Re: Cheap CO2 valve?

[colingorton@wanadoo.es]

I'm sending this to the Plants list as well, so apologies to those who 
receive this twice.
I've recently been installing an automatic CO2 system using a Tunze pH 
controller. The price of the pH controller was very reasonable but I was 
alarmed to see th price of the valve. The Tunze valve was 16,000 pts 
(approx. $75), I then talked to various people and found that there 
isn't very much variation in price on these valves:(. Sooooo, I had a 
look around my local hardware store and found that normal electro-valves 
cost around 6,000 pts ($30), better, but still no cigar considering the 
basically simple design requirements.
I was, a little later, browsing through the garden section on my way to 
buying some peat when I came across Rainbird irrigation valves. Guess 
what? they're 3,000pts ($18). Admittedly they have a bore of 3/4" but I 
reccon that I can use an end cap in the input/output bores, drill the 
end caps to allow insertion of the CO2 tube, use silicone to install the 
tube and there you have it, an electrically-controlled gas valve for 
justb over $18. I had a look at the internals and they're all coated in 
plastic so there shouldn't be any problem with corrosion or interaction 
with the CO2. I'll need a transformer to supply the 24v current needed 
but this won't cost too much. Has anyone tried this route? I'd be very 
grateful for any info. that anybody has.
Colin




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