I will be using this 5V solenoid valve to allow water to pass through and fill up a container.
Amazon.com: Solenoid Valve, DC 4.5V 1/2" Water Flow Pulse Electromagnetic Valve Brass Solenoid Valve for Liquid Water, Air and Diesel : Industrial & Scientific
Can i wire it straight into the raspberry pi, or do i need to have some other component that controls the pulse? Is there another small 5V valve anyone reccomends?

 

At a guess, it won’t Work.
First you need to know how much current it needs to operate (which I don’t see in the data)
If it is more than 4mA it is too much for the Raspberry pi.
secondly, you need some circuit which can reverse the direction of the current in order to shut the valve, such as an H-bridge.

 

No. It takes about 1A to drive the coil @5vdc. You need an external driver of some sort.
https://www.amazon.com/SunFounder-Channel-Optocoupler-Expansion-Raspberry/dp/B00E0NTPP4

 

At a guess, it won’t Work.
First you need to know how much current it needs to operate (which I don’t see in the data)
If it is more than 4mA it is too much for the Raspberry pi.
secondly, you need some circuit which can reverse the direction of the current in order to shut the valve, such as an H-bridge.

So in the FAQs for the valve it says 1A

No. It takes about 1A to drive the coil @5vdc. You need an external driver of some sort.
https://www.amazon.com/SunFounder-Channel-Optocoupler-Expansion-Raspberry/dp/B00E0NTPP4

gotcha, would it be easier to just get a 12 v solenoid (since those seem more common) and connect it to a 12 volt battery and relay? I only need to open the valve once. The valve will be in the container that is gettting flooded. We don't care if it gets fried by the water.

 

That relay board connected (using 5V supplied from the RPI for relay board electronics) to the RPi can handle any load in the relay contacts specifications. A 12VDC solenoid shouldn't be a problem with dry contact switching.

 

That relay board connected (using 5V supplied from the RPI for relay board electronics) to the RPi can handle any load in the relay contacts specifications. A 12VDC solenoid shouldn't be a problem with dry contact switching.

What kind of power supply would you use if you just needed to open the valve once? Just get a single 12V battery?

 

What kind of power supply would you use if you just needed to open the valve once? Just get a single 12V battery?

Sure, a 12V 7Ah gel-cell battery should would work but remember, due to Murphy's Law, that battery/circuit will be dead if you really need it unless you monitor it.

 

What kind of power supply would you use if you just needed to open the valve once? Just get a single 12V battery?

Why go to 12V if you already have a 5V supply?

 

Why go to 12V if you already have a 5V supply?

So can i use the 5v supply powering the RPi to power the 12V solenoid somehow? Sorry im a bit ignorant when it comes to electronics

 

So can i use the 5v supply powering the RPi to power the 12V solenoid somehow? Sorry im a bit ignorant when it comes to electronics

Lot's of power supplies have dual outputs for circuits like this. 5V and 12V are very common combinations.
https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-dc-dual-output-enclosed-power-supply-output-rd--35a

https://www.meanwell.com/productPdf.aspx?i=159#1

 

Lot's of power supplies have dual outputs for circuits like this. 5V and 12V are very common combinations.
https://www.meanwell-web.com/en-gb/ac-dc-dual-output-enclosed-power-supply-output-rd--35a

https://www.meanwell.com/productPdf.aspx?i=159#1

I am powering the Pi with something similar to this 5V battery pack.
Amazon.com: Portable Charger Power Bank 26800mah, Ultra-High Capacity Safer External Cell Phone Battery Pack Compact with High-Performance Cells & 2 USB Output, Smart Charge for Smartphone, Android, Tablet & etc : Cell Phones & Accessories

Can i use this to power the solenoid?

 

I am powering the Pi with something similar to this 5V battery pack.
Amazon.com: Portable Charger Power Bank 26800mah, Ultra-High Capacity Safer External Cell Phone Battery Pack Compact with High-Performance Cells & 2 USB Output, Smart Charge for Smartphone, Android, Tablet & etc : Cell Phones & Accessories

Can i use this to power the solenoid?

It's got dual 5VDC outputs @ 2.1A (for the computer) and 1A so it should work with a 5V 1A solenoid.

YMMV.