Alice: Here, I'll be showing you how to install a solenoid into your garden.
A solenoid is an electronic valve that is part of automating your irrigation system.
So, we've already had our plumber in to come and install two lines off our mains water
system so we can run our solenoids off those.
The tools I'll need to install my solenoid are high-pressure PVC pipe, the appropriate
fittings, a pencil, my safety gear, a hacksaw to cut my pipe, my solenoids, some tin snips,
some multi-grips, a knee pad, and tape.
Also, my primer and glue and just a rag to apply my PVC.
My first step is going to be doing a dry run of my PVC tubing.
To start this, I'm gonna start with my converter, which is gonna convert my brass ballpoint
on my tap to my simple PVC mains pressure point.
My next step is gonna be putting my PVC pressure pipe into my converter.
I can now see that my pipe is too long for where I'm working.
When cutting your pipe, you just wanna cut it high enough so it does clear the ground.
You can also use your fitting as a good reference as to where to cut.
So, in this case, I'm gonna cut it about here.
You also need to take into account when cutting your pipe that you do leave enough room for
the depth of your actual fitting.
Now I've got my markings for my cuttings.
I can now put on my safety gear and cut my pipe.
Now, I'm just gonna clean out the edges of my pipe from my sawing.
Okay.
So now that I've cut my PVC pipe, I can now put it into my converter, which I've already
got in there.
Once I've placed that in, I can now put my elbow on, which I need to run to my solenoids.
Just like that.
Okay.
Here I've got my PVC pressure pipe.
This is the bit of pipe that is eventually gonna be fitted to a solenoid.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna put it into the elbow that I've now put on my other bit
of pressure pipe which is connected to my mains.
You do need to cut this pipe.
Latter down the track we will be putting a cover over our solenoids because they're not
water-proof.
When cutting pipe, take into account that your pipe and your solenoid does need to fit
under your cover.
Now I'll cut this pipe following the same process as what I did with the other pipe.
Now I've cut my pipe to size, I can now connect it to my elbow, which I've already put in.
Now I'm gonna put my joiner onto my bit of pipe that I put on.
Now to that joiner I can now screw on my solenoid.
Just make sure it's hand tight.
That concludes our dry run process.
So, now we can start the process of gluing and also putting tape around all our threads
on our PVC pressure pipe.
When putting the tape around your threaded joiner, apply the tape opposite to the way
that the thread screws in.
It's to stop any leaks when you join all your joiners together or screw your threads together.
Once you've applied your tape to your thread, you can simply now just screw it on.
Now that's hand tightened, you can use any [inaudible 00:02:59] or multi-grip, such as
what I've got here, just to finish of that last turn.
Here, I'm using a PVC primer.
I've also got a specific PVC glue which is specifically used for high pressure pipe.
My first step is going to be priming all my joiners, simply just to clean the PVC piping
and etch it.
And also, it'll make the glue more adhesive.
Now that I've applied my primer, I can now apply my high pressure glue.
But, you do need to take note that this glue will dry within a couple seconds, so you do
need to stick everything together quite quickly.
Now your glue should come with a brush attached to your lid.
Make sure you liberally apply this to where you've applied your primer.
Just make sure that joint is nice and tight.
Now that I've glued all my joiners together, I can now attach my solenoid.
Because this is a thread again, I will have to put tape around it.
Now, I can screw in my solenoid.
So, I've also got my second tap here, which I'm going to also attach a solenoid to.
I'm gonna repeat exactly the same steps as I did in the first phase and attach a solenoid
to it.
So, now I've installed my second solenoid into my pressure PVC tubing.
Now what I'm gonna do, is I'm gonna place a valve box over it.
What this will do is this will protect the solenoid from any rain, as they are not waterproof.
I'm just gonna cut out two holes into my valve box just so we can run our tubing from our
solenoid, out.
Your valve box will come with some cut-out templates on it.
You're more than welcome to follow these templates or you can simply just use them as a guide
when cutting your holes for your solenoids.
Now that I've cut my two holes out of my valve box, I can now place it over the top of my
solenoids.
Once I run the rest of my irrigation, I'm gonna mulch up to the box just to make it
look more aesthetically pleasing.
And that's how you install solenoids.