The much hated Rain Bird DV/ASVF/JTV Solenoid Handles have now been removed.
Reasons for the change:
The DV/DVF valve has had a handle installed on the solenoid since a few years after its introduction in 1989. There were 2 reasons the handle was added to the valve.
- The concept of twisting a solenoid to internally bleed a valve was new at that time (1989). It was not obvious. The handle made it obvious that the solenoid was meant to be twisted.
- The DV/DVF/ASVF solenoid has a large thread diameter which is exposed to water pressure. This large surface area can make it hard to turn under very high water pressure. Also, the larger diameter meant more lineal inches of threads and therefore more friction to overcome especially when solenoids are over-tightened. The handle was added for leverage when manually operated.
Rain Bird is reducing the number of handles because it is now common knowledge that solenoids can be twisted to activate the internal bleed. Also, many contractors remove these handles because they can cause inquisitive homeowners to turn them. The handle also encourages over-tightening of the solenoid. Finally, the ideal method for manually activating these Rain Bird valves is the bleed screw which allows the diaphragm to rise higher and more thoroughly flush the valve.
Read more here:Â RB Technical Bulletin_DV_ASVF_JTV_Solenoid_Handle_17T002R0
