ebay aquarium temp controller build

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This is still the cheapest I could find http://amzn.to/16NXgvw

Looks good. I got one out of China that was a Fahrenheit model. It worked for 20 min before showing 200*. Thats all it does now is go between 200-400. I got a actual STC-1000 off amazon and I waited a day instead of two weeks and its been running like a champion since. If you have a prime account then that unit should be great.
 
This box looks quite good as an alternative to the Radio Shack enclosure: http://amzn.to/17Ig89i

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I want to say that I'm no genius when it comes to electrical wiring and it only took me 90 minutes to get this thing wired up from the OP's (android's) schematic. I haven't load tested it, but it appears to be working like it should.

$25 for the controller
$30 in parts & wires - didn't want to sacrifice a cord & all the wire I had was red

Now I just need to buy or make a box to house it. I'm thinking that there has to be something around the house that I can cannibalize for it.

EDIT: Yep. I have some leftover redwood 2 x 10 and leftover pine 2 x 4 that I can cut up and make into a panel box. I'll just have to pick up some mounting brackets.
 
This controller will just fit into the right 2-gang box. $8 in materials, and an old extension cord someone beheaded. I got the unbreakable cover plate because it's unbreakable :D. It takes a little bit of dremel or file work and the width of the decora slot is just a bit wider than the controller but it fits fine.
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If the two missing screws ever annoy me, I'll scrounge up an old duplex and cut the ears off.
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By the way, read the instructions before you spend three minutes troubleshooting your wiring. Damn you compressor delay!
 
I got 4 cuts into the redwood and decided the board looked like crap. So instead of half-assing it I went to Home Depot and bought a junction box so I can full-ass it.

I'm half way through rewiring
 
Just painted the hot and cold plugs. Waiting for it to dry and then I'll hook up the freezer.

I also melted a couple spots into the box when I was making the top cut.

But I'll have my wife paint a design on the box so it's not so apparent.

EDIT: for some reason the power to the plug on that side of my garage decided to crap out. So I had to run an extension cord. Good news: the cold side is working. Going to run it down to 40F, taped to a bucket with 5 gallons of 75F water in it, as a test.

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Anyone put insulation over one side of the temp probe? Even though its taped to the bucket, it's reading the 45F air and not the 62F of the water in the bucket.
 
Yes, that's the standard instruction I've seen on the forum many times. I currently use a towel folded over several times to insulate the probe from the cooler air temp. I use a bungee cord to hold the towel in place over the temp probe.
 
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Here's mine completed. Still enough free room to install a second STC-1000 on the front and another outlet on the opposing side at the top when the time comes. It will be wall mounted between a semi-walk-in ferm chamber and a keezer, so I figured I'd save $10 on the next go around and double it up in the box.
 
For a while I was worried that either the controller probe or the thermometer I've been using to monitor temperatures was off by as much as 7F. It seemed to be settling out that way.

But after sitting over night, the thermometer and probe are now only 0.1C different.

And a 3 minute differential for the compressor seems to be working well for my freezer.
 
I'm glad I tested ran it with 5 gallons of water.

I need to go back and break the bridge in the power socket. I got home from work and it was -3C in the freezer and the compressor was still running.

I'll fix it as soon as I shake my migraine.
 
I'm glad I tested ran it with 5 gallons of water.

I need to go back and break the bridge in the power socket. I got home from work and it was -3C in the freezer and the compressor was still running.

I'll fix it as soon as I shake my migraine.

That's exactly what's to be expected. It's colder than the Preset Temp and the STC activates the heating circuit, which also happens to be powering the cooling socket at the same time, thru the bridge.

Like this: C(ool) OR H(eat), always true. So freezer keeps cooling, except when compressor delay is activated, then everything is off.

Sever the bridge on the live wire side, and you're in business.

Sorry about your migraine, hope I didn't make it worse. :mug:
 
Thanks. I don't get too many. But when I do, they are mostly visual. I get flashing spots, nausea, and pressure behind my eyes with very little headache.

I've basically been dead to the world, sleeping, for 2 hours. Now I'm dealing with the weird food cravings. And I can taste anise.

Separating the live wire side would be between the black and white lines that connect to the power plug, right ?
 
Separating the live wire side would be between the black and white lines that connect to the power plug, right ?

No, he's saying you need to remove the metal tab on the outlet between the two gold terminal screws. I'm on my phone otherwise I'd post a picture.
 
Beernik said:
Thanks. I don't get too many. But when I do, they are mostly visual. I get flashing spots, nausea, and pressure behind my eyes with very little headache.

I've basically been dead to the world, sleeping, for 2 hours. Now I'm dealing with the weird food cravings. And I can taste anise.

Separating the live wire side would be between the black and white lines that connect to the power plug, right ?

There is a metal piece that is a part of the outlet. It connects the two screws on the hot side. Break it off. Leave the neutral tab and only use one terminal for your neutral.
 
No, he's saying you need to remove the metal tab on the outlet between the two gold terminal screws. I'm on my phone otherwise I'd post a picture.

I understand its between the gold screws. There are gold screws on both sides of the outlet. The "hot side" is between the wires that connect to the plug not the side that connects to the controller
 
Beernik said:
I understand its between the gold screws. There are gold screws on both sides of the outlet. The "hot side" is between the wires that connect to the plug not the side that connects to the controller.

While it is possible to wire it that way so that the neutral side is switched, it's not the way shown in any of the diagrams in this thread. The only wire from the power cord that connects directly to the outlet should be the neutral. The switched wires coming from the controller to the outlet should be hot. The hot side typically has brass or gold colored screws, and the other side typically has silver screws.

If you broke the metal tab between the hot side terminals on the outlet and it's behaving as you described, then you either have it wired wrong, or you have a defective controller.
 
My bad. It's white & green that go to the plug. I just pulled apart my controller. I want to remove from the other side, that goes to the controller.

Thanks
 
Went in and clipped the bridge.

Now it's stuck on the default settings. I push the set button and change the temp, differential, delay, and calibration and the change isn't accepted.

Also, will this thing work with a 20W brewbelt?
 
You have to push the power button after changing the settings for the new settings to be saved. And yes, it will work fine with a brewbelt.
 
Final update (I hope): I think I have it all troubleshot.

I when the fridge runs, the brewbelt does not get hot. I have verified that the brewbelt does still work. So clipping the bridge fixed the problem.

The controller is set where I want it.

I just moved a mead into it so that it can cold crash for bottling. Probably doesn't need it. It's been sitting on its 3rd racking for 3 months. But hey, it's another test and it puts it closer to where it will be bottled.

I put a folded paper towel over the probe and two sweaters over the mead's carboy. My probe and thermometer now read 0.1C apart. Which is what I think their differential is.

I also moved a bunch of beer bottles into it from a storage closet in my basement and from the kitchen fridge, freeing up a lot of space.

Finally losing my post-migraine irritability.

Sitting down to celebrate with a kolsch, which I can now start brewing my own in my new freezer.


Thanks to everyone for the info and help.

EDIT: I'm assuming the way the range on this thing works is like this:

If I set it at 10C and the differential at 1C. The fridge runs until it reaches 10C. Everything turns off.

If it drops below 9C, the heater kicks on. When it gets back to 10C, everything turns off.

If it rises above 11C, the freezer kicks on again until its below 10C.
 
Final update (I hope): I think I have it all troubleshot....

Glad it is all working as it should. At least you were able to troubleshoot and give feedback. That's way better than "it doesn't work."

I put a folded paper towel over the probe and two sweaters over the mead's carboy...

I put a piece of 3/8"-1/2" thick soft packaging foam over the probe, and a rope around the whole carboy to keep it in place. I guess a bungee would work.
What are the sweaters for? You think the carboy gets cold? Isn't that what we want?

I also moved a bunch of beer bottles into it from a storage closet in my basement and from the kitchen fridge, freeing up a lot of space.

Is this a chest freezer? How do you stow bottles in there, in boxes?

Finally losing my post-migraine irritability.

Finding what causes migraine helps in avoiding them. Bright, single light sources, e.g., harsh light without adequate fill, triggered mine. Even a computer screen in a dark room is a menace.

Sitting down to celebrate with a kolsch, which I can now start brewing my own in my new freezer.

Although it's way better than nothing or babysitting messy swamp coolers, fermenting chambers like these can only handle one temperature at a time, so there are some limitations on what you can do. For example, lagering at low temps for extended time (2-3 months) prevents fermenting ales in the same space. Even cold crashing for 2 days interrupts the normal flow. Are you planning your brewing schedules very carefully?

I wish there was an easy solution, like a 3-6 cavity, independent temp controlled fermentation/conditioning/lagering setup for $300-$500. "packet's" thread on his DIY glycol chiller setup has brought forward some great ideas.
 
It's usually bright light and computer screens that give me migraines. It didn't become a problem until I switched from designing on CAD (colored lines on a black background) to report writing (black text on white background). Now I have my screen set to either light blue or soft pink. It's helped a lot. I still get the random 2 or 3 a year with no apparent cause.

This is actually an upright freezer. I can adjust the shelving a little without too much work or crimping of coils. I just need to decide which shelf I'm going to permanently relocate. I thought the next to top would be great, but 22oz bottles don't fit on the bottom two shelves or the doors. 12oz go in the doors nice.

The sweaters are more for blocking light. I do my meads and Brett beers in glass carboys. I put them in the freezer to help insulate the probe from the air temp..

I'm keeping the probe and paper towel in place with painters blue tape.

My eventual plan is to upgrade to 8 gallon batches and have two 4 gallon fermenters sitting side by side. Until then, I'll probably do same day or back-to-back brew days of beers with the same yeast. That way they should have similiar temperature needs and cut my yeast cost in half.

If all else fails, I still have the basement closet that is at 68F almost year round and the cellar that I have fermented in seasonally (winter = lagers, summer = ales) for seven years.
 
Has anyone used one of these to control a RIMS or HERMS? My build has been delayed a year. And the thought of using one of these to run a recirculating pump just occurred to me.
 
Has anyone used one of these to control a RIMS or HERMS? My build has been delayed a year. And the thought of using one of these to run a recirculating pump just occurred to me.

I use two of the similar single stage units to control a ghetto HERMS.
 
Any pictures? I'm curious how it looks and how ghetto it is.

The labels look crooked because I was laying out where to put them when I snapped this pic. I could have just used one controller, but I had two of them so I found a use for both. The pump controller was set up act as a safeguard in case something goes wrong during the mash, but gets more use as a mash temp monitor. I also use it to automatically start the recirc pump when the HLT reaches temp on the second of back to back batches. It actually looks a lot more ghetto than this now, because it got placed too close to a burner during a batch last year and everything got warped from the heat. A broken star-san bottle in my brewing supply tote also destroyed several of the labels, increasing the ghetto factor even further.

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juanmoore said:
the labels look crooked because i was laying out where to put them when i snapped this pic. I could have just used one controller, but i had two of them so i found a use for both. The pump controller was set up act as a safeguard in case something goes wrong during the mash, but gets more use as a mash temp monitor. I also use it to automatically start the recirc pump when the hlt reaches temp on the second of back to back batches.



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I just put pencil to paper and realized that if I make my BK do double duty as a HLT, I can jerry-rig a 2 vessel HERMS with improved wort chilling action for less than $500.

It will still have to wait until after Christmas, but this rocks.
 
The labels look crooked because I was laying out where to put them when I snapped this pic. I could have just used one controller, but I had two of them so I found a use for both. The pump controller was set up act as a safeguard in case something goes wrong during the mash, but gets more use as a mash temp monitor. I also use it to automatically start the recirc pump when the HLT reaches temp on the second of back to back batches. It actually looks a lot more ghetto than this now, because it got placed too close to a burner during a batch last year and everything got warped from the heat. A broken star-san bottle in my brewing supply tote also destroyed several of the labels, increasing the ghetto factor even further.

Tucson-20110620-00085.jpg

That looks really nice actually. The melted case and "etched" labels are just to add that "industrial used" character. But you're replacing the tags, so it looks as good as new. Great idea, thanks for sharing that! :mug:
 
snaps10 said:

Hah! I'll see what I can do. No promises though.

IslandLizard said:
That looks really nice actually. The melted case and "etched" labels are just to add that "industrial used" character. But you're replacing the tags, so it looks as good as new. Great idea, thanks for sharing that! :mug:

I think you misunderstood, that pic is from the original build, not from me replacing the labels. I don't even have time to brew anymore, let alone to fix the labels. Trust me when I say it looks really ghetto today. The sad part is that it's still one of the less ghetto parts of my brew rig. :cross:
 
So I am on page 51 and can't wait as I read through another 300 to find the answer.

Has anyone just wired the cooling side in place of the freezers thermostat? It seems a lot simpler and a lot less money because there is no extra pieces to buy. Then the heat can be wired to the heat side, install in the place of the dial thermostat and your good.

It is rated at 10 amps and my freezer is only 3.5 amps so it should work just fine.
 
So I am on page 51 and can't wait as I read through another 300 to find the answer.

Has anyone just wired the cooling side in place of the freezers thermostat? It seems a lot simpler and a lot less money because there is no extra pieces to buy. Then the heat can be wired to the heat side, install in the place of the dial thermostat and your good.

It is rated at 10 amps and my freezer is only 3.5 amps so it should work just fine.

That is exactly what I did. Removing the fridge thermostat and wired the controller in its place. You still need to find a hot and a neutral to power the stc 1000. One benefit of this is my refrigerator light still comes on when I open the door regardless of the compressor being on or off.
You would still need to wire an outlet for the heat side. My unit is in a warm room, and heating is never a problem.
This is on an old analog fridge without any frost free crap. Newer digital units may not be as easy to wire.

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Is the main readout on the STC1000 showing current temperature? Or target temperature? I would like to get one just as a temperature monitor for now and then use it for temperature control down the road...is this possible? I know there are temp monitors for a bit cheaper
 
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