Relay for 120v STC-1000

[seatbelt123]

Brain trust,

I have an extra STC-1000 and I want to experiment with using it to control the mash temps in my single vessel eBIAB. Yes, I understand the weakness of this controller for this application.

My kettle has two 2000w camco elements which are controlled by a manual switch. During mashing I only run one element for a minute or two every 10-15 minutes. So I don't REALLY need a controller but since I have most of the parts I thought it would be fun.

The element draws about 16 amps.

Questions:
1. What relay would you recommend? I'm biased towards cheap but easily tempted by cool.
2. How do you wire relay? It looks like they have four contacts...

Thanks in advance!

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

My kettle has two 2000w camco elements which are controlled by a manual switch. During mashing I only run one element for a minute or two every 10-15 minutes. So I don't REALLY need a controller but since I have most of the parts I thought it would be fun.

The element draws about 16 amps.

Questions:
1. What relay would you recommend? I'm biased towards cheap but easily tempted by cool.
2. How do you wire relay? It looks like they have four contacts...

Thanks in advance!

Most solid state relays use DC for their input, the range I've seen is 3-24VDC or 3-32VDC and they draw very little DC power.

Think of it just like a standard one-way toggle switch, but instead of throwing the switch on + off by hand, the DC power throws the switch for you. You'd wire the relay as a switch on one leg of the input for the 2000W element.

As far as wiring it with a STC-1000, you would be wiring one leg (+ or -) thru the STC-1000 on the hot side. (The STC would be making + breaking the circuit to add heat). The output of the STC would then go to the solid state relay, where the other side of the DC would be wired to the other leg of the DC side of the relay.

Relay

MC

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

Like this.

MC

 

[weirdboy]

They do make AC relays, too.

 

[Misplaced_Canuck]

They do make AC relays, too.

Good point, hadn't even thought of it.

AC input relay

MC

 

[seatbelt123]

Awesome! Thanks for the link too. $15 an free shipping. Nice.

Do I need a heat sink for this?

Edit: found a 120v AC to AC version that comes with a heat sink on the same site, $19.

 

[mattd2]

Since the STC1000 internal relay coils are 12VDC (well at least the units have 120/220V:12V transformers - then a rectifyer I'm guessing) could you not take it apart, desolder the relay(s), jump the coil pins to the output terminals, close it up and you have a 12VDC signal on the outputs to drive your SSR... just thinking outload

 

[skipper1953]

Like this.

MC

How is the DC Power Supply being powered?

 

[seatbelt123]

How is the DC Power Supply being powered?

I think he's probably suggesting borrowing a supply from an old phone charger.

 

[GriFF3n]

Did you get anywhere with this seatbelt? Looking to do the same thing with my eKettle and STC-1000.

 

[helibrewer]

Did you get anywhere with this seatbelt? Looking to do the same thing with my eKettle and STC-1000.

I'm looking at doing this with my HLT RIMs element. I opened up my STC-1000 and the relays are labeled 120V/15A. This means I should be able to run a 1500W/120VAC element (12.5A) without using an SSR. This also means you should be able to run a 6000W/240VAC element at 120VAC for the same current draw.