Question: what kind of automated valve to shut off feed to cistern?

[miro]

Hi, first posting after a lot of reading and learning from this forum. One thing I cant seem to figure out though:

My situation:
I have a well pump (Franklin/Grundfos) at about 60 meters (about 180 feet) that feeds a cistern and is activated through a floating switch in the cistern. It delivers about 2.000 - 2.200 liters a minute (about 500 gallons/hour). There is a T-connection in the tube (40 mm - 1 1/4") between the well head and the cistern currently closed off with a manual valve to connect to an irrigation system.

I would like to be able to shut off the tube at the cistern automatically and open the valve for irrigation.

So far, I figured I should start the pump from an irrigation controller and use a normally open valve that is activated by the irrigation controller once the water is flowing to close the tube to the cistern. Secondly open the valve for irrigation.

However, it seems solenoid valves require a certain amount of pressure in the line to engage. The head between the normally open valve and the outlet of the tube into the cistern is about one meter (3 feet).

My question:
Would a standard solenoid irrigation valve (normally open) get enough pressure from the flow to the cistern to activate and close, or would I need something like a motorized ball valve, or something else all together?

Please excuse my rough conversions from metric to imperial, as I am situated in Spain.

I hope I explained my situation and question well enough. Anyone any advice?

thanks!

Miro

 

[Valveman]

It will work fine. A solenoid valve uses the incoming pressure to operate, not the outgoing pressure.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[miro]

It will work fine. A solenoid valve uses the incoming pressure to operate, not the outgoing pressure.

Thanks valveman! I have seen many wise postings of yours. Feel a bit silly, but I guess that this was exactly what I could not figure out, even after reading a lot about the workings of solenoids. Seemed to me they needed line pressure. thanks for clarifying. Saves a bit of money too, I guess!