Turning a hose faucet into electrical on/off?

[BellyUpFish]

How would you guys go about turning this faucet into an electrical on/off? I've got some ideas, but it never hurts to ask.

 

[Erampu]

Wouldn't that make water shoot out your outlets?

 

[BellyUpFish]

That's 1/2 the fun!

 

[Big-Foot]

A Rotary On/off switch comes immediately to mind - something along the lines of this:

http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/1825537-2/450-1806-ND/1202341

But.... Why????

 

[KPSquared]

12 volt or 120?

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

Sprinkler valve.

 

[KPSquared]

Are you doing like a "secret switch" sort of thing? Does this need to have water flowing through it or just look like a faucet?

I have a coupl ideas if you're going for a "secret switch".

A momentary on switch that would be pushed down and held on by the gate inside the valve. That would fire a relay for whatever you are running.

Drill a hole in the gate and mount a long, skinny pin to it that could flick a toggle on and off.

The rotary switch is probably the easiest.

If you want it it to still flow water, I have no idea.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I'm making a light or three..

The momentary switch was the first thought..

 

[hh76]

Quick warning in case you didn't know.

A normal switch usually incorporates some sort of spring that makes or breaks the circuit in a very quick action. This is to minimize arcing as the conductors are traveling through the area where the gap is small enough for the electricity to jump.

When I picture a gate valve, I think of the plunger moving really slow as the handle is turned. If that were relied on to close the circuit, it would allow the electricity to arc for quite awhile as the contacts were slowly brought together. It would also allow the user to stop the plunger just short of making a solid connection, letting heat build as the electricity tries to move accross.

I would try to find a commercially made switch that could be activated by the valve somehow. A momentary switch (button type) wired directly would not be a good idea for the reasons listed above.

Depending on the load, I would try and find a really small toggle switch that could be worked by a push/pull rod rigged to the turning of the valve.

 

[Kevin54]

Do you have any lathe experience? If not, you could find someone to make it, but if you do you can make it yourself. Use a push on / push off button type of switch. You can get "micro-switches. I'll snap a pic of one type in a second. You would need to take the packing out of the valve, and make a new piece that foes in that the handle would screw to, but underneath the packing nut, you'd have to have a small spring and a micro switch. Push down on the handle to turn it on and push down again to turn it off. If you can't find a switch small enough, you could make another housing that looks like the valve only a little larger. The bad part, you need to isolate the wires and connections from ever touching the copper and brass.

Another thing you could look at doing is go to Big Lots, Odd Lots or whatever it's called and pick up a cheap touch lamp, rip the guts out of it and use it in your setup. That way, all you would have to do is touch the lamp anywhere to turn it on or off.

 

[Kevin54]

Well....I can't find mine. I think the wife scarfed on that stuff. Anyways, here is a pic of a couple different types. The small round one could possibly work.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Ooh a touch lamp would be sweet..

 

[KPSquared]

Ok, it has nothing to do with water. . .that's cool. I like the lamp idea.

I would just get a rotary switch, gut the valve and get creative with some JB weld. Just so you can turn the knob on and off.

Seems to be the easiest approach.

 

[KPSquared]

Ooh a touch lamp would be sweet..

I think that would be sweet as well.

Check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQWVE6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or just pick up some old touch lamps from the thrift store and gut the wiring.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Yeh, just gonna make a few lamps for my office..

 

[Big-Foot]

Pretty cool idea!

 

[BellyUpFish]

I think that would be sweet as well.

Check this out:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQWVE6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Or just pick up some old touch lamps from the thrift store and gut the wiring.

I'll have to check that out.

 

[gayler]

How about mounting a micro reed switch inside under the plunger inside the faucet? This may not meet your needs, but there are many sizes and specs to chose from. http://www.pic-gmbh.com/files/pmc0701_ds_e_3.3.pdf

 

[zkling]

Agree with whomever said the rotary / clicker switch like you see on a common lamp. I think using a push button switch could be dangerous as you may over crank the valve and crush the switch. Flip side, you may not seat the switch button fully and cause the contacts to arc. Either could lead to a short and thus fire or shock.

Using a rotary switch would also be super simple to integrate into the valve body.

 

[BD1]

Just get a 1/2 '' or 3/4'' normally closed electric solenoid valve for the water line. Pipe it in water line, add power and a switch.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0072PKMJK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[KPSquared]

Ummm. . .did you read ANY of the above threads?

 

[BD1]

Just get a 1/2 '' or 3/4'' normally closed electric solenoid valve for the water line. Pipe it in water line, add power and a switch.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0072PKMJK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

opps, I knew i should have waited til i was awake.

 

[larry_g]

They make a small pushbutton switch that could be actuated by a rod through the handle. I get them at the Ace Hardware for old lamps, part # 33494. It should fit within the housing of the valve if it is a gate valve.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[BellyUpFish]

Well I got started..

Going to make some modifications, but it's a start. LOL

 

[racingtadpole]

If I were doing that I would switch low voltage DC with the tap and use it control a relay that turns the AC on and off. Much safer.

 

[Sureshot]

Magnetic switch like a window or door alarm. Not sure of the voltage so it may need a relay. Touch lamp seems the easiest as suggested.

 

[Kevin54]

Hey BellyUp....I was looking around for something on the 'net and ran across this and thought of you

http://www.captivatist.com/lighting/creative-table-lamp-designs.html#more

http://www.captivatist.com/lighting...itectural-elements-by-mesh-architectures.html

 

[BellyUpFish]

That's the site I came across and got the idea to try it..

Was searching for DIY lamps. I have a couple cylinders off an 0-320 I want to turn into lamps.

 

[countryss]

any updates?

 

[BellyUpFish]

I've been a little busy with work and living in temporary housing makes it tough.

I got it wired up, but the bulb is too bright. Need to either get a shade or a larger opening pipe to act as a lamp.

 

[countryss]

which method did you end up going with?

 

[KMinAF]

Agree with whomever said the rotary / clicker switch like you see on a common lamp. I think using a push button switch could be dangerous as you may over crank the valve and crush the switch. Flip side, you may not seat the switch button fully and cause the contacts to arc. Either could lead to a short and thus fire or shock.

Using a rotary switch would also be super simple to integrate into the valve body.

What if you gutted the faucet and made it so the shaft had just enough up/down movement to activate a push button switch by just pressing down on the handle?

 

[BellyUpFish]

which method did you end up going with?

Skipped the knob all together and want with the switch on the lamp kit I bought. Just to test the idea, I figured I'd go deeper on the next one.

 

[Kevin54]

BellyUp.....what do you have for a lens? If plastic, make sure that the lamp doesn't get so hot that it will melt it.

I like the lamp though. Good job.

I never thought about it until now, but you could have also used the electric cord with the rotary thumb switch in it. Hit your local ReStore up and see what they have for a buck or two.

 

[BellyUpFish]

No lens, just a bulb.

I'm using a rotary thumb switch but it no where near as cool.

 

[Kevin54]

I've been a little busy with work and living in temporary housing makes it tough.

I got it wired up, but the bulb is too bright. Need to either get a shade or a larger opening pipe to act as a lamp.

Flat black paint Paint out the top section of the lamp.

On some of the aircraft lights we made, a lot of the lamps were masked off and sprayed to redirect the light. If you paint some of the top of the bulb, it will let the light that is left shine sideways and not directly down. And for a little FYI, I used to make mask, that would mask lamps off and then they would put the lamps in a vacuum metalizing chamber and put pure aluminum on the lamps. Under high current, the aluminum would vaporize and cover the racks that the lamps were in. Then they would go to the paint room and have silver paint applied. What this would then give you is a reflector when looking at the lamp. Pure aluminum is highly reflective.

I thought I had a couple that I could show you but I can't find them right at the moment.

 

[BellyUpFish]

That's a really good idea. I'll have to try that.

 

[hemifalcon]

It's a neat idea... I played with the piping when I built my bench... It'd be best if you are able to pull metal piping from a house/building tear-down.. Unless you are prepared to pay some decent $$ for the metal pipe--it may limit your interest...

 

[uhohjim]

wouldn't that make water shoot out your outlets?

lol!

 

[kbs2244]

Some might think he cheated a bit with his switch.
But it is pretty much out of sight but easy to click with your finger as you turn the handle.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Faucet-Night-Light/