hi Josh, I considered the sprinker solenoids but figured they would restrict flow from a very low pressure pump. Most washing machines I have pulled apart seem to have 240v driven solenoids. i am sure modern machines would probably have low voltage coils. I suspect i will have to get hold of some of these and see just how much they restrict flow. I remember pulling one apart and thinking they must use the water presure to assist in sealing the flow. If the pressure was low I suspect that the water could seep past. Like I siad I guess I will have to get hold of some and experiment. Cheers On Wed, Jun 18, 2008 at 9:44 AM, Josh Koffman wrote: > On Tue, Jun 17, 2008 at 9:21 PM, Justin Richards > wrote: >> 3. Use a windscreen washer pump and a solenoid. This is not a bad >> idea but I cant seem to find small solenoid valves and havent >> experimented (as I have none) to see if they significantly restrict >> flow. Most of these that I can source are desgned for irrigation and >> as such the pressure they control would be quite high compared with >> what a windscreen pump can deliver and not sure if they would work at >> all. > > > I'm not sure what's used on your side of the world, but over here > clothes washing machine repair shops are a great source of small > solenoid valves. Another option might be a lawn sprinkler supply. > > Josh > -- > A common mistake that people make when trying to design something > completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete > fools. > -Douglas Adams > -- > http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist