My StillDragon Controller Build

[GreenDragon]

So below you will see my take on the StillDragon controller build. If you see something obviously wrong please let me know. I really wish I had used actual 10-3 service cable instead of 10-3 Romex. The Romex is not very flexible. I may re-wire it in the future when I add a display to it.

I read multiple reports of people saying to either upgrade the heatsink or add active cooling to it. I'm a computer nerd so I wired a 120mm LED fan to blow air over the heatsink and exhaust out the holes around the sides of the casing.

Internal Wiring:

Finished External View:

 

[Rivenin]

i like it!

 

[BrunDog]

Nice, but romex was a no-no. Upgrade it to cord with stranded cable when you can.

 

[GreenDragon]

Nice, but romex was a no-no. Upgrade it to cord with stranded cable when you can.

Yeah I tested with water yesterday, that Romex needs to go ASAP, it's a pain to deal with.

 

[MrShake]

Romex wouldn't be a big deal inside the housing, but as a "cord" its just not flexible enough and you will have issues

 

[brewswithshoes]

I just ordered that kit from StillDragon but had a question as i see you've cut off the white neutral on this. I'm going to be doing this on 240v and kind of an electrical newbie. Is yours on 240v for this? I've read so many threads on here and this is so helpful since i ordered that kit, but i want to make sure I wire it up correctly.

I'm planning to use a straight 4 pin dryer cord into the box then using nicer/flexible cable out.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[acidrain]

OMG, why would you not ground that *****.
That means that the GFCI (that you're obviously not using) is non-functional.
Replace the solid wires with stranded and ground the kettle. Run the whole thing from a GFCI spa panel.

 

[passedpawn]

OMG, why would you not ground that *****.
That means that the GFCI (that you're obviously not using) is non-functional.
Replace the solid wires with stranded and ground the kettle. Run the whole thing from a GFCI spa panel.

I see a ground wire being used. Why would you say the "*****" is not grounded?

Technically, a GFCI doesn't care about a ground to work. But yes I think all exposed metal should be grounded. That way, the GFCI trips as soon as there is leakage to the exposed metal (and then to ground). Without grounding, if there is leakage to exposed metal, the GFCI won't trip until there's a path to ground, for example, your finger . Still, the GFCI will trip and save you.

 

[brewswithshoes]

So you really just cut the neutral and stub it off? I've read the wiring diagram on still dragon as well and it only lists 3 wires. This is really confusing and I don't want to screw up with 240v.

 

[dyqik]

So you really just cut the neutral and stub it off? I've read the wiring diagram on still dragon as well and it only lists 3 wires. This is really confusing and I don't want to screw up with 240v.

Yeah, the still dragon and element don't need a neutral.

I kept mine because I was adding a contactor with a 120V coil to give a positive off switch.

 

[brewswithshoes]

Ok. This matches what the still dragon schematic drawing shows.

One other question though. Wouldn't cutting the neutral render any GFCI panel ineffective without a neutral?

My kit is coming today and I'm still debating if the spa panel I bought needs to be installed before the controller.

 

[doug293cz]

Ok. This matches what the still dragon schematic drawing shows.

One other question though. Wouldn't cutting the neutral render any GFCI panel ineffective without a neutral?

My kit is coming today and I'm still debating if the spa panel I bought needs to be installed before the controller.

No, the GFCI will work without the neutral. The GFCI has a coil thru which the two hots and neutral pass. If there is a differential in the current flowing towards the load and the current returning from the load, a voltage is generated in the coil, which is used to trip the breaker. In a system that uses both 120V and 240V, some of the load current flows thru the neutral, but the total in all three wires, after assigning plus and minus signs depending on direction of flow in each wire, is zero. In a 240V only system all current flows in the two hot wires, with current in one wire being positive and current in the other negative. The sum of the currents, accounting for sign, is still zero. A current imbalance, due to leakage, will still trigger the breaker.

Brew on

 

[LandoLando]

I see a ground wire being used. Why would you say the "*****" is not grounded?

Technically, a GFCI doesn't care about a ground to work. But yes I think all exposed metal should be grounded. That way, the GFCI trips as soon as there is leakage to the exposed metal (and then to ground). Without grounding, if there is leakage to exposed metal, the GFCI won't trip until there's a path to ground, for example, your finger . Still, the GFCI will trip and save you.

The current required to trip a GFCI is enough to kill you. Every piece of exposed conductive material has to be grounded.

 

[doug293cz]

The current required to trip a GFCI is enough to kill you. Every piece of exposed conductive material has to be grounded.

No, the whole point of GFCI's is that they will trip at fault current levels (less than 6 mA) that are not lethal. You will get a good shock from 6 mA, however. Depending on just how the current flows thru your body, lethal doses are in the 10's of mA up to low 100's of mA. Currents that don't traverse your heart can give you severe burns, but still not be lethal.

You should still have all conductive material that could possibly come in contact with line voltage well grounded, even with GFCI's. Since any system can fail, the more safety features you have, the less likely that the failure of any one of them will get you toasted.

Brew on

 

[LandoLando]

Hmmm. I thought it was a 75mA difference that tripped a GFCI, but you and the rest of the Internet says otherwise. I guess it's been a while since my industrial safety course.

 

[Maksimus54]

5ma is personnel protection, 30ma is equipment protection. Not sure where you pulled 75ma from, wouldn't make much sense I suppose to have a protection device that doesn't kick in until fatal levels of current would hit you.