GW Kent motorized ball valves with PID

[BH Tavern]

Heya - I've obtained 1" Motorized ball valves which I'd like to use for my glycol loop.

http://www.gwkent.com/motorized-ball-valve-1in.html

Unfortunately, they come with no paperwork whatsoever, and the sticker is fairly cryptic. Has anyone used a PID to control one of these?

Edit: Added pictures.

[dick murton]

Ball valves are not normally used for variable flow control as the flow characterictics through them are not even roughly linear. I have only ever used properly designed flow control valves which give a flow roughly in proportion to the opening - allowing for the upper 10 - 15 % where they also are non linear.

By all means use them as straight forward on off valves. If using them for FV attemperation, nobody (or at least, no-one I have ever come across) uses PID control, but simple dead band control.

[AnthonyB]

Following up on what Dick suggested, from those diagrams, it looks like you're going to use it in the first configuration which is a 2 point setup. You'll send a neutral to pin 1, a hot (either 110vac or 24vac or 24vdc) to pin 2, and a switched hot to pin 3. The switch will be your PID which you should configure in simple on/off mode. Set the PID to cooling, and when your temperature goes above the set point, the switch should close, energizing pin 3 and opening the valve. Once the appropriate temperature is reached, the PID will open the switch again and the valve will close.

I would guess that pins 21-26 are an auxiliary relay setup of some sort?

[AnthonyB]

Also, you could save some coin by just grabbing these components individually on Ebay from various Chinese sellers. Search for:

'DN25 motorized ball valve'

and

'aquarium temperature controller'

Should be less than $75 for both items combined.

[BH Tavern]

Ball valves are not normally used for variable flow control as the flow characterictics through them are not even roughly linear. I have only ever used properly designed flow control valves which give a flow roughly in proportion to the opening - allowing for the upper 10 - 15 % where they also are non linear.

By all means use them as straight forward on off valves. If using them for FV attemperation, nobody (or at least, no-one I have ever come across) uses PID control, but simple dead band control.

Right, I'm using them as on/off valves, not proportional. They will open up when the temp is above my setpoint. I chose a PID for other reasons (which I'll get into on another thread- I need more functionality than a RANCO or similar will provide for some interesting glycol loop isolation functions).

Following up on what Dick suggested, from those diagrams, it looks like you're going to use it in the first configuration which is a 2 point setup. You'll send a neutral to pin 1, a hot (either 110vac or 24vac or 24vdc) to pin 2, and a switched hot to pin 3. The switch will be your PID which you should configure in simple on/off mode. Set the PID to cooling, and when your temperature goes above the set point, the switch should close, energizing pin 3 and opening the valve. Once the appropriate temperature is reached, the PID will open the switch again and the valve will close.

I would guess that pins 21-26 are an auxiliary relay setup of some sort?

This is what I'm attempting to do. I must be wiring it wrong...
1) I have my ball valve plugged into wall power. It immediately opens. If I add neutral (or move it) to pin three on the ball valve, it closes. That's fine.
2) I have my PID connected to wall power. It comes on, and I have the parameters set (as well as I can sus out from the pretty awful translation). The light on the PID indicating that it is sending a signal is lit. The SSR output has a + and a -. If I connect either to pin 3 on the ball valve, nothing happens. I've tried everything; I can't seem to figure out how to get a hot output from the PID.

[jebzter]

If it is an SSR output, you need to connect to a Solid State Relay first, that relay will then be used to control the 110V signal to the valve. SSR is a low voltage low amperage signal.

[BH Tavern]

If it is an SSR output, you need to connect to a Solid State Relay first, that relay will then be used to control the 110V signal to the valve. SSR is a low voltage low amperage signal.

That was it. Didn't realize I needed a relay. Works great.

[nnjwarrior]

GW Kent Controller

That was it. Didn't realize I needed a relay. Works great.

Any chance you have a picture of your final connection? We are running into the same issue.