$20.00 Controller-how to wiring (easy)

[nc0gnet0]

I now have a total of 20 of these things. I have yet to have one fail on me, longest has been in service over 4 years now. Several people have asked me about them, but upon purchase can't quite understand how to wire them. to that end, here is a quick how to.

First the controller itself, I get these off of ebay at several different sellers. If you search ebay for "stc-1000" you will find several.

here are a couple of links:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-10A-Mini-Digital-STC-1000-All-purpose-Temperature-Controller-With-Sensor-/301124600936?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461c6cc468

http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-All-Purpose-STC-1000-Digital-Temperature-Control-Controller-with-Sensor-110V-/281368781200?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4182e2e190

[nc0gnet0]

This is what you will get:

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont1_zpsc2d507cd.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont2_zps13b0aa2a.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont3_zpsa3a99ed1.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

What your going to need:

Wire strippers
2-3 foot extension cord ($3.00 )
4 wire nuts
some small sections of wire (can be taken from extension cord)
Small flat head screw driver (ones for eye glass's work well)

Optional:

electrical tape
Project box (something to put the controller in)
Dremel with cut-off wheel or other plastic saw (for mounting the controller in certain applications)

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont4_zpsc69df2d6.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

First step;

take 4 small pieces of wire (4-5") and bare the ends exposing the wire. Notice how I kept one end only about 3/8" bare-this will be the end that goes into the controller. The other end you can strip to about 1".

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/controller5_zpsdb56fb55.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Insert two of the wires into the terminals marked "1" and "2".

Make sure you get all the wire into the terminal block and don't have any strands of wire possibly causing a short. After you have them inserted, tighten down the set screws snug. When done give the wires a little tug to make sure they are secure. You might have to first loosen the clamp to insert the wires.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont6_zpsdf38aecd.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont7_zps3c8a6da9.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Repeat the steps inserting the last two wires into terminals 5 and 6. (terminals 3 & 4 are for the temperature probe, terminals 7 & 8 are not used unless you also want to operate a chiller).

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont8_zps98a1d989.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont9_zpsfd793810.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Take the extension cord and cut it into two pieces, the male plug end (goes into the electric socket), and the female end (heater gets plugged into controller here). The length of each end will depend on where exactly your receptacle is, and where you plan on having the controller in relationship to your heater. Typically the male end is much longer while the female end is shorter, assuming the controller will be on or near the top of the tank.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont10_zps987cd6f9.jpg

I choose to use a cheap extension cord that uses 14 gauge wire. This should be more than suffice for up to 600 watts. If you plan on using the controller to control multiple heaters that exceed 600 watts, I would suggest using 12 gauge wire.

[nc0gnet0]

Take the plug end of the extension cord (with the ends stripped) and twist them onto the wires that we previously had connected to terminals 1 & 2. This will provide power to the unit.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont11_zps7fcbeb2f.jpg

Edited by Ricardo to add line from post #103



...For those that are following, all you need to do is make sure that the small blade of the power cord to the unit is attached to terminal one, the large blade to terminal two in figure eight. ...

Find post #103 Here (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?117110-20-00-Controller-how-to-wiring-(easy)&p=1143475&viewfull=1#post1143475)

[nc0gnet0]

Ok, now the next couple of steps is where most people screw up. The controller is nothing more than an automated switch/relay that is controlled by the temperature you choose to have the circuit "on" (your heater). When the probe senses the temperature drop below a certain temperature it closes the switch (which is terminals 5 & 6 ) which allows power to flow to your heater allowing it to heat. When it gets to the desired temperature, it then opens, or turns off.

So, we need to bring power to the switch. We do this by connecting terminals 2 & 5 together. Take the wire from terminal 5 and twist it to the two wires already twisted together going to terminal 2. When done twist on a wire nut. I also like to then add some electrical tape to make sure the nut doesn't come off, this is optional but recommended.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont12_zps36038c7f.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont13_zpsaa7a2f2c.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Now, as you can see, we only have two sections of bare wire left. We Also have to install the female end.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont15_zpsf5630701.jpg

Take one end of the female plug and attach it to terminal 1 (the terminal with two wires twisted together) and the other end to terminal 6, using wire nuts and electrical tape.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont16_zps9f86bbd6.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Now that the controller is wired up, we just need to insert the probe into terminals 3 & 4. this can be done first as well, however I choose to leave it until last to avoid confusing the wires.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont17_zps1f325a26.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Ok, we are done, but we might want to install the device in some type of enclosure or mount it into a stand. (or we could just live dangerously and set it like this on the tank....just don't drop in in :) )

One option is the tank stand install:

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont118_zps28bff956.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont19_zpsc1deedf2.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont20_zpsce48e893.jpg

The flash on my camera is making the display appear a lot dimmer than they are.

[nc0gnet0]

Calibration-Set-up.

1) To turn the unit on press and hold the button on the top left (circle with a line through it icon). To turn it off press and hold the button until the unit powers off (about three seconds).

2) To set desired temperature press and HOLD the "S" button. A F1 symbol will appear. While still holding the "S" button press and hold either the "^" arrow of the "down arrow". When you get to the desired temperature, release both buttons and hit the power button once. This will set the temperature the unit will maintain tank temperature at.

3) To set the temperature deviation (this is the amount of fluctuation the controller will allow before kicking on. Set this at the minimum value of 0.3. What this means is the controller will allow the temperature to fall .3 degrees Celsius before turning the heater on.). Once again press and hold the "s" button. When the F1 symbol appears, release the "S" button and hit the "up" arrow once, an F2 symbol should appear. Then press the "S" button and hold and adjust the setting to 0.3.

4) Calibrating the controller. If you have a thermometer that you know is correct, the controller unit can be calibrated to that thermometer. Just calibrate the controller up or down by pushing and holding the "S" key until the F1 symbol appears. Release the "S" button and using the up and down arrows cycle through the functions until you get to F4. Again press and hold the "S" button and either add or subtract the amount of degress you need to mach your trusted thermometer.

* The F3 function is only used if you are also using this unit to control a chiller.

[nc0gnet0]

For this particular mount, I am going to combine two different things, the controller and a LED light strip by aquaticlife. You can buy these dirt cheap on ebay here:

. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquatic-Life-LED-Freshwater-Aquarium-Light-24-Inch-Expandable-9-6-Watt-30-LEDs-/261472973103?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ce100f12f

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquatic-Life-LED-Freshwater-Aquarium-Light-30-Inch-Expandable-12-Watt-42-LEDs-/251515039617?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a8f76ef81

Please don't ask me if they put out enough light for a planted tank....:)

They do put out plenty of light for a non-planted tank, at least as much as there fluorescent counterparts in similar size.

What I am going to do is use one of those plastic fluorescent hoods that we all have laying around, rip out the innards, and then mount both the light fixture and controller in to the hood.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/mount_zps357c181f.jpg

[MKD]

That's awesome! !! Definitely will give it a try. Thank you Rick.

[daffyfish]

Thanks for the ideas. Great step by step. :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Very cool Rick. The controller acts just as a simple relay for both lights and heater? No way to control dimming the light right?

[nc0gnet0]

Very cool Rick. The controller acts just as a simple relay for both lights and heater? No way to control dimming the light right?

The heater controller and the LED lighting are two separate entities, I am just going to house them in the same enclosure, so no, the controller only operates with the heater.

If you wanted to add a dimmer to the LED light, you would need one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Manual-Dimmer-Brightness-To-DC-Adapters-For-LED-Single-Color-Light-Strip-/201227299176?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item2eda14e968

[nc0gnet0]

Mounting

Step one:

Take some tape (duct tape, painters tape, etc) and make your self a cutting template the size of the opening you want to cut. Make sure not to cut too big, you can always make a smaller cut bigger, doesn't work so well the other way :) :

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc1_zps3ad7ee94.jpg

I have found the best way to cut out plastic is to use a dremel with a cut-off wheel. Others may find different methods better (or they just don't have a dremel)-(for shame, every self respecting DIY'er has a dremel).



http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc2_zps96c50442.jpg

Opening has been cut:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc3_zps07dd0519.jpg

Remove the orange retention clips from the controller, these are used to sung up the controller to the enclosure. Feed the wires through the opening carefully and insert the controller into the hood:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc4_zps1306bf88.jpg


Re-install the retention clips, slide them up to opening and make them snug:

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc5_zps3c220750.jpg

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc6_zps2575ffb1.jpg

Ok, now here I am going to cheat a bit-take a short cut. Notice I have removed the on/off switch from the light as well as the power cord and grommet leaving two openings. Now normally I would have fed the power cord and heater dongle through these holes, however I needed to document to the best of my ability the wiring of the controller. If you like you can carefully remove each at the wire nut, feed them through and re-attach or you can do what I did here. Cut a slit from the edge of the hood into the hole that previously had the on/off switch. Keep the hole narrow enough so that the cord can only be fed down the channel width wise, and then twisted to avoid it from falling out. Do the same with the female heater dongle (the part the heater plugs into) and the probe ( I actually ran the probe out the other hole, you can do either).

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc7_zpsf031714a.jpg

Take a zip strip (you can also use tape) and sip tie the two lines together. Make sure to leave some slack inside the enclosure to the controller. This will prevent you from accidentally catching the cord on something and dislodging it from the controller:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc9_zpsb8a30d02.jpg


Installing the LED light

First I set the light into the enclosure and center it the way I want it.


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc10_zps2b30f021.jpg

Here you can see I have taken the wire clips at each end of the light and flipped them. To do this just pull them out of the LED fixture and reverse.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc12_zps22c4dedc.jpg

Drill two holes the exact same width apart and the two prongs on the lights retention clips. I actually lost the drill bit to my dremel so heated up a very small phillips screw driver and melted my way through. Make sure you place the holes far enough up so the light will not protrude out from the bottom of the hood.

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc13_zpse2c123ae.jpg

Remove the retention clip from the LED light fixture:

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc14_zps8b1c3241.jpg

Re-insert the retention clip back through the two holes you just made and back into the LED fixture:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc15_zps8ade4782.jpg

Repeat the process on the other side. Also run the power cord for the light through the slit we made for the power cord of the controller (I actually should have waited until now to put on the zip tie) and take some electrical tape and on the inside of the enclosure tape the led power cord to the controller power cord:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc16_zps4aa70045.jpg

Plug the light in and test:


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc17_zpsb62977e6.jpg


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc18_zps40cddd7b.jpg

We can now test out the controller. To do this make sure the power switch to the LED light is on. Plug the controller power cord into a wall outlet and then plug the LED power cord into the controller dongle. Assuming you have already set your operating temperature on the controller to 28C , and the ambient temperature of your room is less than that, when you turn on the controller it should be in "heat" mode and the light should come on.

Next grab a glass on warm water (warmer then 28C) and insert the probe into that. You should see the temperature climb on the controller and the LED light will go off.

If it passes these two tests your good to go. When installing in the tank, make sure you mount the probe with a suction cup or other method to the tank wall. The one thing you do not want to happen is to have the probe inadvertent fall out of the tank. This is the one thing that could go wrong with a controller, and would leave the circuit in HEAT mode constantly. Even this should not result in catastrophic failure if your heater in the tank is working properly and is calibrated 1-2 degrees above that of the controller.


http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/enc19_zps08fc6206.jpg

[nc0gnet0]

Ok, the controller LED combo is now completely functional. I illustrated it in this way in order to avoid confusion and not to intimidate people that normally would not be comfortable wiring their own controller.

There are however a few options that do increase cost a little bit but tidy things up. The one downfall with the above project is that we have two power cords, a dongle, and a probe all coming out of the back of the hood. Now, if you had a separate light and controller, you would have all of this anyways, but as we have the ability to simply how many outlets we need, why not?

So, in the next day or two I can show you a few "modifications" that will make the wiring slightly more complicated, but still very easy if followed step by step. What I will do is to remove the dongle entirely, and instead install an plug outlet to the back of the enclosure. Your heater will then plug directly to that outlet.

I will also show you how to wire it using only one power cord into the enclosure, and install (actually use the existing switch from the old fixture)a switch to the back of the enclosure to turn the light on and off. The one thing I do not care for with these LED lights is the position they placed the on/off switch. it sits right next to the wallwort (this is the small ac-dc transformer that plugs into the wall), this can sometimes be problematic depending on tank and outlet placement. Another option would be to run a cheap extension cord from the outlet up to the wallwort.

This will "clean up" the clutter considerably without effecting functionality. We would then only have one power cord and one probe cord coming out the back of the hood.

Finally (although Pat kinda stole my thunder :) ) I have a few of these on order to play with. I cannot at this time recommend them as I have not yet tried them, but they look promising-a ten function touch LED dimmer on/off switch.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Touch-Panel-Brightness-Dimmer-Controller-For-LED-Strip-Light-Lamp-12V-24V-/191344828451?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item2c8d0a6023

[kris2341]

good stuff! if you say those STC-1000s are solid, then I will definitely try them at the very least.

[OC Discus]

Great DIY project. Thanks

[rickztahone]

Impressive write up. Thanks for sharing.

[Second Hand Pat]

Cool Rick, perhaps after you post your options you can document a diy programmable controller for the LEDs :)

[nc0gnet0]

Cool Rick, perhaps after you post your options you can document a diy programmable controller for the LEDs :)

LOL, doing so would require opening up the LED light strip and making some major modifications for some of the settings you see on most programable LED's (stuff like white only, blue only etc etc.) On/off and timed brightness control is do-able.

[Second Hand Pat]

LOL, doing so would require opening up the LED light strip and making some major modifications for some of the settings you see on most programable LED's (stuff like white only, blue only etc etc.) On/off and timed brightness control is do-able.

Got greedy :D

[nc0gnet0]

Here you go Pat:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURRENT-USA-SINGLE-RAMP-TIMER-Programmable-24-hour-LED-lighting-controller-/111277341674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e8a57bea

[Second Hand Pat]

Here you go Pat:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURRENT-USA-SINGLE-RAMP-TIMER-Programmable-24-hour-LED-lighting-controller-/111277341674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e8a57bea

:thumbsup:

[nc0gnet0]

You can do some pretty cool stuff with some of the timers, trouble is the project stops becoming a "budget project".

[kris2341]

I think I shall look into creating a control console for my tanks using these controllers...

I already have the semiauto water change system going up today, having these temperature controllers in a box alongside my water pump switches sounds amazing, everything monitored in one place!

[jawfish]

Thanks for the write up... I was just 2 weeks too early in buying mine ;)

I'm happy with mine so far and I've bought several more.

[Larry Bugg]

Rick, how many heaters do you run off one controller in your fish room?

[nc0gnet0]

Rick, how many heaters do you run off one controller in your fish room?

I am not sure what your asking for here Larry so I will try to answer as follows:

You can run multiple heaters off of one controller, but they are going to need to be in the same tank. I would not advise going above 800 watts of heating power on the controller (they are rated at 10 amps).

So, yes you can say have two 300 watt heaters attached to one controller.

You cannot however use one controller to monitor and controller heaters in two different tanks. No controller that I am aware of can do this, and if there is one it is just two controllers jammed into the same housing.

Another thing to mention, when using this controller you no longer need a thermometer, and some of those coral life POS cost 8 bucks by themselves.

[nc0gnet0]

Thanks for the write up... I was just 2 weeks too early in buying mine ;)

I'm happy with mine so far and I've bought several more.

The STC-1000?

I have had some for over 4 years now.

[ZX10R]

I am not sure what your asking for here Larry so I will try to answer as follows:

You can run multiple heaters off of one controller, but they are going to need to be in the same tank. I would not advise going above 800 watts of heating power on the controller (they are rated at 10 amps).

So, yes you can say have two 300 watt heaters attached to one controller.

You cannot however use one controller to monitor and controller heaters in two different tanks. No controller that I am aware of can do this, and if there is one it is just two controllers jammed into the same housing.

Another thing to mention, when using this controller you no longer need a thermometer, and some of those coral life POS cost 8 bucks by themselves.

I am running three 300 watt heaters with my STC-1000 controller. I ran the output of the controller to the coil of a 15 amp 3 pole relay then the heaters off the relay. Rick suggested this controller to me a few years back and I have been running two of them since without a single problem yet.

[nc0gnet0]

I ran the output of the controller to the coil of a 15 amp 3 pole relay then the heaters off the relay.

Yup, with such a relay you can run quite a bit more power, can I ask how much the relay cost? In some cases it just may be cheaper to run two controllers on the same tank (think large 300 gallon and above).

[jawfish]

The STC-1000?

I have had some for over 4 years now.

I pick up the the WILLHI WH7016... in my case... same specs, same casing, different writing

[nc0gnet0]

I went ahead and order some of these to get rid of the dongle-After I install two (so I can connect two heaters if I choose) I will no longer need the dongle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281513383413?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

These will be flush mounted to the back of the hood.

I also have ordered one of these to play with:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Touch-Panel-Brightness-Dimmer-Controller-For-LED-Strip-Light-Lamp-12V-24V-/191344828451?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item2c8d0a6023

While a simple on/off switch would be a much cheaper option, I like the ability to control the intensity of the light.

I have no need for a timer as I run all my tank lighting off of a few 12 foot power strips which are themselves controlled by digital timers

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-outlet-super-power-strip-96737.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21067.jpg

I use this to time the power strip

Grasslin CP-924

http://www.advancedhydrorganics.net/shop/img/p/11415-2337-large.jpg




http://www.advancedhydrorganics.net/shop/product.php?id_product=11415

[ZX10R]

Yup, with such a relay you can run quite a bit more power, can I ask how much the relay cost? In some cases it just may be cheaper to run two controllers on the same tank (think large 300 gallon and above).

This is what I am using but I get them from work for free.

http://www.automationdirect.com/adc/Shopping/Catalog/Relays_-z-_Timers/Electro-Mechanical_Relays/Square_-z-_Cube_Relays,_Plug-In,_3A_-_15A_(78x-z-_Qxx-z-H78x_Series)/General_Purpose,_15A_(781_-z-_782_-z-_783_-z-_784_Series)/783-3C-120A

[nc0gnet0]

That would effectively boost your capacity to 1500 w (with a little headroom), about the same as two separate controllers would. I am guessing your running your heaters in a sump? I kinda like the idea of two controllers running two different heaters in the tank, with larger tanks (300 gallons+) you can get some temperature fluctuation (mitigated by flow to some extent) in the tank. Having two heaters at opposing ends would help to mitigate this.

It certainly is a viable option if you need that much heat. As my biggest tank is 90 gallons, I have no need for more than a 300 Watt heater in anyone tank, the controller should handle tanks up to 200 gallons with little issues.

-Rick

[rickztahone]

You are quite the techy Rick. I am learning a lot from your posts and also noting down a lot from the links you have posted.

[dkeef]

rick i asked you about this and couldnt quite get it. this post is the answer...

[ZX10R]

That would effectively boost your capacity to 1500 w (with a little headroom), about the same as two separate controllers would. I am guessing your running your heaters in a sump? I kinda like the idea of two controllers running two different heaters in the tank, with larger tanks (300 gallons+) you can get some temperature fluctuation (mitigated by flow to some extent) in the tank. Having two heaters at opposing ends would help to mitigate this.

It certainly is a viable option if you need that much heat. As my biggest tank is 90 gallons, I have no need for more than a 300 Watt heater in anyone tank, the controller should handle tanks up to 200 gallons with little issues.

-Rick

Yes all three of my heaters are in a sump for my 180 that is out in my garage. My temp holds very steady I bet it only changes 0.3 degrees.

[nc0gnet0]

Yes all three of my heaters are in a sump for my 180 that is out in my garage. My temp holds very steady I bet it only changes 0.3 degrees.

Just out of curiosity, do you have the probe set in the sump or in the tank?

[Second Hand Pat]

Just out of curiosity, do you have the probe set in the sup or in the tank?

That is actually a great question.

[jawfish]

Have you looked at the one with a 20 amp model ?

[MKD]

It gets better and better. Thanks to Rick for all this info.

I am running 2 heaters (500W & 300W) with separate controllers in the sump for 300G tank. Each Controller can handle up to 800-1000W but I decide to run 2 to cross check temp on both controllers and just in case 1 fail, the other back up. I place both titanium heaters in last chamber where the pump pushes water back with the returns on both ends into main tank and temp probes place in first chamber other end of sump where drain water from main tank. I am not sure tanks are not cover the top or lid but i cover mine and temp is stable so far.

[ZX10R]

Just out of curiosity, do you have the probe set in the sump or in the tank?

Probe is in the sump and my digital thermometer is in the tank

[brewmaster15]

Really Nice write up Rick, I'm a huge fan of DIY projects and I'll definetly be referencing this one down the road. What a great project!

I don't know, You and Paul have been churning out these "How to" posts left and right!:)

-al

[rdub]

Had a heater cook all of my year old galaxy Turquoise last night. Will this prevent that?

[jsullins]

Had a heater cook all of my year old galaxy Turquoise last night. Will this prevent that?
yep, the controller will shut power off to the heater at whatever your preset temp is, it could happen again though if the controller were to fail along with the heater at the same time but i would say thats a longshot to happen.

[asteele.19]

You just saved me a pile of money with heater controller how to. Very cool.

[nc0gnet0]

yep, the controller will shut power off to the heater at whatever your preset temp is, it could happen again though if the controller were to fail along with the heater at the same time but i would say thats a longshot to happen.

Chances are a controller "fail" would result in a no heat situation as opposed to a always on heat situation.

[neonmkr]

THANK YOU!!!!
I was just about to order a name brand controller for $60 and I got two for half that. Thanks again!

[timmy82]

These are a great controler I haven't had an issue with one either very reliable and easy. You can programe them to not exceed a set temperature range or go bellow a certain range either. Just don't over load them.

[Jbell]

Good post . Think I'll try this

[Jbell]

Here's a question. I need my tank to stay between 83 - 85 so should I have heater set on high side of like 86 and controller set on 84 +\- 1 degree?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[100fuegos]

Set controller at desired temperature and heater one or two degrees above.

[Larry Bugg]

Set controller at desired temperature and heater one or two degrees above.

I would assume you could turn the heater all the way up since the controller is going to shut is off at the desired temp.

Hey Rick,
Have you found that the controller is fairly accurate out of the box or have you had to calibrate them? I just completed my first two and the temp the controller shows is a little low compared to my infrared thermometer. Guess my thermometer could be off but wanted to find out what you have seen with yours.

[Jbell]

Thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nc0gnet0]

I would assume you could turn the heater all the way up since the controller is going to shut is off at the desired temp.

Hey Rick,
Have you found that the controller is fairly accurate out of the box or have you had to calibrate them? I just completed my first two and the temp the controller shows is a little low compared to my infrared thermometer. Guess my thermometer could be off but wanted to find out what you have seen with yours.

I honestly don't know how to answer this, I have never found the infrared thermometers to be all that accurate myself, but I have only used a few to date, and the ones I used would measure up to 500 degrees +.That's not to say that the controllers could'nt use a calibration out of the box either. I have always struggled at what kind of thermometer one should use to get a precise reading, lately I have been using a digital oral thermometer.

[Larry Bugg]

That helps. I will try digital oral and compare it to the controller and the infrared.

[Larry Bugg]

I used the thermometer on my TDS meter and it was the same as my infrared so I calibrated the controller to that temp. Each one showed from .6 to 1.0 Celsius higher than my thermometers. Will still check with a oral digital. Everything about these controller is easy, from set up to calibration.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx56/Bugman30040/20141221_144015_zps7534b9a5.jpg (http://s741.photobucket.com/user/Bugman30040/media/20141221_144015_zps7534b9a5.jpg.html)

[Jbell]

I got my controller off amazon Docooler 10A 110V Digital Temperature Controller Thermocouple -58~194. $14. Wiring was just a little different but I have already ordered more for all my tanks I love the simplicity and controllability of it. Thanks so much for post this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rickztahone]

Hey Ricky, does the unit come with a probe? I didn't see pics of the probe in the OP and was just wondering. I am going to grab one of these and use it on my next build. It will be a 75g with a 40g sump (only partially filled). I was thinking of grabbing two 250w heaters, rather than one 300w one, possibly a Jager heater since Jehmco has them at $22 currently. Thoughts?

Additionally, I'm thinking of placing it in the stand since everything is going to be in the sump anyways, should I worry about the exposed backing in the tank stand at all? I don't see why it wouldn't be fine, but just asking here as I do not know much about electrical work.

[nc0gnet0]

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont17_zps1f325a26.jpg

Probe is right there. And that is what I have done in cabinet mounts, I just wrap the wires up in electrical tape for a little splash protection.......

[rickztahone]

oh cool. I thought that was part of the extension cord, lol. When you mention you can get the spare wire bits from the electrical cord, any will do so long as they are the same gauge correct?

[discussmith]

It's a little hard to tell from the pics in the sticky but I would recommend if using 2 wire cords you should use a polarized cord end. Even though it works in both directions plugging in reverse will make the controller switch the neutral connection as opposed to switching the in coming hot feed. If you have a three wire cord with a ground connection this will only come in to play if you have a 2 wire heater that is not polarized.

[nc0gnet0]

Never seen a heater with a three pronged plug yet. I know what your saying about the polarized end, but why would it make a difference?

[nc0gnet0]

oh cool. I thought that was part of the extension cord, lol. When you mention you can get the spare wire bits from the electrical cord, any will do so long as they are the same gauge correct?

as long as there are of sufficient gauge would be more correct.

[rickztahone]

Ok Rick. Bought the controller and bought 2 heaters. Do I simply buy an extension cord that has 2 female plugs and plug the heaters in to that? Please advise.

Additionally, on Amazon, I was only able to find 16gauge wire that had 2 prongs, all others had a ground prong as well. Can I use 16 gauge to run 2 200w heaters?

[nc0gnet0]

16 gauge should suffice for that application.

[rickztahone]

16 gauge should suffice for that application.

Thank you sir.

[rickztahone]

I went ahead and order some of these to get rid of the dongle-After I install two (so I can connect two heaters if I choose) I will no longer need the dongle.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281513383413?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

These will be flush mounted to the back of the hood.



Rick, I really am sorry to keep pestering you, but I really do not know much about electrical work and would love to not mess anything up. You seem very knowledgeable on the subject so I hope you don't mind me reaching out and hopefully others can benefit from the questions as well. Above, you mentioned that you bought the receptacles to make a more professional look. I am interested in purchasing a project box, and would love to add some of these receptacles HERE (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pass-Seymour-P-S-8510-Component-Receptacle-Snap-in-15A-125V-w-wire-leads-/331124094852?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d1888b784). How would I go about actually wiring each one of these in accordance to your tutorial? I'm assuming the linked item can be flush mounted to the project box?

[nc0gnet0]

You would hook the white and black wires up just like you hook the female plug side of the cord in picture 10. Aquarium heaters seldom have ground wires (green) and the controller is a plastic case, so the ground wire is not needed. If you have used a three wire plug to the controller you would tie the green wires together. If you are only using a two wire conductor to power your controller (this is what I used) just snip the green wire on that plug you pictured..

[discussmith]

Rick I'm not on the forum every day but I need to respond to the question you asked in post #69. Before I do though I need to say I love DIY and how it enhances our enjoyment of the hobby and saves money. I also need to say I have no intention of upsetting anyone or being critical. This is intended as info for every one and the forums safety. To describe how serious this can be I'm going to tell a fictional but truly possible story. My wife has a discus tank in the basement. She saw this thread and wanted to protect her very expensive discus with this controller. She put it together and plugged in her heaters she keeps in the tank last night. Wanting to see how everything was doing she got up this morning and ran right downstairs to check on everything. When she didn't come back after some time I went downstairs to see why. I found her dead on the basement floor. I'm very upset I lost her and am thinking about suing the forum owners and anyone else who may be responsible or negligent for this accident. Any one working on this project should have enough understanding to tell me what could have possibly happened.

Anyone who doesn't understand has been handed a loaded gun.

[discussmith]

Here's another story. John also wanted to use this controller so he quickly got the parts and followed the instructions he found here. But not really understanding proper wiring methods he did a poor job getting his connections together and every time the controller called for heat his connections would arc and get hot until they started on fire. The fire spread to his wooden stand and he burned his house down with him and his family in it.

My point is liability. I tell people what they can do and what they need to do it, but I don't tell them how because I don't know if I'm talking to someone who knows which end of the gun is the dangerous one. When you are ready ask and I'll tell you why my wife is dead.

[brewmaster15]

Discussmith,
I can appreciate your concerns here. We do have general disclaimers in place for the.information people get on this forum, but Its probably best that when we post these Diy threads we clearly state a disclaimer and that the project is not intended to be a used as a set of plans but rather for informational purposes only.Electrical projects should only be undertaken by qualified Electricians and should be to prevailing codes....I will need to edit a few of my threads to reflect that.

Thanks,
Al

[discussmith]

In proverbs 29:18 God says that the people perish for lack of revelation or "knowledge". This is not only true spiritually but also phyically in the natural. I guess the main purpose of my story was to engender concern by readers as to why and how this project as shown is unsafe. Being that it has been over two weeks and viewed hundreds of times with no response I must conclude that either you have that knowledge and understand the issue or no one cares. So I will leave it at that and hope it is not the latter and will unsubscribe the thread.

[nc0gnet0]

In proverbs 29:18 God says that the people perish for lack of revelation or "knowledge". This is not only true spiritually but also phyically in the natural. I guess the main purpose of my story was to engender concern by readers as to why and how this project as shown is unsafe. Being that it has been over two weeks and viewed hundreds of times with no response I must conclude that either you have that knowledge and understand the issue or no one cares. So I will leave it at that and hope it is not the latter and will unsubscribe the thread.

All the information posted here are based on the wiring schematics of the controller. If you have a problem with them, take them up with the manufacturer of said device. As this is not a permanent fixture to the house, it does not fall under any building codes. As for polarity, there is no polarity requirements given on the wiring schematics, and switching is done internally within the controller. As for your gross over-exaggerations, if you can explain how the electrical shock hazard, if the instructions are followed as laid out, are any greater than having a 110volt glass heater inside a tank of water by itself, I would be greatly amused.

Following your line of logic, one should hire a licensed union electrician everytime we hang outdoor (or indoor) Christmas lights.

If you have advice that you feel could make the device safer, than by all means, feel free to add to the thread, I have no issue with that. But if you are saying that this project should only be done by a licensed electrician, I dismiss you as being overly dramatic. If you want to add a polarized plug you could do so, but it is not required on a double insulated device.


Matthew 7:3-5

"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

[Discus-n00b]

I think anyone attempting this should have some very basic electrical knowledge (by basic I mean +, -, ground, how to splice wires, etc), but I think Rick did a good job explaining and gave us a good guide to follow. You could get the same jolt or devastating results off a stock aquarium heater that shorts out or has exposed wires, same with our filters, air pumps, anything that plugs in. Theres been multiple reports of house fires on the internet caused by faulty aquarium equipment, simple power strips included. I think common sense should come into play here. You don't leave your heater dry and running do you? You don't lay it on the carpet turned on during a water change. You constantly check and monitor your equipment right? You have drip loops in your electrical cords behind the aquarium right? I'm no master electrician but I've educated myself enough to know whats safe and whats not when working on a certain project, I've wired multiple DIY light fixtures, control boxes for those lights, and built many computers without devastating results because I read up ahead of time before I attempted the project and followed guides, such as this one, that have been laid out already. If something seems sketchy I look it up.

Everyone reading, the point is, educate yourselves. Yes this is electricity, if you don't feel comfortable in your ability to do this project, don't. Speak to someone in a local club or a friend with more experience and ask for help. Better yet, ask Rick some questions or to clarify here in this thread!

[nc0gnet0]

I think anyone attempting this should have some very basic electrical knowledge (by basic I mean +, -, ground, how to splice wires, etc), but I think Rick did a good job explaining and gave us a good guide to follow. You could get the same jolt or devastating results off a stock aquarium heater that shorts out or has exposed wires, same with our filters, air pumps, anything that plugs in. Theres been multiple reports of house fires on the internet caused by faulty aquarium equipment, simple power strips included. I think common sense should come into play here. You don't leave your heater dry and running do you? You don't lay it on the carpet turned on during a water change. You constantly check and monitor your equipment right? You have drip loops in your electrical cords behind the aquarium right? I'm no master electrician but I've educated myself enough to know whats safe and whats not when working on a certain project, I've wired multiple DIY light fixtures, control boxes for those lights, and built many computers without devastating results because I read up ahead of time before I attempted the project and followed guides, such as this one, that have been laid out already. If something seems sketchy I look it up.

Everyone reading, the point is, educate yourselves. Yes this is electricity, if you don't feel comfortable in your ability to do this project, don't. Speak to someone in a local club or a friend with more experience and ask for help. Better yet, ask Rick some questions or to clarify here in this thread!

Perfectly stated, thank you. And also, all fish room equipment should be plugged into GFCI outlets.

[limige]

fantastic thread! thanks for taking the time to post it!

[rickztahone]

http://i567.photobucket.com/albums/ss118/nc0gnet0/cont16_zps9f86bbd6.jpg

Thanks to Rick I have all of these parts ready to go and will get to it as soon as I get a new Dremel. My old one gave out as soon as I had decided to start this project, lol.

Rick, I know I touched base with you before, but since I have the two seperate female plugs (with the green wire you told me to snip), do I simply twist the wires together and treat them as one? I assume that is how they would be configured in that uni-housing in the above picture, but just want to make sure.

P.S. the unit was much smaller than I thought it was going to be, which was a surprising, in a good way :)

[nc0gnet0]

Thanks to Rick I have all of these parts ready to go and will get to it as soon as I get a new Dremel. My old one gave out as soon as I had decided to start this project, lol.

Rick, I know I touched base with you before, but since I have the two seperate female plugs (with the green wire you told me to snip), do I simply twist the wires together and treat them as one? I assume that is how they would be configured in that uni-housing in the above picture, but just want to make sure.

P.S. the unit was much smaller than I thought it was going to be, which was a surprising, in a good way :)

That is correct-White to white and black to black,

[rickztahone]

Thanks again Rick. I finished mine yesterday :). Is there a way to switch to fahrenheit?
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16541973955_62924c8cca_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973955/)
DSC02515 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973955/) by SimplyDiscusPhoto (https://www.flickr.com/people/130869527@N06/), on Flickr
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/16541973915_3525055fcd_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973915/)
DSC02516 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973915/) by SimplyDiscusPhoto (https://www.flickr.com/people/130869527@N06/), on Flickr

[derekhayes1]

Just installed mine. With some basic electrical knowledge and the great instructions from this thread it was easy to hook up. Thanks for the great DIY.

Also was curious about switching to Fahrenheit. Didn't see anything in the directions though.

[nc0gnet0]

You have to buy a different model controller to get in degrees F, personally I prefer Celcius.......set to 28 and good to go.

[limige]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-58-194-Fahrenheit-Sensor/111332982758?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%2 6asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Db963d2c9f5c54d61802 9ec0fb2079a9f%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26 mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D281368781200&rt=nc

[rickztahone]

Thanks rick and limige. Wish I would have known but since I have everything wired already I will leave as is.

[nc0gnet0]

Thanks rick and limige. Wish I would have known but since I have everything wired already I will leave as is.

How is it working for you? Have you plugged a heater into it yet?

[rickztahone]

How is it working for you? Have you plugged a heater into it yet?

Not yet. I was going to fill up the 40g tank and test them but I have been swamped at work lately. I have a question for you though before I start. I have 2 250 jager heaters and I was wondering if the heaters had to be calibrated to each other? I've never calibrated a heater but it seems pretty straight forward. I have an HM TDS pen and thinking of using that as a heat measurement. Any thoughts?

[nc0gnet0]

Not yet. I was going to fill up the 40g tank and test them but I have been swamped at work lately. I have a question for you though before I start. I have 2 250 jager heaters and I was wondering if the heaters had to be calibrated to each other? I've never calibrated a heater but it seems pretty straight forward. I have an HM TDS pen and thinking of using that as a heat measurement. Any thoughts?


Should not be a real need as the controller will turn the heaters on and off. Just make sure to set the heaters at about 84-85 degrees......

You can test the unit out by just plugging a lamp into the socket and have both a hot and cold glass of water to dip the probe into.


-Rick

[rickztahone]

Should not be a real need as the controller will turn the heaters on and off. Just make sure to set the heaters at about 84-85 degrees......

You can test the unit out by just plugging a lamp into the socket and have both a hot and cold glass of water to dip the probe into.


-Rick
Oh cool. Will do bud. Thanks

[PP_GBR]

Thanks again Rick. I finished mine yesterday :). Is there a way to switch to fahrenheit?
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8585/16541973955_62924c8cca_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973955/)
DSC02515 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973955/) by SimplyDiscusPhoto (https://www.flickr.com/people/130869527@N06/), on Flickr
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/16541973915_3525055fcd_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973915/)


DSC02516 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/130869527@N06/16541973915/) by SimplyDiscusPhoto (https://www.flickr.com/people/130869527@N06/), on Flickr

Ricardo,

Please tell me the dimensions of your project box and where you ordered it from. I've been looking at these boxes on Amazon and don't know which size will fit this controller. I've been putting it off for months until I had a heater malfunction this morning which killed my flowerhorn :(.
Thanks.

[rickztahone]

I'm so sorry to hear about your flowerhorn :(

Here is the exact one I bought:
Amazon black project box (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BSRIO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

[nc0gnet0]

They have them at radio shack.

[limige]

heard the shack filed bankrupcy

[rickztahone]

heard the shack filed bankrupcy

you'd better go quick then :). I was just there yesterday.

[PP_GBR]

Thanks guys. I just ordered two controllers and will go to RS to buy the boxes. I just had another heater malfunction yesterday. Luckily, I caught it this time. It was a less than 2 yrs old Aqueon Pro. Had it replaced in November 2013.

[rickztahone]

Tried out the controller, works like a charm!

[discussmith]

You see this is why it is difficult to help people here. Someones ego always seems to get bruised because they take offense when the help being offered disagrees with their opinion. I accuse no one of sin only a lack of understanding which I wanted to correct but expected it would possibly not be received as intended. So I will explain. And again I will never revisit this thread as I have no need for the insults or assumptions as to my motives. So do with it whatever you wish.

There have been statements made that are not accurate. I mean nothing personal but will disagree with them. Dropping a glass heater plugged into a properly wired receptacle into your aquarium is not the same as using this device. This device is not classified as double insulated when you add wiring to it that is not part of the original manufacture. The problem lies specifically in not using a polarized plug and then wiring the device switching the neutral and not the hot. This allows current to always be in the heater without the presence of the return neutral. If the heater leaks or ruptures this allows the entire water column to become energized because the electricity has no place to go until you stick your hand in the water and potentially complete the circuit through your body ,or the controller switches making the neutral available. This is not the case when you plug the heater directly into a properly wired receptacle and use the heater internal control. The neutral is always present and will provide a path for the energy should the heater rupture or leak. If you use a polarized connector or better yet a three wire grounded connection and then switch the hot conductor you will always have the neutral present at the heater and only have electrical energy there when the controller sends it. This is why we switch the hot in this country and not the neutral anymore like it was decades ago. In the cause of making things as safe as possible I would recommend a three wire grounded connection with three wire grounded receptacles because then when you get a three wire grounded titanium heater like I have you can plug it in and use it. It will also force the proper polarity when using two wire heaters. Also telling someone to cut off and remove the ground connections even though they may not be currently needed is a deceptive practice and not legal electrically because one assumes when the third terminal exists it is connected, and who knows when someone may actually have a connection that needs it and it's not actually there. I have been on this site since a couple months after its inception and have learned that if you let people make mistakes they will lose some fish but will learn what they need, but electricity does not always give you that second chance. I know electricians who did some simple things , the wrong things, things they should have known better and are dead now because of it. So understand, anyone can get it wrong. If you are going to do this then do it right and do it the safest way you can.

[nc0gnet0]

You see this is why it is difficult to help people here. Someones ego always seems to get bruised because they take offense when the help being offered disagrees with their opinion. I accuse no one of sin only a lack of understanding which I wanted to correct but expected it would possibly not be received as intended. So I will explain. And again I will never revisit this thread as I have no need for the insults or assumptions as to my motives. So do with it whatever you wish.

There have been statements made that are not accurate. I mean nothing personal but will disagree with them. Dropping a glass heater plugged into a properly wired receptacle into your aquarium is not the same as using this device. This device is not classified as double insulated when you add wiring to it that is not part of the original manufacture. The problem lies specifically in not using a polarized plug and then wiring the device switching the neutral and not the hot. This allows current to always be in the heater without the presence of the return neutral. If the heater leaks or ruptures this allows the entire water column to become energized because the electricity has no place to go until you stick your hand in the water and potentially complete the circuit through your body ,or the controller switches making the neutral available. This is not the case when you plug the heater directly into a properly wired receptacle and use the heater internal control. The neutral is always present and will provide a path for the energy should the heater rupture or leak. If you use a polarized connector or better yet a three wire grounded connection and then switch the hot conductor you will always have the neutral present at the heater and only have electrical energy there when the controller sends it. This is why we switch the hot in this country and not the neutral anymore like it was decades ago. In the cause of making things as safe as possible I would recommend a three wire grounded connection with three wire grounded receptacles because then when you get a three wire grounded titanium heater like I have you can plug it in and use it. It will also force the proper polarity when using two wire heaters. Also telling someone to cut off and remove the ground connections even though they may not be currently needed is a deceptive practice and not legal electrically because one assumes when the third terminal exists it is connected, and who knows when someone may actually have a connection that needs it and it's not actually there. I have been on this site since a couple months after its inception and have learned that if you let people make mistakes they will lose some fish but will learn what they need, but electricity does not always give you that second chance. I know electricians who did some simple things , the wrong things, things they should have known better and are dead now because of it. So understand, anyone can get it wrong. If you are going to do this then do it right and do it the safest way you can.

If you feel that strongly about it then by all means feel free to show how to wire the device insuring that the hot wire is being switched, while utilizing a polarized plug. First and foremost, I believe that all fish rooms should utilize GFCI's making this all a rather moot point. Suffice it to say all glass heaters have a hot wire in the tank. As to whether or not the presence of a neutral wire will lessen the degree of electrical shock will be largely dependent on a few factors, mostly being the point of failure of the device.

For those that are following, all you need to do is make sure that the small blade of the power cord to the unit is attached to terminal one, the large blade to terminal two in figure eight. As to why the above mentioned couldn't just point this out rather than over dramatizing the whole bloody thing is beyond me, but I guess he had an axe to grind. One would think he might have pointed that out already?

[jawfish]

Hey guys I've had a couple of these units running for several months. I love them so much that I ordered 4 more but the Centigrade version this time... I'm a bit confuse as 2 of the 4 units have gone crazy on me. After several days all a sudden they temperature reading goes sky high and reads 190C When the actual temperature is 29C. The good thing is that since its reading higher its not cooking the fish... I figure I might have gotten a bad batch. As anyone else experience this issue ? I've written to the seller as they promised a 12 months warranty on these units. will see what happens.

Cheers,
Fred

[nc0gnet0]

Hey guys I've had a couple of these units running for several months. I love them so much that I ordered 4 more but the Centigrade version this time... I'm a bit confuse as 2 of the 4 units have gone crazy on me. After several days all a sudden they temperature reading goes sky high and reads 190C When the actual temperature is 29C. The good thing is that since its reading higher its not cooking the fish... I figure I might have gotten a bad batch. As anyone else experience this issue ? I've written to the seller as they promised a 12 months warranty on these units. will see what happens.

Cheers,
Fred

Make sure you haven't somehow nicked the wire on the thermostat probe. If you have it would cause a short (not dangerous) and give you erroneous readings. You can get replacement probes for a buck or so. What I would do, is to swap a probe from a known working unit to a unit that is flaking out on you and see if that solves the problem. If it does, I can send you a link to where you can get new ones (or return it to the seller).

-Rick

[jawfish]

Thanks Rick.

I have some spare units. I will change the temperature probe tonight. I will keep you posted... I love these things and I do not discount this could be from my end. I've already ordered 30 replacement probe as I did not like one type I got. It didn't seemed to be as waterproof as the others. I got them for 75 cents a piece.

[jawfish]

Well I tried changing the temperature probe... It went down by 100C and indicated 88 instead of 25... It was worth a try.
Cheers,
Fred

[jawfish]

Well I'm comfuse now... I got a new batch and just for the fun I installed anothet temperature probe on the defective unit. Well guess what.... it works perfectly. So yes Rick you were right its the probe. One thing I did notice was the size of the wires were thicker.

Cheers

Fred

[MGKelly]

where did you order the probes?

thanks, Joe


Well I'm comfuse now... I got a new batch and just for the fun I installed anothet temperature probe on the defective unit. Well guess what.... it works perfectly. So yes Rick you were right its the probe. One thing I did notice was the size of the wires were thicker.

Cheers

Fred

[jawfish]

I got the probe from ebay.
There are numerous sellers...

[rickztahone]

Rick, should the probe go in the sump or in the DT?

[nc0gnet0]

I would think either would work with the DT being preferred? I don't have any sumps myself.

[rickztahone]

I would think either would work with the DT being preferred? I don't have any sumps myself.

Gotcha. I also have one of those alert monitor probes that I could just stick in the sump as well for redundancy. Thanks Rick. I swapped out the polarity btw. Turns out I had it the other way around. I know you said it doesn't matter, but I was tweaking stuff today anyways.

[Alight]

Can you give me how you searched for these probes? I can find some of them, but not enough to really compare. Thanks!

Alight

[jawfish]

These are the ones I got
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261475576812?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Fred

[Alight]

Thanks, Fred. Looks like a good deal.

Al Light

[rickztahone]

Tested out the controller this past weekend. Worked like a charm. Steady readings too. Thanks Rick. This was one of the cheaper, yet more imporant factors of my build.

[Debow]

Quick question I want to get one of these and found this one in eBay that is in Fahrenheit, is this a pro or a con ? I see you all have celsius ? Before I buy it I want to make sure. http://http://m.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-58-194-Fahrenheit-US-/121314210967?nav=SEARCH (http://m.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-58-194-Fahrenheit-US-/121314210967?nav=SEARCH)

[nc0gnet0]

Quick question I want to get one of these and found this one in eBay that is in Fahrenheit, is this a pro or a con ? I see you all have celsius ? Before I buy it I want to make sure. http://http://m.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-58-194-Fahrenheit-US-/121314210967?nav=SEARCH (http://m.ebay.com/itm/10A-110V-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermocouple-58-194-Fahrenheit-US-/121314210967?nav=SEARCH)

Appears to be the same.

[Debow]

Thanks, I seem to be having a hard time keeping my tank at 82. Going to get 2 titanium heaters probably 2 800w or 1000w Won Brothers and run two controllers. My sump is in my basement and it gets cold down there and even insulating the sump I still have a hard time heating even with 3 400w heaters seams like they run 24/7. I want to try and make the heating more stable. This controller sounds like a good idea for those heaters.

[rickztahone]

That seems like a lot of watts but you do have a large tank.

[Debow]

Ya I know, I am lead to believe that having larger heaters and less of them is more efficient than several smaller heaters.

[Mpphawk]

I have a finnex 800w heater with a bad controller. I should be able to use this as a replacement right.

[nc0gnet0]

I have a finnex 800w heater with a bad controller. I should be able to use this as a replacement right.

is the controller part of the heater, or does the heater plug into the controller? Pics?

[Mpphawk]

94073

[nc0gnet0]

yup, jut to be sure, if you plug the heat stick into an outlet without the controller, does it get hot? (won't take long)

[Mpphawk]

Yes it does. Thanks

[Debow]

Love these things! I built one for my SW tank and just ordered 2 more for my discus tank.

[gordo33]

I am in the process of wiring an inkbird STC1000 controller and have a question with wiring. I plan on connecting the controller to an duplex outlet with 14 gauge wire all housed in a project box. The cord I cut to power the unit is from a 15 amp outlet strip that has 12 gauge wire. Is there electrical issues if the wire gauge doesn't match?

[DJW]

A 15-amp power strip that is fed by 20-gauge wire? That doesn't sound right. I wouldn't use anything smaller than 14-gauge.

[gordo33]

A 15-amp power strip that is fed by 20-gauge wire? That doesn't sound right. I wouldn't use anything smaller than 14-gauge.

Oops typo that should have been 12 gauge wire from the power strip. So can I use 2 different size wires as I discribed?

[DJW]

Yes, no problem. Just don't put more than 1200 watts of heater on one controller, or 1000 watts to be on the safer side.

[gordo33]

Ok thanks, I will be using 2 300 watt heaters