The Sprinkler Valve (PDF File)

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

A good friend of mine in the irrigation industry says the Orbit valves are dangerous above 80 psi. Says to go with a rainbird valve in lieu of the orbit... Anyone else hear this?

Themanual says that "If static water pressure exceeds 80 PSI, a pressure regulator should be used", but this does not mean that they will explode at 81 psi. If you run it at 150 psi you've reduced the safety factor, but I've never seen an instance where a sprinkler valve blew up due to overpressure.

[Hubb]

And the couple of sprinkler valves I had fail (purposely, never accidental) failed at the diaphragm.

[PeteS]

I have been using 1" Globe jar top valves at 200 psi as a pilot valve on my piston guns. I have even gone to 210 psi with no failures so far.

BTW, these valves are pretty awful in my opinion unless they are modded. I got better results with ball valves than with the un-modded sprinkler valves.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

If you fancy being a spudfiles pioneer, why not sacrifice one to the spudgun gods and pressurise it till it blows? I'm sure 850 psi from a paintball tank would do the trick...

Still waiting for someone to do this: http://www.spudfiles.com/pneumatic-cann ... 11527.html

Now that I have outdoor space to spare, might just do it myself soon

[PeteS]

If you fancy being a spudfiles pioneer, why not sacrifice one to the spudgun gods and pressurise it till it blows? I'm sure 850 psi from a paintball tank would do the trick...

Still waiting for someone to do this: http://www.spudfiles.com/pneumatic-cann ... 11527.html

Now that I have outdoor space to spare, might just do it myself soon

My fridge pump is the highest I can go. It can do something between 400 and 500 psi. Not sure I want to sacrifice a valve though. Maybe I will get bored and do it sometime or else I may eventually have one blow out in use/abuse. My guess is that the diaphragm will blow out in a not all that dramatic fashion, just a guess though.

[PeteS]

If you fancy being a spudfiles pioneer, why not sacrifice one to the spudgun gods and pressurise it till it blows? I'm sure 850 psi from a paintball tank would do the trick...

Still waiting for someone to do this: http://www.spudfiles.com/pneumatic-cann ... 11527.html

Now that I have outdoor space to spare, might just do it myself soon

My fridge pump is the highest I can go. It can do something between 400 and 500 psi. Not sure I want to sacrifice a valve though. Maybe I will get bored and do it sometime or else I may eventually have one blow out in use/abuse. My guess is that the diaphragm will blow out in a not all that dramatic fashion, just a guess though.

It has been a while so I am replying to my own post rather than editing. I hope that is OK.

After seeing and mulling over Air Press's apparently overbuilt sprinkler valve cannon I have changed my mind and decided to overbuild one myself. I figure it will be an excuse to test a Orbit 1" jar top to failure and I had some of the parts around. Anyone know what kind of plastic the Orbit valves are made of and how they are likely to fail? Is shattering likely of are they more likely to just split?

I will either remotely pump and fire it or build a shatter shield around the valve.

My guess is that the diaphragm will fail before the valve cracks or explodes, but that is just a guess. If I am right, I'll either make a custom diaphragm or a piston after the oem diaphragm fails.

If my AC pump won't blow one up I'll stop at the max pressure it develops (somewhere a bit above 400 psi).

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Oooh oooh!

I figure it will be an excuse to test a Orbit 1" jar top to failure and I had some of the parts around. Anyone know what kind of plastic the Orbit valves are made of and how they are likely to fail? Is shattering likely of are they more likely to just split?

Plan for the worse, assume it will shatter.

I will either remotely pump and fire it or build a shatter shield around the valve.

I would pressurise it remotely and construct a cardboard structure to record the path and energy of any high velocity fragments.

My guess is that the diaphragm will fail before the valve cracks or explodes, but that is just a guess. If I am right, I'll either make a custom diaphragm or a piston after the oem diaphragm fails.

Some diaphragms are reinforced, it might not happen. You could also cap the barrel if you want to see the valve body fail.

If my AC pump won't blow one up I'll stop at the max pressure it develops (somewhere a bit above 400 psi).

In an unmodded valve, the solenoid might not be able to take the pressure and pop, thus piloting the valve.

If 400 psi doesn't kill it, you could always go all mythbusters on its proverbial posterior and hook it up to a hybrid chamber

[JohnGil36]

Why do so many people not use the solenoid by just hooking it up to a few 9v batteries? Is there an advantage to using the air gun modification? I am new to this and building one soon..

Thanks,
John

[sam992]

I've used a 2" barrel with a 1" valve, too. The performance is great!