ebay aquarium temp controller build

yes, i found out very quickly that RS does indeed suck! thanks for the website.

 

Here's a link to the specific ones I used. They work on 120V or 240V, available in green, yellow (which is more like orange), and red for $1.55.

http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?FS=TRUE&N=4294764128+12085120+4294721532+1323043

There are a TON of other options on there, though. That place has everything, but it can be hard to find.

 

Got mine built today.

I don't have anything particularly innovative in mine - nothing someone else hasn't already done (unless you count color-coding the outlets). I won't show the inside, it's a rat's nest because I was impatient to get it done, but it's all properly connected and wired.

I had to go with a green indicator light for the cooling side because Radio Shack didn't have blue, but beyond that it's all good.

 

I like your hot/cold color coding. I'll probably do something similar when I get my parts in the mail.

 

could also use a label maker and put some labels above each outlet.

-=Jason=-

 

My local Radio Shack carries 120v neons in red,green and amber.You have to buy a 2 pack,though

 

Those are the same lights you see in my pictures.

 

So I read all 101 pages last night and had a couple questions.

1) The listing shows the conntroller rated at 10amp's but I thought some people were getting these rated for higher amps towards the begining. Are you all getting ones listing 10amps on them?

2) Has anyone had any success at making the probe wire a plug in setup with a panel mount type setup?

Thanks
Mark

 

subscribed

Just got mine in the mail after 13 days, ready to build the box

 

so did we find a solution to the seller only listing 220v controllers as opposed to use usa users that need 110v? id like to get going on making one of these but if its only 220v then i cant use it.

 

Here is my temp controller. I bought from qualitylink2000 off of ebay and it arrived in 2.5 weeks. I scored it for $15+$10 shipping. Pretty standard build nothing new here just thought I would share...

 

I just bought a 110v version. $25 including shipping

 

I just got my temp controller today and they sent me a darn 220v even though the aution said 110v for US. See how long it takes qualitylink2000 to reply

 

These seem to be the same units but they 'convert' them and put a sticker on. With luck you have the correct one.

 

I see no sticker on anything except the one on the top which shows everything as 220v. How would I tell aside from that?

 

That I don't know. I'm just saying they may tell you the unit is the proper one but just not correctly labeled. I'm just pointing out they may indeed tell you that and if they do it may well be correct. Just prepare for that possibility.

 

Got it, Thanks for the fast reply!

 

the way i have done it...

1)i ordered from globalconn ("Buy Now" option)

http://stores.ebay.com/globalconn

2) follow up after the purchase with a message to the seller about purchasing the product with a little reminder that" i am in the USA and need a 110V model."

globalconn has messaged me back the next day both times, stating "Noted and will ship 110V.-globalconn"

seem like cool people

 

I did the same thing with Qualitylink2000 when paying via PayPal there was a small easy to miss link that when clicked opens a comment box.

-=Jason=-

 

i'll do this tonight. thank you.

 

Sorry for such a newbie question.
I am in need for such a fermation temp controll system.
Is this how it works:
After putting the temp controller together... A probe goes into the fridge. The frige plugs into the "cool" side of the temp controller and somekind of heater into the "hot" side. Once you select your temp, the controller decides if it needs hot or cold.
That it?
If I am asking a question that has allready been asked, sorry. I looked around but this thred has too many pages..

Great Forum!!!
Thanks,
FooFan

 

That's pretty much it.

 

Yep you got it. Also a lot of the time people don't even worry about pugging anything into the heat side (only really needed if the ambient temp get down under your ferment temp).

 

FooFan not long ago and many posts ago in this thread I asked the very same question.

answer is YES.. the temperature controller decides what outlet to send power to depending on your "set" temperature.

-=Jason=-

 

I just got mine in from Qualitylink2000 yesterday. It is the 110v. Man I love getting new toys in the mail. haha

Can't wait to get this fermentation chamber finished.

 

It only took 2.5 days of my life to read this entire thread...but when you have no life, it's not a problem...it was nothing.

The STC-1000 this thread covers so thoroughly says it's 10 amp. The ~9 cu. ft. Frigidaire chest freezer I'm looking at says it should be on its own 15 amp circuit. Yet I saw somewhere in this thread a person using this controller with a 14 cu. ft. freezer.

Can this be done or would using a relay with this controller be the smart way to go?

 

What's the current rating of the fridge. typically the reason they say to use "a dedicated 15A circuit" is so you don't try to start some other motor (ie a blender) when the fridge starts. You should be ok, but check to make sure the current rating is less than 10A.

 

Simply look at the placard on the freezer. It will state max/starting amps it will use (and sometimes general running amps).

 

Alas...I don't have the unit yet...was just considering it. I am only able to view the freezer owner's manual and that's where I got the amperage from.

So the thought is that even when starting the compressor, the draw will be less than the 10 amps of the controller?

 

Should be, especially with a new(er) freezer. I have a 15 cf freezer from the early 90s or late 80s that uses <6 amps. Only real way to know is to read the serial placard with the specs. You can see that when you view the freezer in the showroom.

 

This has probably been asked but, how do you set it so that the Heat and Cool cycle don't fight with each other? I set mine up, and it cycles between the two.

 

I was wondering how much smarts they put into this as well. I haven't gone to the trouble to reverse engineer mine.
To fix your issue, putting the probe in a container of liquid, or attaching to one (like your fermentation vessel, or keg) should give enough thermal mass to avoid overshoot, unless your heating or cooling source has a tremendous amount of overshoot/thermal inertia.
If leaving the probe dangling in mid-air is how you roll, playing with the delay and temp tolerance parameters should minimize heat/cold battles. Your temperature variation will increase, though.
That being said, putting the probe in/on a container of liquid is a better solution. For a fermentation chamber, if the probe is placed on an active fermentation vessel, it will maintain ferm temps much closer to the ideal. For a kegerator/keezer, if the probe is place on a keg or in a jar of liquid, it will prevent unnecessary cycling from door openings and exterior temperature swings.

 

They shouldn't be fighting each other. There is a parameter that tells how many degrees you will allow the temp to drift from the set-point.

If your set temp is "X" and your allowed deviation is "Y":
- the heat kicks on when the measured temp is X-Y and stays on until the temp gets back up to X.
- The cooling will kick on when the temp rises to X+Y and will stay on until the temp gets back down to X.

Perhaps you just have "Y" set too small?

 

Mine is set to .3C differential. When cooling it will cool down to that temp and shut off and kick on again if the temp RISES .3C. When heating it will heat up to the set point and then kick off until if FALLS .3C below. That is a .6C total differential. Watch the temps and see if you are going past those points. What is your probe sensing? If it is just the air you are more prone to get them fighting each other I would think. A few gallons of liquid isn't going to move very rapidly.

 

Thanks guys. You are probably correct about the thermal mass slowing down the response time. I set the fermentation controller up the day before I brewed. The temp probe was simply hanging in air at the time. I noticed the Heat / Cool cycling so when I brewed I taped the sensor to the side of my conical. I also unplugged the cool side and all was OK. But as luck would have it we are having a few nice weather days now, so I will need to go between heat and cool. I'm stuck at work today, but tomorrow I'll plug in the cool and see what happens. Then take a look at the settings you suggest Walker.

 

I believe that placing your probe in water/ beer is a bad idea unless you are actually heating the liquid via a water heater element or something of this nature. It will take a great deal of heat to bring the fluid up to temp if your using a radiator or fan heater, then it will continue to heat after it is shut off because now your air temp is much greater than the fluid, and vice versa for the cooler.

If you maintain the proper air temperature the fluid temp will follow. I have my probe against the side of my carboy and i dont have any cool mode kicking in because its colder outside than it is inside, but i'm not lagering.

I have the F2 function ie temp differential set to 1 degree. My target is 23C and it heats till it hits 23 shuts off the heater and in turn the temp starts to drop until it hits 22C then heats again to 23... If it was hotter ouside and i was using an airconditioner it would be the opposite.

 

Myfermentor sits in a water bath which is heated with an element. The probe just lays in the water, as in theory the liquid in the bath should match that in the fermentor

 

You might want to tape something over the probe as well to insulate it from the air and make sure it's reading the temp of your fermenter. Something as simple as a wash cloth folded over a couple times would suffice.

 

I use a bit of foam from packaging filler.

 

In this case it makes sense to have your probe in the water.