Motorized Valve (CR05) Control 🚰

This project integrates a CR05 Motorized Valve into Home Assistant using an ESP32 and ESPHome. It provides a reliable alternative to solenoid valves, especially for water with high limescale content where solenoids often fail.

Overview

I previously used this type of valve with Blynk Legacy, but with Blynk's discontinuation, I finally migrated the system to Home Assistant. This setup ensures your valves are smart, reliable, and fully integrated into your home automation.

Why Choose the CR05 Valve?

There are several types of these valves (CR01, CR02, CR03, CR04, CR05). CR05 is the ideal choice for this project because:

• Mechanism: It consists of a motor, a gearbox (for high torque), and 2 limit switches (triggered at "fully open" and "fully closed" positions).
• Control: Unlike simple solenoid valves, you cannot just plug this in. It requires a proper driver circuit to handle the motor direction and stop it at the limits. This is where our ESP32 project comes in.

Key Benefits of this project:

1. Limescale Resistance: Motorized ball valves are much more resistant to limescale build-up than solenoid valves.
2. Feedback: The limit switches provide feedback. You know for sure if the valve is physically open or closed.
3. Safety Logic: You can create automations to alert you if the valve fails to close/open.
4. Redundancy (Recommended): For critical applications (e.g., main water line), it is highly recommended to use two valves in series. You can set up logic where one valve verifies the operation of the other. If one fails (e.g., limit switch not triggered within 1 minute), the other can shut off the water.

Hardware Requirements

• Motorized Valve: CR05 Type, 12V Version (Recommended). (Product Link)
  • Note on Voltage: The 5V version is too slow and weak. Even if you accidentally buy a 5V version, it often works better with 12V supply (proceed at your own risk, but 12V is standard recommendation).
  • Pipe Size: Choose the correct size for your plumbing (e.g., DN15 is common for households).
• Microcontroller: ESP32 (Lolin32 or similar).
• Motor Driver: L298N (or similar L29xx based driver).
• Power Supply: 12V DC Adapter (Powers the valve and the L298N; the ESP32 can be powered via the 5V output of the L298N or a separate USB).

Wiring

The system requires 7 GPIO pins:

• 3 Pins for the Motor Driver (ENA, IN1, IN2).
• 2 Pins for the Limit Switches (Open Limit, Closed Limit).
• Note: The YAML also defines an LEDC pin for PWM speed control if needed.

Useful Diagrams

Valve Connection & Pinout:

L29xx Motor Driver Wiring:

You can use the 5V output from the L298N driver to power your ESP32.

Schematic Diagram:

Note: The connections in the schematic are symbolic. Please refer to the YAML file for the exact GPIO pin mappings.

Important Configuration Notes

1. Initial Testing (Critical)

Before permanently installing: Open the valve housing and separate the motor/gearbox from the valve mechanism if possible, than;

• Power up the system.
• Send an "Open" command.
• Manually trigger the "Open Limit Switch". The motor MUST STOP.
• If the motor stops when you trigger the Closed switch instead, your limit switches are wired in reverse. Swap the connections or change your gpio definations from the yaml file.

2. Logic Explanation

The ESPHome configuration uses an "inverted" logic for the limit switches (assuming INPUT_PULLUP):

• Pressed (Triggered) = Logic 0 (in hardware) -> Inverted to ON in ESPHome.
• Released (Not Triggered) = Logic 1 (in hardware) -> Inverted to OFF in ESPHome.

This ensures that binary_sensor.is_on correctly means "The limit switch is currently pressed."

3. Usage Tip

If using multiple valves, consider adding a master valve for the main water inlet. Connect it to a water leak sensor in Home Assistant to automatically shut off all water if a leak is detected.

File Structure

• valve_control.yaml: The complete ESPHome configuration file.
• images/: Contains the connection diagrams.