Ink bird controller question

[slimgid]

I picked up an inkbird itc 1000 controller for a fermenter build and it's giving me grief.

I removed the two wires from the thermostat on the fridge I'm using. Hooked then up how I thought I read the schematic dictated but when the controller tried to kick in the compressor it just rapidly clicks with no end and the compressor/fan never start up. I have two controllers so I tried them both and they both reacted the same way so I'm guessing it's not the hardware at fault but my wiring.

The original thermostat had just 3 wires. Green (ground duh) orange (hot all the time) and red (hot when the compressor was running). I can't seem to interpret the schematic any differently so I'm stuck. I even bypassed the defrost board but got the same results.

Anyone have experience with these?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443819040.177641.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1443819067.424285.jpg

 

[iijakii]

We need your fridges schematics and not the ITC's. Was there a startup capacitor for the compressor that you bypassed? Maybe just doesn't have enough juice to kick on. I lit'rally did this last weekend on an AC unit.

 

[slimgid]

Let me dig up a fridge schematic....

 

[slimgid]

I'm looking for a diagram and not to successful. Will keep trying. It is a kenmore 106 58582890 side by side

 

[KennyM]

slimgid,
You should be able to connect the orange wire (full time hot) from the old thermostat to pin 2 and 7 of the Inkbird (you can use a short jumper wire to connect the pins).

Connect the red wire (switched hot) from the old thermostat only to pin 8 of the Inkbird.

You'll also need to connect the white wire (neutral) from the incoming power cord to pin 1 of the Inkbird.

 

[slimgid]

Kenny... Is that based on a wiring diagram for my fridge or what info I provided. Not sure where the white wire comes from. FYI I'm very much electronically ignorant so pardon if these are really basic questions.

 

[KennyM]

No problem...

I based my response from your information. I assume you checked the orange wire for full time 120 volts ac and the red wire for power when the thermostat was calling for cooling.

Basically the Inkbird needs full time power and a neutral on pins 1 and 2. The temperature probe connects to pins 3 and 4. Pins 5 and 6 are not used except for heating. Pins 7 and 8 connect in place of your old thermostat for cooling.

You will have to find a neutral wire somewhere in your fridge. It's probably easiest to tap it off where the main power cord comes into the unit. It will usually be a white wire in the cord.

 

[slimgid]

Thanks! That makes a lot off sense. Any other way to identify a neutral wire? Hoping I could find one closer to the controll unit and just splice in.

 

[slimgid]

Success! Thanks for the help. Fired up just like it should.

 

[KennyM]

Glad you got it working. You may be able to find a neutral on a light circuit but it's hard to tell without a lot of tracing or a wiring diagram.

 

[slimgid]

I did splice into a light with a white wire. It errands back into a big loom deep into the fridge. It works so I'm guessing it's ok.

 

[DurtyChemist]

Any way to get some photos or schematics posted up of what you did? It's pretty common to hear people ask for something like this.

 

[slimgid]

DurtyC, I'll try to get a picture or two in the next day.

I'm on to the next phase and hoping Kenny or iijakii can help out... My second controller is intended to run a fan (to blow cold air from freezer into fridge side via a louvered vent) and a heating element (also in the fridge side). What would people suggest is the best option for securing a hot and neutral for this and how would these two things best be tied into the controller.

 

[KennyM]

DurtyC, I'll try to get a picture or two in the next day.

I'm on to the next phase and hoping Kenny or iijakii can help out... My second controller is intended to run a fan (to blow cold air from freezer into fridge side via a louvered vent) and a heating element (also in the fridge side). What would people suggest is the best option for securing a hot and neutral for this and how would these two things best be tied into the controller.

slimgid,
You can power the new Inkbird controller from the same power you used for the first one. Connect pin 1 from the first controller to pin 1 of the new controller. Connect pin 2 from the first controller to pin 2 of the new controller. Pin 1 should be the neutral and pin 2 should be the hot.

For cooling, if you can use a 110 vac -120 vac fan, you can connect it following the diagram on the Inkbird controller. That would be wiring the fan between pins 1 and 8. Notice you also need to jump pin 2 to pin 7 to provide power to the cooling relay. If you have a 12 vdc or other voltage fan, you are going to have to provide a separate power supply and use pins 7 and 8 to switch that power. In this case you do not jump pin 2 to pin 7.

For heating, you can wire in a 110 vac outlet following the Inkbird diagram. That would be wiring the outlet between pins 1 and 6. Notice you will need to jump pin 2 to pin 5 to provide power to the heating relay.

You can see that you will end up with quite a few wires in the same pins on the Inkbird controller so you may need to branch those out to a terminal strip or use wirenut connections.

Good luck with your build.

 

[day_trippr]

If running everything from a single line cord, please make sure the combined worst-case loading doesn't exceed the cord rating...

Cheers!

 

[slimgid]

That seems to make sense Kenny. Question... If I ran a separate power supply (in the form of a new wall plug/cord) I'll have a black (hot) white neutral and green (ground). Can I use those to run the entire second unit? Do I need any hardware between the wall and the inkbird? I know it would work independently of the fridge and that's ok. The wiring is getting a little packed and making splices could get hard. This was my thought...

Pin 1 white (neutral)
Pin 2 black (hot)
Pin 3/4 sensor
Pin 5 jumper from pin 2 and a black wire to the heating element
Pin 6 jumper from pin 1 and a white wire from the heating element.
Pin 7 jumper from pin 2 and a black wife to a 110 AC fan
Pin 8 jumper from pin 1 and a white wire from the 110 AC fan.

I think this is the same as you prescribed but without tapping into power from the fridges existing wiring.

Also... Day tripper... How do I ensure that. Yes I am a super nube at this stuff.

 

[slimgid]

Here is an "under construction" picture. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1444452131.557837.jpg
Room to do 10 gal primary, 10 gal secondary and 15 gal in kegs. Those shelves are next after the wiring is sorted.

 

[KennyM]

That seems to make sense Kenny. Question... If I ran a separate power supply (in the form of a new wall plug/cord) I'll have a black (hot) white neutral and green (ground). Can I use those to run the entire second unit? Do I need any hardware between the wall and the inkbird? I know it would work independently of the fridge and that's ok. The wiring is getting a little packed and making splices could get hard. This was my thought...

Pin 1 white (neutral)
Pin 2 black (hot)
Pin 3/4 sensor
Pin 5 jumper from pin 2 and a black wire to the heating element
Pin 6 jumper from pin 1 and a white wire from the heating element.
Pin 7 jumper from pin 2 and a black wife to a 110 AC fan
Pin 8 jumper from pin 1 and a white wire from the 110 AC fan.

I think this is the same as you prescribed but without tapping into power from the fridges existing wiring.

Also... Day tripper... How do I ensure that. Yes I am a super nube at this stuff.

Yes slimgid, you can use a separate power cord. The downside from a safety stand point is there would be two feeds to the refrigerator so both would have to be disconnected to do any service.

Your wiring description is correct. Also this isolates any additional load on the original cord and wiring. The Inkbird and fans are very low wattage but the heater may be enough to warrant the separate power cord.

 

[slimgid]

Sounds good. Good heads up on two power supply's and service. Think I'll zip tie the two cords together and put them both in the same plug. Maybe put a note on it to remind future self to not get shocked.

For a heater I was thinking of doing a 40 watt appliance bulb in a tin can and maybe adding a fan to that circuit to move air while the heater is on. 40 watt bulb to keep it small. Was thinking a regular sized tin can. With the cooling fan. Still best to do it on a separate supply I think.

 

[slimgid]

Now that I think about it I will also put an outlet in the fridge before the inkbird. Just a constant power plug so I can put my stir plate in the fermenting side when it's time to whip up a starter. I could also add a heat wrap or fan or anything else I might need in the future. Maybe even get a fancy plug with a USB built in. Tons of stuff now a days powered if USB.