Problems with wiring RANCO ETC Unit, HELP?!

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post, but have read many threads and you guys are great help! Since I started home brewing a couple of years ago, I have always brewed at my friends house because he had better temperature control at his place. However, since I started home brewing, I have really wanted to do some brews at my place. So, recently I purchased a mini fridge and a RANCO ETC Unit to setup a ferm chamber. I have ran into a problem that has prevented my home brews (at home) to begin for a couple of weeks now. I have watched multiple videos of the wiring of the RANCO, but have not been able to execute in a similar way! I have tried over and over to fit two wires into the terminal socket (like in the videos) yet I have no luck fitting them both in or when they are in the screw will not push down. So, I started using butt splices/wire connection caps to combine two wires and have a third act as both wires. I still am having no luck! The wires will just not stay in their sockets when I lower the screw onto them. I am pretty sure I have everything right, but my results say that I do not. The right wires are going into the right places, just cannot execute keeping the wires in place. ANY HELP WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATIVE!!! I am trying to brew a beer for my wedding next month and my friend is gone for a few weeks, so I really need to get this going!! THANKS!! (sorry for the long thread, just wanted to detail)

What gauge wire are you using? And is it solid or stranded?

12 gauge, stranded...

If your mini-fridge only draws a few amps, you can use 16 (or maybe even 18) gauge wire which will make wiring much easier. If you have 2 -3 wires to put into one terminal, try twisting them all together and tinning them with a bit of solder so you only have one end to get into the terminal. If you must use heavy-gauge wire, then mount the control with a nipple to an adjacent j-box and wire nut connections together in the box where you have more room to work.

So after more work on the unit, I have gotten the unit on, but no power to my receptacle (the plug in). I have inserted my receptacle tester and it reads "open ground", but both my grounds are connected together forming one wire. How would this be possible if I have power to the unit (screen is on), but no ground power to my receptacle? It doesn't make sense to me!

Junkster-- I do not have a soldering gun and was trying to do this without one. I have put my two ground wires into a connection cap with an extra wire, then the extra goes into the socket. I guess I will go to home depot and grab a soldering gun anyways and give it a shot. Thanks

So, after soldering all my wires and putting them all in the correct sockets, my receptacle tester still tells me I have an open ground. Its impossible for me to have an open ground when my ground wires are all soldered together and I have power to the unit, just not my receptacle! Any suggestions for this?

To add, this is the second device that RANCO has sent me, so I would not think that they would send me to incorrect devices.

Can you take some photos of how you have it wired? That would probably help us a lot in helping you.

MADos_HATTERandi said:

So, after soldering all my wires and putting them all in the correct sockets, my receptacle tester still tells me I have an open ground. Its impossible for me to have an open ground when my ground wires are all soldered together and I have power to the unit, just not my receptacle! Any suggestions for this?

To add, this is the second device that RANCO has sent me, so I would not think that they would send me to incorrect devices.

Click to expand...

Does your tester check out ok in other outlets including the one you're powering the Ranco from as far as no open ground?

Yeah, pics and/or drawings might help us see how you've wired it.....

Sorry, my internet has been down the past week. I have used the tester in all the outlets in the room I have my unit in. I will get pics up this weekend. I ended up just doing my brew and am keeping the brew fermenting in a room with the A/C directly in it, so it will work. However, I would like to get this ferm chamber up n going before my next brew. I have watched the wiring setup video for the unit at least 100 hundred times, to see if I have something wired incorrectly. The only difference of mine and the videos is that I soldered the wires together in the two slots that required both grounds and the hot and jumper wires put together. The video explains that soldering may be used to in the wiring, but the professionals on the video do not solder the wires. My connections are all solid and just do not understand how one ground is working, but the other ground is not working. As the unit will power on, but the receptacle is not receiving ground. Once I figure this reason, then I will have my problem fixed. Thanks again for your help!