucked up some PVC I was glueing (for the second time today) - punched a nice dent in the stainless steel fridge after that one (and possibly broke my finger).

Will post pics tomorrow, probably later on in the afternoon.

One question, though - what wire do I need? Just buy "raw" 12gauge wire and strip it for each different connection?

Will post some pics of my PVC fuckups as well for shits and giggles.......

 

[convex]

14 guage if running romex, but 18/3 or better 16/3 stranded cabtire (extension cord style wire) will be just fine, easier to handle and cheaper by the foot.

Cheers!

 

[hiboy]

wire size is determined by your breaker, and if your hi volt or low volt, length of run etc. If its just a plug in appliance cord 14 guage are standard for household appliances. And you can just use the same size thhn type 14 guage to hit your soles

 

[Underground]

Use a junction box and pigtail each solenoid ...

Do it like this but use a weatherproof box with sjo and the appropriate connectors. I'd use a two gang. Get a alu or ss cover w/gasket. You can even drill holes and put those little 5 amp toggles with weatherproof rubber covers so you have a disconnect for each one. You could turn one off to work on it, or if you don't need them all to run.

 

[hiboy]

Great idea with the toggle switches UG. for ease of non operation if one isnt needed!!!

 

[convex]

wire size is determined by your breaker, and if your hi volt or low volt, length of run etc. If its just a plug in appliance cord 14 guage are standard for household appliances. And you can just use the same size thhn type 14 guage to hit your soles

The circuit wire from a 15A breaker would indeed be 14 AWG , however from the junction box to the solenoids can be wired with 18/3 or 16/3 appliance wire.

Been a long time since I was in school, but it used be 13A for 16/3 up to 50', and I believe 10A for 18/3 up to 50'.

I do not know or endorse the supplier, but here is an example of the wire, we called it cabtire way back when and used to power valves on boilers.

http://www.residential-landscape-li...re/electrical_wires_amp_cables_RLLD394TEC.htm

Cheers

 

[hiboy]

The circuit wire from a 15A breaker would indeed be 14 AWG , however from the junction box to the solenoids can be wired with 18/3 or 16/3 appliance wire.

Been a long time since I was in school, but it used be 13A for 16/3 up to 50', and I believe 10A for 18/3 up to 50'.

I do not know or endorse the supplier, but here is an example of the wire, we called it cabtire way back when and used to power valves on boilers.

http://www.residential-landscape-li...re/electrical_wires_amp_cables_RLLD394TEC.htm

Cheers

You probably dont even need 3 wire, most likely theres no place for your ground wire, just like a lighting contactor. Look for a green screw or marking of lines where a ground wire would go. If theres not then two wire will do it. Depends on your solenoids.

 

[Bobby Smith]

Hiboy, exactly what I was just gonna chime in with - these are like 3 watts a piece, and only have a hot and a neutral (see pics attached).

As promised, here's some pics of the PVC fuck up (two Tees glued to each other without a 22.5 in between them) that cost me hours and money yesterday and led me to punch the fridge and dent it.............running out to Home Depot soon to grab some more PVC, so what should I be picking up?

A gray PVC junction box with an o-ring gasket and no holes?

And I'm only gonna need like 10' of wire, tops - just get 10' of 16 AWG?

Thanks for all your help, guys.........as you can see from the pics, I certainly need it.

 

[HomeDepotGrower]

Punched a fridge and broke your finger? Boy I can't wait and see what you're gonna do when this mess doesn't work and you're smokin crap. Why does everyone want to reinvent the wheel ya know?