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PostPosted: Aug 30th, '16, 20:37 
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TCLynx wrote:
The large high pressure air compressors like are used in mechanics shops are not really appropriate to run air stones. Those compressors are designed to produce small volumes of air at high pressure. Simply regulating that pressure down to a few psi doesn't make more volume to operate the air stones. The compressor would be constantly running which is not energy efficient and really quite noisy.

Solenoid valves for switching air flows might be reasonable but I don't think those same valve will really work on water flows to replace the indexing valves unless you are talking a micro system in which case you are better off just getting a large enough sump.

I'm not certain that's what he is asking TCLynx. I think he is asking about using pneumatics to switch water lines on and off.
If so, I do think air can be used to switch valves on and off. In cars not long ago they used vacuum to switch all sorts of stuff, from door locks to brakes. The issue was leaks over time. The real beauty of using compressed air to switch valves on and off is it can be analog, meaning it's easy to create varying degrees of on and off. Slowly building up speed for a pneumatic device like a a drill, shaper, sander or any rotary tool. And the device doesn't get hot.


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PostPosted: Aug 30th, '16, 20:59 
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I think he means pneumatically actuated ball valves to control water flows. Pneumatically actuated diaphragm valves may be a good option too. Neither are cheap though, and you need additional (smaller solenoid air) valves to control them.
TCLynx wrote:
Solenoid valves for switching air flows might be reasonable but I don't think those same valve will really work on water flows to replace the indexing valves unless you are talking a micro system in which case you are better off just getting a large enough sump.
There are solenoid valves for water, but they usually need at least 2 meters of pressure and they're meant for very clean water. They're used in central heating systems and for clean water input in washing machines.


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PostPosted: Aug 30th, '16, 22:57 
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TCLynx wrote:
The large high pressure air compressors like are used in mechanics shops are not really appropriate to run air stones. Those compressors are designed to produce small volumes of air at high pressure. Simply regulating that pressure down to a few psi doesn't make more volume to operate the air stones. The compressor would be constantly running which is not energy efficient and really quite noisy.

Solenoid valves for switching air flows might be reasonable but I don't think those same valve will really work on water flows to replace the indexing valves unless you are talking a micro system in which case you are better off just getting a large enough sump.


Actually, air compresses very well such that 80 gallons of air compressed to 150 PSI is about 880 gallons of air at 0 PSI. So when using a regulator to adjust output pressure down to 1-5 PSI, you do get a lot of volume out of a high pressure system.


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PostPosted: Aug 31st, '16, 04:07 
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cathode wrote:

Actually, air compresses very well such that 80 gallons of air compressed to 150 PSI is about 880 gallons of air at 0 PSI. So when using a regulator to adjust output pressure down to 1-5 PSI, you do get a lot of volume out of a high pressure system.


Yea but that volume of air isn't going to serve enough air to say a fish tank that needs 1 CFM unless the compressor is running rather frequently, which most of those compressors are not really meant to do on a continuous basis. Probably more energy efficient to get an air pump of appropriate pressure and volume to deliver the right amount of air to the diffusers without needing special filters to keep the oil from getting into the fish tank.


Yea, I expect you can run air controlled water valves but the problems and expense with running high pressure air lines to all your water valves plus needing controllers etc.......... Probably easier and cheaper to just get one automated valve to control the water flow going to two indexing valves (which is what I have been doing for the past 5 years or so now.)


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