Control the flow of fluid using the flow of electrons! This liquid valve would make a great addition to your robotic gardening, aquarium, or pool project. There are two 1/2" (British Standard Pipe / German Thread) outlets. Normally, the valve is closed. When 12VDC is applied to the two terminals, the valve opens and water can flow. Unlike the plastic solenoid valve, this one does not have a gasket, so there is no minimum pressure requirement. However, they aren't a perfect-perfect seal. When closed you may get drips when there's pressure from the waterside.

We tried this solenoid at various DC voltages and found we could actuate it down at 6VDC (although it was a little slower to open). The technical spec section of this page contains the current draw table for various voltages. We suggest a TIP120 or N-Channel power FET with a 1N4001 kickback diode to drive this from a microcontroller pin. For a power supply, our 12V 5A power adapter will do the job.

If you want a smaller, more basic valve, we also carry a plastic version which does have a minimum pressure requirement but has much lower power requirements!

These solenoids are not rated for food safety by any official standards. However, they are made of cast brass, with a rubber gasket made of NBR (Nitrile Rubber) so it can be used with any fluid that will not damage or be damaged by the rubber gasket material.

Play video: Why Your Solenoid Needs a Diode - Collin’s Lab Notes #adafruit #collinslabnotes