Ha! I truthfully didn't even look for holes to "clamp" the wire in. I paid my way through college working in an auto customization shop so when I looked at the screws I automatically flashed back to amplifiers and proceeded accordingly. Each wire is very secure and there is no tension on any of them. I installed amplifiers in this exact way for a long time and never had one come loose even being beat to death in the trunk of every old school ghetto ride that came in. :fro:
ebay aquarium temp controller build
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
It is multi strand. Cut up extension cord.
Just skimmed through this whole thread. I have a question regarding Amps - The Cord and Outlet/Socket I bought are 15 Amps. The unit is only capable of 10Amps. I know the power is contingent upon what my house is putting out, which might not be a full 15 amps, but if it does put out more than 10 amps, while this fry the controller? I think many posts ago someone said you could put a _______ (forget the term, but its like a reducer) on. Is this necessary? I am not an electrician.
Also, I believe it was Walker was talking about using a cell phone charge to run a DC fan... could someone elaborate on you that works? Thanks!
Also, I believe it was Walker was talking about using a cell phone charge to run a DC fan... could someone elaborate on you that works? Thanks!
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
Your house is making 15amps available, but your freezer/refridgerator isn't drawing all 15 of those amps. Check the sticker on the back, most chest freezers draw under 5amps.
So, to confirm, the controller can be supplied way more then 10 amps, it will just fail if anything plugged into it draws over 10?
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
Correct! And if you drew more than 15A your breaker would trip.
Great, Thanks Wyzazz! Should wire this thing up by the weekend... then gotta build a box around my mini fridge...if only I had a truck to pick up fridges off of craigslist - I have seen so many under $50 
Wired it up! Works great, now to build the fermentation chamber box around my minifridge. If all goes well should have this chamber operational by the end of the weekend Thanks for all the help everyone!
Thanks for all the help everyone!
Got my temp controller, and I'm going to wire this badboy up. Is 4x4x4 junction box sufficient?
matthewkbridges
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I went with a 4x4x4, and I wish I had gone with a 4x4x6 instead. I had to trim the top and bottom tabs off of my outlet to make it fit comfortably. I might have been able to find a way to fit it in without such measures, but I would rather have had the extra two inches and not had to do any finagling. If I ever build another one, I will get the 4x4x6, and instead of using a spiral Dremel bit to cut out two holes for a standard outlet, I will use a cutting wheel to make a rectangular hole for a Decora outlet. The rectangle I made for the temperature control was great, the holes for the outlet, not so much.
Okay, going to build this this weekend. I got a really nice 4x6x6 junction box, a little on the pricey end $18 but it looks very sturdy/safe.
Quick question, I understand you have to break a tab of some sort off of the receptacle to make them function independently. Does someone have a picture they could show of that?
Quick question, I understand you have to break a tab of some sort off of the receptacle to make them function independently. Does someone have a picture they could show of that?
I had the same problem when i was wiring mine up. Part of it was that my socket, you could barely see that the "tab" wasn't a full piece of metal. But ya, it took some work with needle nose pliers to get it to come off, but I got it! You only need to pull the tab on the "Hot" side
Awesome, that's exactly what I thought, but just wanted to be sure.
Cheers
Cheers
How do you secure the controller to the product box?
EDIT - FIgured it out.
EDIT - FIgured it out.
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
Ok, How did you figure it out, 'cause I was just coming here to ask the same question!
:fro:
The two orange tabs on the side of the controller, slide up and down to provide resistance against the box cover.
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
Ah! Yes. I was wondering how those worked.
Even after I read you post, I was looking at it for a while, then I got it. :-/
Gonna get my box tomorrow (I have everything else) and complete this bad boy!
BTW, did we ever come to a conclusion if we can put the probe in water?
I was planning on immersing mine in an old White Labs Vial.
matthewkbridges
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I'm not sure if a conclusion was reached, but if/when my temperature probe goes in water (probably in the e-hlt I have under construction), I will use heat-shrink tubing and some silicone sealant to seal up the entire length that will be in water. Better safe than sorry.
Here is my build.. went quite well and for a guy who has little to no electrical experience I'm quite happy with it. Hardest part was cutting out the holes in the faceplate of the junction box for the controller and outlet, I kept breaking my dremel bits.
Here's mine:
If you get the single round outlets (and a large enough box), you can drill a clean hole without the need for a cover plate.
If you get the single round outlets (and a large enough box), you can drill a clean hole without the need for a cover plate.
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
I had the same problem when i was wiring mine up. Part of it was that my socket, you could barely see that the "tab" wasn't a full piece of metal. But ya, it took some work with needle nose pliers to get it to come off, but I got it! You only need to pull the tab on the "Hot" side
What is the tab you pull, the plastic piece?
Just break it off?
wyzazz
Well-Known Member
It's a piece of metal that acts as a jumper between those two terminals, use a pair of needlenose pliers and work it back and forth until it pops off.
The tab is a metal join between the terminal screws and is meant to be broken off by fatiguing the metal up and down.
Here is the temp. controller I built a couple of weeks ago. I too used a junction box (from Home Depot about $11). It is very durable and has plenty of room and has wall mounts right on the box. I made my own celcius to F chart to put on top of it.
It seems to work great and here is the fermentation chamber that I built to go with it. I have yet to put a fan in the box, but the funny thing is with the lid closed and the fridge off, it stays around 66F in there. I won't take much to keep it cooler than that.
Awesome idea this ebay aquarium project was.
It seems to work great and here is the fermentation chamber that I built to go with it. I have yet to put a fan in the box, but the funny thing is with the lid closed and the fridge off, it stays around 66F in there. I won't take much to keep it cooler than that.
Awesome idea this ebay aquarium project was.
kpr121
Well-Known Member
Sweet ferm chamber ya got there! I'd imagine when you get that thing full of brew with vigorous fermenting yeast, the fridge will have to work a little bit to fight the exothermic heat to keep it cool. Your ambient air temp has a lot to do with that too (dunno if your in the basement or what not).
I just completed my temp controller build, but I got that EE error message. Has anyone confirmed that it is absolutely the thermister? If so, I don't think I'll even waste my time trying to contact the seller. I can grab one from Radioshack for a couple bucks and be fixed tonight.
If you find what you need at radio shack post up what it is so we all know in case of future issues. If you don't find what you need there you can get them through the seller. Here is his response to me asking if he sells extra probes.
Finally put mine in a project box! This is the 7x5x3 and unfortunately I couldn't fit the controller on top with the electrical outlet
Finally put mine in a project box! This is the 7x5x3 and unfortunately I couldn't fit the controller on top with the electrical outlet
Very slick looking box.
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
Just finished mine and it seems to be working just fine.
Thanks! I saw someone else do the "All Black" and thought I would replicate.
Just wanted to update for anyone on the fence, I'm no electrician by any means as was able to put this together.
Mine is running really well. My house is quite cool right now, especially my basement where I keep all my beer so I don't have any problems with ferm temps, but it's carbing I have trouble with. I'm using the heating feature on this to run a 40w lightbulb in my ferm chamber, and it's keeping everything at 70 degrees perfectly.
Mine is running really well. My house is quite cool right now, especially my basement where I keep all my beer so I don't have any problems with ferm temps, but it's carbing I have trouble with. I'm using the heating feature on this to run a 40w lightbulb in my ferm chamber, and it's keeping everything at 70 degrees perfectly.
Brodeurman69
Member
What has everyone been using as far as boxes to house everything? I picked up a 4 gang outlet box and it was about a half inch too shallow. Does anyone know if they make a deeper outlet box then 2-1/2"?
dunnright00
Well-Known Member
I used this http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062285
It's a little shallow, but it did barely fit.
sharpstick
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i got a nice big shiny wooden cigar box at a cigar store for 2 bucks. plenty of room for controller, barrier strip and bigass 12 ga wiring.
kpr121
Well-Known Member
Just an update. The thermistor was not the issue. It was just some careless wiring on my part.
I got it hooked up and and tested and its working! :rockin:
So I am not a carpenter, but i constructed a fermentation box hooked to my fridge. I probably should have test it out on water or something, but no...Im testing in out the brew I just did today! I currently have the probe attached to the better bottle, held on by tap and bubble wrap (to try and get the wort temp). I currently have the ebay temp control unit set to a .4 differential and have it set to 16.5. This gives me a range of 16.5-16.9, for the average of 16.7 Celsius, or 62 Farenheit. At these settings the fridge is on for 5 or 6 minutes, off 6 minutes. Is this too much time for this little mini fridge to be chugging a full blast? Is 6 minutes not enough rest time? I tried to feel around the box and it doesn't seem like any "crazy cool" in any areas Is the rate of .4 degrees celsius of temp loss in 6 minutes bad or normal?
Sorry for all the questions! Id mainly like to get some info on others cooling medium and their on/off times! Thanks!
Sorry for all the questions! Id mainly like to get some info on others cooling medium and their on/off times! Thanks!
KirkMN
Well-Known Member
I think it's cycling too often. I'd shoot for having it run a few minutes just once an hour. When the compressor starts, it takes a bit before it starts cooling at its best. Maybe shoot for a 3F band.
rasherb
Well-Known Member
Adding my vote to this project. This is the first electrical project I've ever done and it wasn't hard at all. Remember to break the tab on the 'hot' side of the outlet so you don't run both heat and cool at the same time.
My controller arrived yesterday and now I am having to (impatiently) wait 2 more week untill my b'day to open it (had a quick sneak peak just to make sure it was all there and nothing broke in transit )
Has anyone wired this inline to an extention cord? I am looking at doing this as it will save on size of the box (no need for a plug socket) and parts (again no need for a plug socket). Come on 2 weeks!
Also does anyone have a good ebay vendor for project boxes?
)Has anyone wired this inline to an extention cord? I am looking at doing this as it will save on size of the box (no need for a plug socket) and parts (again no need for a plug socket). Come on 2 weeks!
Also does anyone have a good ebay vendor for project boxes?
