Now that the season of opening our hacked valves is approaching, I started looking at how to automate this. That obviously leads to something other than a clamp or manual in-line valve. I can't find a Bluetooth valve anywhere so my idealism is once again shattered. There are no shortage of electrically operated heater valves out there but most are over $140 which is just not sporting.
I dug around a bit and found this solid looking model for $65:
www.thermotion.com
And then I found this one in the UK for 38 pounds:
ON/OFF Electric Heater Valve 12v & 24v
www.t7design.co.uk
That's getting closer and the specs are perfect. Further searching lead me to lots of US offered valves that look identical to the UK version but no specs listed and if it can't handle the appropriate temps then there's no point of even looking further.
Amazon does have something very similar at $54 but no specs however, the document below clearly shows it is intended for automotive applications:
Buy Vintage Air 461173 Heater Valve: Heater Control Valves - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com
That's what lead me to this installation diagram and this will open up all kinds of wild ideas:
Vintage air makes replacement AC parts for all kinds of vintage vehicles but you'll notice that simply wiring in this valve with three wires and a switch is not what they intended but we could certainly do.
Anyone have any experience with this valve or company?