Re: automated baths

["Richard Challis" <richard@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <mailinglists@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 1:51 PM
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] automated baths


> I was thinking about this last night, I seem to remember (and this is
going
> back a vast number of years) my father dismantling an old washing
machine
> which had dirty great solenoid operated valve that let water out of
the
> drum. Would this be any use?
>   -----Original Message-----

Ummm, that valve would be a nice idea. It would be (hopefully) designed for
water with small amounts of dirt, hair and other oddments. I haven't
touched
a washing machine in years (repair that is) and the last one used a pump to
pump the water out of the drum area, the exit hose was higher than the
water
level in the drum and the pump would send the water up to the level and
then
use a siphon/pump action to empty the machine of water. So you could use a
pump to start a syphon and assist it. (This would avoid having to find such
a large valve) Unfortunally you wouldn't be able to use this method to just
lower the water level a bit as you would have set up a syphon. A much
smaller valve (cheaper) could be used in the highest point of the pipework
to break the syphon.

Oh, and another thing - check the duty rating of any electric valve you do
use, some of the lighter duty valves are only designed to be on for xx
minutes in a hour and rely on the water for a cooling action.

Regards

Richard