# Parker Solenoid wire-up DIY



## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

I originally posted this at the Barr Report, in response to a question.

I know that some of us have bought the eBay Parker solenoid, and that it comes with just bare spade terminals. Therefore, one has to wire up their own power lead. It's a simple process.

First, here's the solenoid








And here's the spade terminals, ready to accept a power lead








For this, i chose an 8 foot, 16 gauge, ungrounded power lead. You may choose longer, or shorter, for your purposes. This can be found at most hardware stores. I got mine at Lowe's for ~$4








Here's a shot of the ends of this power lead. Strip the black and white ends, to reveal about a half inch of copper.








These are the insulated 16 gauge spade connectors i chose. The insulated variety keeps the bare metal from showing. I picked up a pack of dozen or so for ~$2.








...to be continued in post 2.


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## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

*Parker Solenoid wire-up DIY, part 2*

Now, i chose to slip a couple pieces of shrink wrap down onto the stripped power leads. Then, you want to insert your stripped power leads into the spade connectors and crimp down. I would suggest you use the proper tool for stripping and crimping, which will basically make the process foolproof.








Use a heat gun to shrink the tubing, and you have your finished product.








It doesn't matter which terminals you attach the black and white ends too. It will work either way. Some have then wrapped the attachment point with electrical tape. I didn't feel the need, as i used insulated connectors and shrink wrap. Had i not used insulated connectors, i would've wrapped in electrical tape.

Thanks for viewing!


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Nice write up. I did the exact same thing as you did, but also went the extra mile to wrap everything in electrical tape, just in case.


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## born2lovefish (Dec 29, 2006)

Very nice. I used a cheaper chord and just the insulated connectors. What kind of regulator are you using?


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## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

born2lovefish said:


> Very nice. I used a cheaper chord and just the insulated connectors. What kind of regulator are you using?


I'm using a Linde dual stage. Not sure of the model. I got it used from a member here.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

thrak76,

What is your opinion of the performance of the Parker Solenoid? How does it compare with a Clippard solenoid? I assume it get rather warm, can you verify?


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## 4f1hmi (Apr 22, 2009)

I bought the same and wire it like how you guys did. IME, they are kind heat up a lot compared to the usual solenoids or it is just mine that gets really warm. All those heat means it is eating up a a lot of power. Who else gets the same experience aside from me and HBOSMAN?


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## houstonhobby (Dec 12, 2008)

I think that wrapping with electrical tape is a bad idea. I have a bunch of power cords in the front yard to supply architechtural lighting. They are on a dawn-to-dusk timer plugged into a GFCI outlet. When it rains if there is a problem the circuit will trip.

I used to wrap the places where one cord plugged into another (standard outdoor power cord extension type plugs, like you would use for a power tool) with electrical tape. I found that this was _more_ likely to make the circuit trip, not less. If a little bit of water gets under the electrical tape it can't get out.

If you want to make it mo betta than the shrink wrap consider some kind of epoxy coating (never tried this myself, just an idea).


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

4f1hmi said:


> I bought the same and wire it like how you guys did. IME, they are kind heat up a lot compared to the usual solenoids or it is just mine that gets really warm. All those heat means it is eating up a a lot of power. Who else gets the same experience aside from me and HBOSMAN?


I've tried the Clippard, which is a 6 watt solenoid. When I had it hooked up inline (co2 tubing on both sides), the solenoid would get hot. When I connected to the regulator via brass fittings, it would get only warm. My assumption is the big ol' regulator makes a good heat sink.

I was wondering if the Parker Solenoid gets as warm or hot.


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## 4f1hmi (Apr 22, 2009)

hbosman said:


> I've tried the Clippard, which is a 6 watt solenoid. When I had it hooked up inline (co2 tubing on both sides), the solenoid would get hot. When I connected to the regulator via brass fittings, it would get only warm. My assumption is the big ol' regulator makes a good heat sink.
> 
> I was wondering if the Parker Solenoid gets as warm or hot.


I tried feelin some of my friends solenoid and it just feels warm. In my case its hot like it was a left out piece of metal under a hot sunny day. It is a bit colder than a car radiator and will not burn your skin though.I actually tried to sniff it to see if it is burning or not. So I actually removed it and decided to let my c02 run 24/7 instead. :frown:


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## thrak76 (Aug 3, 2009)

hbosman said:


> thrak76,
> 
> What is your opinion of the performance of the Parker Solenoid? How does it compare with a Clippard solenoid? I assume it get rather warm, can you verify?


Well, i've not used the clippard. So i don't have a basis of comparison. It does get warm to the touch though. This solenoid is also a 6 watt model. As far as the performance... it opens when it should, and closes when it should. I've only had it in service for 3 weeks now, so no long term evaluations yet. The price is nice though. :smile:


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

thrak76 said:


> Well, i've not used the clippard. So i don't have a basis of comparison. It does get warm to the touch though. This solenoid is also a 6 watt model. As far as the performance... it opens when it should, and closes when it should. I've only had it in service for 3 weeks now, so no long term evaluations yet. The price is nice though. :smile:


Thanks for the input.


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## Inkidu (Mar 28, 2010)

Hello all first post. I'm just getting back into a planted discus tank again.

Starting right now with (5) 5" discus and one sword plant. 

Is that solenoid normally open or normally closed?

I noticed ASCO just came out with 

Low-Power Solenoid Valves feature .55 W power consumption

Could this work? Still so new I haven't seen a price yet.

Is there a link for the basics of a diy CO2 setup?

I recently purchased a Digital Aquatics RKL controller.

Trying to figure out if I can use the PH probe reading to turn on and

off the solenoid. At the very least I know I can turn it on and off(day/night) (timer)

I already have a tank, regulator, needle valve, and bubble counter but I 

had (from years ago, just getting back into it) to always remember to turn off

manual every night.

Thanks for any help.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

The Parker solenoid that is pictured is normally off, and only on when power is flowing to it.

I am not familiar with the ASCO solenoid; could you provide a picture and/or specification sheet?

As for setting up your own pressurized CO2 system, there are various guides/posts out there, so do a quick search. It is pretty straight forward once you have all the parts, just connect the regulator to the tank, the solenoid to the regulator, and the needle valve to the solenoid. The bubble counter goes after the needle valve, and then you can have the tubing (with a check valve) that goes to your preferred method of CO2 diffusion/delivery (i.e. reactor or a diffuser with a ceramic disc).


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## Inkidu (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for the reply.

You might have seen asco solenoids they are ones with the red cap and pale 

green case. The one I mention is there newest although seems to be geared

to work with setups that wouldn't need a relay. Might be kind of costly and 

still hard to find. Although I need to get a seperate module for the reefkeeper 

lite system I have now and setup some things for my tank before I am ready 

for the CO2 system anyway. My tank is still fairly new.

ww.ascovalve.com/Common/PDFFiles/Product/LowPower_Features.pdf

(won't let me post link yet, haven't reached 5 posts)

Would be kind of nice though if a fairly common solenoid that is used is 6 watt 

and these are 0.55 watt. Notice the flow (0.06 to 3.2) Cv Enough?

Thanks for any help.


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## tyler79durdan (Jan 23, 2010)

I used to assemble those at Parker's hydraulic division across the bridge in otsego  I also worked at the brass division for a while too!  Parker makes QUALITY parts fo' sho'!


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

so a air ride valve like a parker, exterme, gc, smc would work as a c02 valve. i can get those for cheap, i might even have one laying around. thanks !


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## born2lovefish (Dec 29, 2006)

tyler79durdan said:


> I used to assemble those at Parker's hydraulic division across the bridge in otsego  I also worked at the brass division for a while too!  Parker makes QUALITY parts fo' sho'!


Nice! My only complaint with the Parker solenoid is that they really heat up. I do not think they were designed to be held in the open state for 8+ hours at a time for CO2 use. Other than that, they have been great!


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

yeah I don't think the could be held open that long and last long. I do like smc and hellbent valves those. plus air valves get expensive after a while trust me i had a 88 bagged b2200, a 91 bagged b2000 , a 89 bagged and body dropped b2200 and a bagged 2000 s10. it's not fun replaces these valves when they get stuck opened or closed.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

These solenoids would lend themselves more to use for water changes or auto topoffs. The use of a cold water supply to these solenoids would be perfect to help cool the unit, and the small duration of time would minimize heat.

These are very similar to Asco solenoids.

I would not reccomend these for CO2 because of the heat issue, but I guess if its already being used with success, then I can't say its not possible. I would just be aware of the drawbacks being listed before selecting this as your application.

FYI, from my research so far, by the time you purchase the solenoid, fittings, wire and wire connectors, it would be almost the same price as buying a brand new clippard.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

I've been using the Parker Solenoid for about a month now and so far, I prefer it over the clippard I had previously. When the Parker closes, the co2 flow stops more quickly than the Clippard that I had. Since they both operate at 6 watts, the temperature on the coil was similar. I don't think that running either inline is a good idea since there isn't much to act as a heat sink. When either solenoid is attached to a big ol' regulator, much of the heat is dissipated. At least, I found that to be the case. I originally hooked up the Clippard inline and the tubing was getting more plyable where it attached to the brass hose barbs. I later hooked up the Clippard to the regulator and hose wasn't getting warm any longer. 

The Clippard has a nice DIN connector with an LED to indicate when power is applied, which is a plus but, I think the Parker is a more robust design. The Parker is easy to take apart and put back to together without issue since it is steel vs. cast aluminum. With cast aluminum, you might strip or cross thread the threads where that is unlikely to happen with steel. Once you booger up the threads, lot's of luck keeping it from leaking.

Since the Parker is about $12.00 not including shipping, it might be worthwhile to buy a spare. I do wish the Parker had a studier way to attach the power cord than spade connectors though. I do handle the power cord gingerly whenever I have to handle the regulator.

All in all, I prefer the Parker over the Clippard for it's sturdiness and design.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

I got one of these, wired it up and here I am. Because I am waiting for a valve stem, I can't hook to co2 to see if it opens. Does it make noise? Is there any indicator of whether it is working? How long does it take to warm up? Mine seemingly does nothing.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

over_stocked said:


> I got one of these, wired it up and here I am. Because I am waiting for a valve stem, I can't hook to co2 to see if it opens. Does it make noise? Is there any indicator of whether it is working? How long does it take to warm up? Mine seemingly does nothing.


It makes a clicking noise when the valve opens/closes. There is no other noise to tell whether the valve is open or not. Unlike the Clippard solenoid, there is no LED to indicate that the valve is open.

For it to warm up, it should not take very long. My Parker gets quite hot.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

hmm... I plugged it in and it tripped the gfci. I unplugged it, reset it, and now nothing.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

fixed. bad cord.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

How do you wire-up a Clippard solenoid?











I found this Solenoid on Ebay which is looks like a Clippard and need to wire up. 
Take a look.--
Ebay Item number:220555293656


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

If it is a standard DIN connection:


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

Nice info.Thanks for posting this.

Is there a larger view of the photos?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Unfortunately, I think that was the image that I grabbed off this site some years ago.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

thrak76 said:


> I originally posted this at the Barr Report, in response to a question.
> 
> I know that some of us have bought the eBay Parker solenoid, and that it comes with just bare spade terminals. Therefore, one has to wire up their own power lead. It's a simple process.
> 
> ...


I bought two the same solenoid posted above. How do you determine directional flow when it is assembled to the regulator?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

herns said:


> I bought two the same solenoid posted above. How do you determine directional flow when it is assembled to the regulator?


it doesn't matter.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I am pretty sure the Parker solenoid has directionality to it.　There is an I indicating the input and an O indicating the output.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

Are you referring to the same Parker model on this thread posted by thrak76, post #1?


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Yes. In fact, in the first picture, you can see the "O" indicating the output.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

I am wiring up my Parker. My question is, can the "O" output and I "Input" face in any direction? 

Example "O" at 3 O'clock "I" at 9 O'clock. Or "O" at 6 O'clock and "I" at 12 O'clock, etc.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

I am not too sure what you are asking. What do you mean orientation of the solenoid? 

From the regulator, it should connect to the side marked "I". The side marked "O" goes to your needle valve.

Other than that, you can have the solenoid in any orientation you want. You can have it parallel to the ground, perpendicular to the ground, etc.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

Darkblade48 said:


> I am not too sure what you are asking. What do you mean orientation of the solenoid?
> 
> From the regulator, it should connect to the side marked "I". The side marked "O" goes to your needle valve.
> 
> Other than that, you can have the solenoid in any orientation you want. You can have it parallel to the ground, perpendicular to the ground, etc.


Oh, okay I got it.

I've read a lot of roasting with this type of solenoid so Im thingking of hooking this up in a timer. I have an STC solenoid that was attached to a PH controller but it did last only for a little over 3 mos.

Thanks.


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