STC1000 Temperature controller build.

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by Rustynuts, Jul 9, 2011.

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  1. ComputerJohn

    ComputerJohn Panda Puffer

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    Ah, electrical work on a boat is not fun.. I have a 1972 34' Silverton & rewired all the 110V & a lot of the 12V system. Zinc covered wire in NOT cheap!!!!
     
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  3. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    A fellow boater! Zinc covered? I bet that was pricey - I don't want to derail this thread but we should talk boats - I'll send you a PM later.
     
  4. ComputerJohn

    ComputerJohn Panda Puffer

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    Will do.. I hear ya.. I sent you a PM already on what we dicussed last week.. :)

    Now back to your normally scheduled broadcasting... ;D
     
  5. Rustynuts

    Rustynuts Flamingo Tongue

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    The temp controller has a probe which sites in the tank and monitors the temperature. It also has two relays which switch on low temp and high temp respectively. So I set the required temperature to 26° with a differential temp of 0.3°.

    When tank temperature drops to 25.7° (that's set temp minus differential temp) then the unit turns the heater socket on in the plugbar. The heater stays on until the unit senses 26° again. Obviously you have your heater plugged in the heater socket.

    When the tank temp rises to 26.3° (that's set temp plus differential temp) the unit turns the chiller socket on in the plugbar. Your chiller/cooler/fan array etc. then stays on until the unit senses 26° again. As before, your cooler is plugged into the cool socket.

    So, if your heater fails and stays on the unit is in control, and it adds another level of failsafe to the tank. Also you have a constant temperature display accurate to 0.1° visual at all times. And your tank temperature is held between (in my case) 25.7° and 26.3°. Far more stable than just relying on the heater stat.
     
  6. Rustynuts

    Rustynuts Flamingo Tongue

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    Hey Matt. How's things? All good with you I hope. Long way to travel for me to help I'm afraid...

    :cheesy:
     
  7. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

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    Things are good sir! I have a kid now, job and 3reef. It's a wild time but I am getting a grip... at the moment. :)

    I like the safety your controller provides if a heater fails. That is cool. There were quite a few heater failures around here last year. This controller would have saved some tanks.
     
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  9. Rustynuts

    Rustynuts Flamingo Tongue

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    So pleased you're doing okay. I've been gone too long really (and I'm not much of a conversationalist at the best of times) but I look in occasionally to see how's going on. Congrats on the kid. They keep you busy mate.

    Is there nothing similar to this controller over your side? There's a few different types over here, but they're all kinda expensive. I've checked on Ebay and some sellers are listing a 110V version of this controller alongside 240v ones, so should be okay for you guys as well. Just need to modify your electrics to suit.
     
  10. Seano Hermano

    Seano Hermano Giant Squid

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    Some heaters over here are supposed to stop heating after they reach the desired temp, but aren't particularly precise. We don't have anything like this that will actually monitor the temperature to tell the heater/chiller to turn on/off.
     
  11. Rustynuts

    Rustynuts Flamingo Tongue

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    My apologies. I made the post thinking you'd all be up to speed on what I was saying. If anyone has any questions then ask away and I'll do my best.

    Our heaters also have built in thermostats, but as you say they're far from accurate. Two the same, set at the same temperature may be 2° different. I had 6 of these controllers built and set up side by side in the same tank, and they were all within 0.1° of each other. Pretty good I thought. You can also recalibrate them if you need to add a longer (or shorter) sensor wire as the different lengths affect the resistance measured by the unit.
     
  12. homegrowncorals

    homegrowncorals Ribbon Eel

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    cool diy ..... i have been looking at a 12 volt unit to use in my cooling loop for my solar frag tank.