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Old 02-19-2010, 05:18 AM   #1
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Default ebay aquarium temp controller build

i was excited about the prospect of this temp controller, so i got one from ebay and put the whole thing in a project box from radio shack. one plug is switched for heating and the other for cooling. i have yet to build up my fermentation chamber that i'll use this on, but preliminary tests confirmed that the unit worked great. there is a 0.3 deg C differential on this thing, so it is pretty accurate and easy to set. i used a 14 gauge extension cord for all the wires. it does read in celcius, but that's OK by me.

all of the parts:


did some sloppy cut outs and wired it up:


power cord and sensor gives plenty of slack:


close up of the temp controller:


powered up:


my wiring diagram (sloppy also). i only used one wire nut to join the hot wires as you can see in one of the pics above. also, very important to break off the jumper tab on the hot side so you can control each outlet independently.


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ebay temp controller | thermostat temp controller

Last edited by android; 02-20-2010 at 06:48 AM.
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Old 02-19-2010, 06:08 AM   #2
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Looks good. I've got two of them on the way, one for my keezer build, and one for a second fermentation fridge I recently picked up. How long did shipping take?
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Old 02-19-2010, 12:58 PM   #3
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Nice work!
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And I'd like to see my 1.080 beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we? :)
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Old 02-19-2010, 02:43 PM   #4
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Awesome!

*adds to "to do" list*
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Old 02-19-2010, 02:44 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JuanMoore View Post
How long did shipping take?
i think it was right about 2 weeks, maybe even 10 days. seemed pretty quick compared to some things i've ordered from there.
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Old 02-19-2010, 03:01 PM   #6
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I've got 2 of them on the way right now. I figure I'll print out a small C-F chart to put on the box.
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And I'd like to see my 1.080 beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we? :)
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Old 02-19-2010, 03:15 PM   #7
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funny you mention that, i just got done making one in excel for the same purpose...
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Old 02-19-2010, 03:16 PM   #8
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I'll apologize in advance for the noobish questions.

1) Do you have a link to the seller for this controller?

2) I see you have Heat and Cool, so will I be able to run a heat lamp as well as the fridge?

I just bottled my first batch and had a hard time keeping my fermenting temp steady and was looking into building a fermentation chamber using the idea I seen from another post using a mini fridge and a foam board box. Cooling wasn't so much the issue for, it's heating, so this controller build would be perfect.
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Old 02-19-2010, 03:19 PM   #9
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@android I think I'll use the below chart...


@Mobius570

1. Link to the seller...

2. I plan on it, don't know about the OP.
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And I'd like to see my 1.080 beers ready from grain to glass in a week, and served to me by red-headed twin penthouse pets wearing garter belts and fishnet stockings, with Irish accents, calling me "master luv gun," but we can't always get what we want can we? :)
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Old 02-19-2010, 04:11 PM   #10
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mobius, yes, it functions as a two stage controller. one plug will control my fridge and the other a space heater (when i need it). there are times when my basement is pretty cool (58-59) and times when it gets 70+ during the summer, so mostly i'll need cooling power, but occasionally heat also, especially if i want to ferment a saison or something that needs really high temps.

here's the exact item on ebay


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