It works a real treat but the problem is that solenoid slams shut
instantaneously.
This sends a shock wave back through the water system. And the result was
that
the shock waves caused a water leak at a junction of the incoming water
supply from the street.


As others have said, if the water hammer is enough to separate a joint to
the main pipe in the street, then it should have blown the hozelok fittings
off the hose feeding the solenoid as well or before the street joint failed,

same if the hose was jubilee clipped on etc, so basically the street joint
was about to give way anyway, could have happened next time you flushed the
bog and it's valve shut off abruptly, or you closed the kitchen tap fast
enough, or the washing machine/dish washer's solenoid did the exact same
thing the fox scarer's solenoid does.

I bought a cat/fox/dog/pikey sprayer from maplins for £14 a few months ago,
runs on 4 x AA's,
Comprises of a spike, an infrared detector and an impulse sprinkler head...
all plastic of course, so a 6 volt solenoid inside it,

Simple to use, push the spike in the ground, put in the batteries, connect
the hose pipe to the hozelok connection on the side, set up the sensitivity
of the detector to cover the area you want to spray, then adjust how far
round the sprinkler works in the 'dut-dut-dut-dut' phase before hitting the
trip to make it go 'zzyyyppppp' back to the beginning,

Then call the Gf out of the house so she walks in front of it and tests it
for you

I've had it on the front garden for about 4 months now, batteries are still
fine in it, but the bloody cat that ****s on the lawn still hasnt learnt, it
gets a soaking every couple of days, so after i take it in for winter, i'll
prolly cannibalize it and make an automatic dog waterer (replacing the
sprinkler head with a hose that lets the water out gently for her to drink
when she approaches... save her begging for someone to turn the wall tap on
for her all the time in summer... hopefully.