ebay aquarium temp controller build

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theveganbrewer said:
Is that a double outlet off one controller? Dang, I should've thought of that :mug:
Click to expand...

LOL , Yes it is. :rockin:

Both the cool and the heat modes each have duplex receptacle's.

I used the OP's wiring diagram and just added 2 more wires. Pretty easy.
I 1st wired and tried it the way he did it with 1 outlet and breaking the metal tab off. Waaala it worked. Then went with the 2.

I read alot about people adding small fans to move the air in your box, fridge or freezer/Keezer.

So I figured I'd rather have the outlet to plug in a fan into
so it would kick on when the temp controller called for either heat or cooling.


It could be a 110 volt fan, or a 12 volt fan. With the 12 volt fan I would still need to plug in a transformer into 110 volt to power it.

If I add a fan, I'm leaning to the 12 volt. Only because I can run the very thin wire through the door seal.

:mug:
 
I don't know much about how fridges work, but could you wire this controller directly/ or indirectly into the fan that transfers cool air from a freezer into the fridge? I want my side by side to have power all the time, so I can keep frozen food in the freezer side. Its a requisite for my lady giving up her extra fridge space.

I would think disconnecting the temperature control for the fridge and replacing it with this controller using a transformer to plug into said fan would be a good way to go about this. The heating aspect off the controller would be used to run a heater inside the fridge.
 
I just received a controller and started the build but I am faced with a problem that my lack of electrical engineering cannot overcome: My wiring diagram on the unit is just a bit different than the one from the OP.
1 and 2 are listed as "loading."
3 and 4 as "Power supply."
5 and 6 are "Function control."
7 and 8 are the "Temp probe."

I am not sure how to connect the wires to make this happen and I would appreciate any assistance.
 
Anyone have a somewhat accurate idea of the difference between the temp read on the thermostat and the actual temp of the liquid in the fermenter?
 
theveganbrewer said:
Anyone have a somewhat accurate idea of the difference between the temp read on the thermostat and the actual temp of the liquid in the fermenter?
Click to expand...

most people are taping some insulation around the probe to the side of the carboy or bucket wall. temp readings seem to be pretty accurate.
 
Tinga said:
most people are taping some insulation around the probe to the side of the carboy or bucket wall. temp readings seem to be pretty accurate.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's what I'm doing, was just wondering if there was much of any difference between that reading and the beer inside the carboy. I don't have a liquid thermometer that goes below 100 degrees yet.
 
kosmokramer said:
Im looking at the controllers on ebay, does it matter if the controller is 110 or 220?
Click to expand...

Yes....


Take some time to read the thread and not skip to the last page.

-=Jason=-
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Home Brew Talk
 
sorry, got a little too much going on in my life to sit here to read through 205 pages for a simple answer. but thanks for your response
 
Kosmo,

If you live in the US, 110v and refer to page 1 of the thread.

Live anywhere else, 220v.

There is a quick answer, but really, if you are interested enough to ask, use the search function for the thread and see if you can figure it out before asking. You may be surprised what other info you might learn during your research. Not trying to be a di&k, just throwing it out there.
 
bmcgarrahan said:
I just received a controller and started the build but I am faced with a problem that my lack of electrical engineering cannot overcome: My wiring diagram on the unit is just a bit different than the one from the OP.
1 and 2 are listed as "loading."
3 and 4 as "Power supply."
5 and 6 are "Function control."
7 and 8 are the "Temp probe."

I am not sure how to connect the wires to make this happen and I would appreciate any assistance.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you bought one of the single stage models instead of the dual stage STC-1000 that this thread is based on. Do you have a pic or model #? The single stage models that I used for my control panel had similar pin layout to what you're describing, and here's a diagram that works for them.

WiringHotSw.jpg


theveganbrewer said:
Anyone have a somewhat accurate idea of the difference between the temp read on the thermostat and the actual temp of the liquid in the fermenter?
Click to expand...

Are you asking how well they're calibrated from the factory? I have several of them, and a couple were dead on and a couple were ~0.1C off and required a quick calibration. I extended the temp probes significantly on a couple of them, which threw off the readings and required additional calibration.

kosmokramer said:
Im looking at the controllers on ebay, does it matter if the controller is 110 or 220?
Click to expand...

Yes. Buy the 110V if you'll be plugging it into a standard 110V outlet, and buy the 220V if you'll be plugging it into a dryer/stove outlet or other 220V circuit. Not sure why someone who lives in the US would want to use a 220V outlet for this, but you never know.
 
I'm working on wiring up my side-by-side kegorator/fermenter with two controllers installed in the fridge door. I need a little extra length to the temp probe going over to the freezer side. I have a bunch of 18 AWG stranded wire from my build... will that be OK for the temp probe, or would I be better of actually using something smaller? I vaguely remember reading something along the way about concerns when using the headphone jack or extended lengths of wire, though I think the result was no ill effect.

Any ideas? I'm going to post my build thread as soon as I'm done - probably within the next week or so.
 
mistercameron said:
I'm working on wiring up my side-by-side kegorator/fermenter with two controllers installed in the fridge door. I need a little extra length to the temp probe going over to the freezer side. I have a bunch of 18 AWG stranded wire from my build... will that be OK for the temp probe, or would I be better of actually using something smaller? I vaguely remember reading something along the way about concerns when using the headphone jack or extended lengths of wire, though I think the result was no ill effect.

Any ideas? I'm going to post my build thread as soon as I'm done - probably within the next week or so.
Click to expand...

The difference in resistance might throw the temp reading off a little, but just recalibrate it when you're done and you'll be good to go.
 
I ordered this dual temp controller and they sent me the new model. It no longer has a "Heat" and "Cool" indicator light but it does indicate if it is working or is it is off. It now offers an internal alarm if the temp is outside of your parameters. And there is a "Lock"??? Anyhow, I am having a hard time setting it up since I can not find a diagram on the blog for the new unit. I was hoping that someone smarter than I could take a look at it for me.

Below is a picture and diagram of what I did. I have also attached a photo of the instructions. The unit gets power. I can set parameters. The alarm works. But the outlet does not get power!
Full Specs can be seen at http://www.thermomart.com/download/DWH7016H-110v.pdf

Temp Control Pic (2).JPG


Temp Control Inst. (2).JPG


Temp Control Diagram (4).jpg
 
BNBMan said:
I ordered this dual temp controller and they sent me the new model. It no longer has a "Heat" and "Cool" indicator light but it does indicate if it is working or is it is off. It now offers an internal alarm if the temp is outside of your parameters. And there is a "Lock"??? Anyhow, I am having a hard time setting it up since I can not find a diagram on the blog for the new unit. I was hoping that someone smarter than I could take a look at it for me.

Below is a picture and diagram of what I did. I have also attached a photo of the instructions. The unit gets power. I can set parameters. The alarm works. But the outlet does not get power!
Click to expand...

You need to supply pin 1 with whatever you plan on switching- hot or neutral - from the supply cord.
Then, you need to run the non-switched lead- hot or neutral depending on what you chose to switch- from the supply cord directly to the outlet.

I don't know what your original plan was, but the least amount of rewiring to get yours working would be to splice off the hot wire from the supply cord to Pin 1. Then take the white wire that was on Pin1, and splice that to the neutral of the supply cord.

You still need to supply power to the controller with the supply cord. There are a number of ways to go about it. The most straightforward is to use some short lengths of wire and a wire nut to make a "Y", so that you have two legs coming off the original lead.

I assume you have the black wires going to the brass screws on the outlet, and the white wire to a silver screw. I also assume that on the outlet you have already broken the tab on the between the terminals on the side where you have both wires installed. If not, you will need to do that.
 
BNBMan said:
I ordered this dual temp controller and they sent me the new model.
Click to expand...

Is this the new model from the usual sellers on Ebay? What is the story with the new model? Did you order the old one, and they informed you they were sending the newer model?

The new one appears to have more functionality- hysteresis compensation with the two diffs and set points; the alarms can be used to power a single fan when either heat or cool is active without having to use an external relay.
One downgrade is the ASD max value has been reduced to 7 minutes.

The biggest issue/concern is the difference in the manual stating 10Amps, and the controller itself stating 5A/AC220V 10A/110V. This makes no sense. Without opening up the controller to look at the solenoids, it will be difficult to know which is correct. Hopefully this doesn't spark another round of power vs. current debates.
 
cwi said:
Is this the new model from the usual sellers on Ebay? What is the story with the new model? Did you order the old one, and they informed you they were sending the newer model?

The new one appears to have more functionality- hysteresis compensation with the two diffs and set points; the alarms can be used to power a single fan when either heat or cool is active without having to use an external relay.
One downgrade is the ASD max value has been reduced to 7 minutes.

The biggest issue/concern is the difference in the manual stating 10Amps, and the controller itself stating 5A/AC220V 10A/110V. This makes no sense. Without opening up the controller to look at the solenoids, it will be difficult to know which is correct. Hopefully this doesn't spark another round of power vs. current debates.
Click to expand...

It makes sense. It would suggest that the contacts are rated for 10A @ 110V or 5A @ 220V. Nothing really confusing at all. Though it doesn't say anything about which voltage is required to power the unit itself.
 
emjay said:
It makes sense. It would suggest that the contacts are rated for 10A @ 110V or 5A @ 220V. Nothing really confusing at all. Though it doesn't say anything about which voltage is required to power the unit itself.
Click to expand...

And here we go, again.

I can guarantee that the ratings on the solenoid itself will not have these same values. The ratings in the pic are some kind of ad hoc printed sheet. An EE did not spec it. Look way back in the thread for pics of the actual solenoids for the original model, and many, many explanations of how these things are rated.
 
cwi said:
And here we go, again.
Click to expand...

??

It says what it says. I buy individual relays for different things and they are frequently rated for different amps at different voltages. You can make the argument that they're totally independent til the cows come home, but it doesn't change the fact that ratings are often written this way.
 
emjay said:
??

It says what it says. I buy individual relays for different things and they are frequently rated for different amps at different voltages. You can make the argument that they're totally independent til the cows come home, but it doesn't change the fact that ratings are often written this way.
Click to expand...

It says what some guy making $0.50/hour put on a home made sticker. The schematic in the manual is even worse.

It is possible for manufacturers to state independent power ratings, but history has shown with these, and in general, there will be a max voltage and a max current on solenoids and switches. Pretty sure the reasoning is arcing and fusing being mostly independent. It has been hashed out here before. That is what I recall as well, but it was from long, long ago.

There have been many long winded debates on this, with a picture of the relay showing 10A and 220V, and guys saying that means it can handle 20A at 110V. Hence why I used the "power vs. current" debate. I suspect the relay will be 5A 220V, with some bad math to come up with 10A 110V, but only the solenoid knows.
 
cwi said:
It is possible, but history has shown with these, and in general, there will be a max voltage and a max current.

There have been many long winded debates on this, with a picture of the relay showing 10A and 220V, and guys saying that means it can handle 20A at 110V. Hence why I used the "power vs. current" debate.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm aware they're not the same thing. You can't just go by the total wattage... doesn't work that way.

And I'm not even saying these ratings are necessarily correct. But I think they can be assumed to be safe values, regardless.
 
emjay said:
Yes, I'm aware they're not the same thing. You can't just go by the total wattage... doesn't work that way.

And I'm not even saying these ratings are necessarily correct. But I think they can be assumed to be safe values, regardless.
Click to expand...

Seriously? Assumed to be safe values, regardless?
Maybe take some time to actually look at the pics of the sticker on the controller.

Although you may know power, current, and voltage can't be used in creative accounting to double the current, it is highly likely that the guy making the sticker does not.

I would say the 10A rating at 110V and 5A at 220V sounds very screwy, and needs to be verified before someone goes over 5A. Some people, for whatever reason, are using hair dryers, space heaters, etc., that pull 10A+.
 
cwi said:
Seriously? Assumed to be safe values, regardless?
Maybe take some time to actually look at the pics of the sticker on the controller.

Although you may know power, current, and voltage can't be used in creative accounting to double the current, it is highly likely that the guy making the sticker does not.

I would say the 10A rating at 110V and 5A at 220V sounds very screwy, and needs to be verified before someone goes over 5A. Some people, for whatever reason, are using hair dryers, space heaters, etc., that pull 10A+.
Click to expand...

The reason I assume 10A is fine is because plenty of people, including myself, have come damn close to it using the STC1000, without any issues.

Whether 220V is okay, I dunno. I'd have a hard time imagining it's not, considering that the unit is also made for 220V regions.

Again, I see components with different amp ratings at given voltages all the time. The fact that they happen to equal the same wattage seems to have you thinking that this is what the person based the ratings off of, but I'd be willing to bet on it being pure coincidence.
 
cwi said:
My mistake, I just assumed you had actually looked at the subject matter, and weren't just being a contrarian.
Click to expand...

Not being a contrarian. I just offered an explanation...
 
emjay said:
The reason I assume 10A is fine is because plenty of people, including myself, have come damn close to it using the STC1000, without any issues.
Click to expand...
That is because the STC1000 has 10A relays, for certain. Some older ones with 15A, I seem to recall.

emjay said:
Whether 220V is okay, I dunno. I'd have a hard time imagining it's not, considering that the unit is also made for 220V regions.
Click to expand...
Exactly. That is why the likeliest explanation is a 220V 5A solenoid, with some bad engineering math to get 10A at 110V. Why do you contradict based on assumptions, and not just wait until somebody cracks the lid on one before proclaiming it safe at 10A? That is all I was suggesting needs to be done to vet this new controller.

emjay said:
Again, I see components with different amp ratings at given voltages all the time. The fact that they happen to equal the same wattage seems to have you thinking that this is what the person based the ratings off of, but I'd be willing to bet on it being pure coincidence.
Click to expand...
Based on many of the other cousins, nephews, and uncles to these controllers, that is a bad bet. Many have 5A at 110V in the 110V listing, and 5A at 220V in the 220V listing. Others had this same bad current doubling math, and were proven incorrect upon inspection. This is also consistent with ratings for electro-mechanical relays.
 
My 2 controllers came in yesterday, and I set one up real quick using the receptacle box idea as shown in this thread.

I have a question, I am taping my probe on the side of my carboy.
What temperature are people trying to be to with Ale?
I've seen a few 19 deg, and some as low as 17.5 in this thread.
What would be the best average?

Thanks!
 
fldriver said:
My 2 controllers came in yesterday, and I set one up real quick using the receptacle box idea as shown in this thread.

I have a question, I am taping my probe on the side of my carboy.
What temperature are people trying to be to with Ale?
I've seen a few 19 deg, and some as low as 17.5 in this thread.
What would be the best average?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Depends on the style, the strain of yeast, and what flavor profile you're aiming for. As low as 13°C (55°F) and as warm as 21°C (70°F) is pretty common, and Belgians are often much warmer still - even 35°C (95°F) isn't unheard of.

Assuming you're brewing a typical pale ale or IPA, I like fermenting them at around 20°C (68°F). Most people I know stick to between 18°C (65°F) and 21°C (70°F) for these styles.
 
emjay said:
Depends on the style, the strain of yeast, and what flavor profile you're aiming for. As low as 13°C (55°F) and as warm as 21°C (70°F) is pretty common, and Belgians are often much warmer still - even 35°C (95°F) isn't unheard of.

Assuming you're brewing a typical pale ale or IPA, I like fermenting them at around 20°C (68°F). Most people I know stick to between 18°C (65°F) and 21°C (70°F) for these styles.
Click to expand...

OK good. I am doing a pumpkin ale, using Wyeast, Headwaters Ale. I've been keeping it at 19.5 degrees.

I am very green on this, so thanks for the help, and sorry for the thread hijack.
 
I'll admit now that I've not read through all the posts (many but not all).

What is the approximate cost of the project, is there a significant saving over buyiong prebuilt from homebrew shop?

Is there a benefit over buying pre-built?
 
Tiredboy said:
I'll admit now that I've not read through all the posts (many but not all).

What is the approximate cost of the project, is there a significant saving over buyiong prebuilt from homebrew shop?

Is there a benefit over buying pre-built?
Click to expand...

It could be the cost of the unit, up to $50ish depending on what your end up buying.

And yes similar units are upwards of $50 for the Johnson and ranco style ones. The LOVE digital ones are in the $70's

-=Jason=-
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Home Brew Talk
 

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