I am looking for a misting timer that can wired to a typical irrigation valve used for sprinklers. I have an 8x12 greenhouse that has an overhead misting system made from PVC that is connected via an irrigation valve. I currently have an Orbit B-Hyve connected to it that is also used to control the back yard irrigation. The B-Hyve doesn't have the granular control that I need for the misters - on for a few minutes every hour, etc. The greenhouse gets very hot right now - above 120F. I have ventilation fan that runs most of the time, but doesn't cool the GH enough. When I run the misters for a few minutes the temperature seems to drop almost 20 degrees. So I figured that if I could get them on for a few minutes every hour it would stabilize the temperature at a good place.

I was thinking of something like this but that connects to the irrigation valve.


Or maybe it would be better to have a timer that connects to a thermostat (the same thermostat as the fan?) and turns on the misters until it cools down. That might not be a better solution since I thought of using the misters for cooling and watering.

Anyone have a recommendation for a misting timer that can connect to an irrigation valve?

Hi @thomasmd

Sorry, I can't be of help on this topic, but I do want to welcome you to the forum!


Jim

Hi ThomasMD.
Yes, in a dry climate 20F is about the limit for evaporative cooling. So you are getting about as good cooling as can be had with your sprinklers... a well designed setup.

Note that if humidity rises outdoors, you won't get that 20 degrees. So temperature only control is perilous. You'd be better with both temp and time, better yet check outdoor humidity and temp also. This brings to mind the use of an Arduino with the appropriate sensors and a solid state relay to turn on the valve and when to turn on the fan based on inside and outside temperatures, humidity, time. It gives you total control and additional greenhouse automation could be added as it suits you. It's interesting and fun for those with some technical interest.

The online support is quite good, the hardware is dirt cheap. Let me know if you are ambitious enough to try and get stuck. I'm a retired, disabled EE.

Best Wishes,
Bruce M
Concho AZ

Take a look at Galcon propagation timers. Many models are the same as irrigation timers, just have an S in their part number to indicate watering intervals defined in seconds rather than minutes. Galcon 8054 AC-4S is a 4-zone timer, also available in 6 and 8 zone variants. For starters, look for pricing at dripdepot.com as well as Amazon. A propagation timer with second resolution will allow you to set up outdoor misting beds in the future. They can also be used as a regular irrigation timer. Uses a wall outlet power supply and operates 24V irrigation valves, up to 2 simultaneously.

You said connect to an irrigation valve. Do you mean an electrical valve, so that the timer need on switch power?

This one has fifteen minute increments.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G129BH2/

This one has nearly infinite control. However, I think it defaults to night only, but blocking the sensor should keep it active all the time.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G129BH2/

You may find more by looking at hydroponic suppliers. Some hydroponic modes can call for short on times.

You could use a solenoid valve like the one here, https://www.acfgreenhouses.com... , and plug it into a thermostat like this, https://www.acfgreenhouses.com... , or cycle timer like this one, https://www.acfgreenhouses.com... .