My STC Build (with pics!)

[Labowner]

Off course tapatalk shows me the rest of the replies after I post mine lol

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Here's mine. Does this make sense?

No solder either.

 

[Labowner]

Yep that looks ok from what I can see.
Live joined to stc, heat and cool switches. switched lives coming from switches to heat and cool sockets.
Neutrals all joined and earths all joined. Easy

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

So there should be 2 earth cables popping out of the right. One to each socket?

 

[ManseMasher]

That's correct, each socket requires its own earth.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

Sorted. Thanks.

 

[DethApostle]

I think the temp probe normally comes with the stc 1000 on eBay. I'm guessing that the earth is wired in parallel to two separate trailing sockets but I could be wrong.

Sorry for the slow replies but yes as ManseMasher says the STC I bought off ebay came with a temp probe in the bundle. And yes, there are two trailing sockets so on the right side of the earthed connector block there should really be two earth wires in parallel.

If I knew what the wiring diagram had been made on I'd have redone it to show it!

edit: No soldering required either.

DA

 

[timcunnell]

Just finished my temp controller build today so just thought I would share it on here. Never done anything like this before so I am really pleased with how it has turned out! I used the case from an external hard drive to mount everything in.

I will be using this at the weekend with my fridge that I have fitted out with a 1-foot 40w heater. As it is in my garage - and its turned cooler - I am thinking I will only need to connect the heater.

 

[Bunglebrewsbeer]

That's looks rather swanky.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

Just finished my temp controller build today so just thought I would share it on here. Never done anything like this before so I am really pleased with how it has turned out! I used the case from an external hard drive to mount everything in.

I will be using this at the weekend with my fridge that I have fitted out with a 1-foot 40w heater. As it is in my garage - and its turned cooler - I am thinking I will only need to connect the heater.

Neat job you've done there mate. My second stc 1000 in on it's way. I've decided I'm going for a double socket on the heat next time. That way I can plug a couple of computer fans in, and they'll come on when the heat comes on. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to put a speed control on the fans too.

 

[Twostage]

Neat job you've done there mate. My second stc 1000 in on it's way. I've decided I'm going for a double socket on the heat next time. That way I can plug a couple of computer fans in, and they'll come on when the heat comes on. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to put a speed control on the fans too.

I've got my fans on permanently so that no hot/cool spots develop.

There's a post on the web somewhere where someone uses a 6 gang mains extension lead and has wired it so that two are heat, two are cool and two are permanently on. I haven't gone that far but I have made a four-gang with two heat and two cool. It involves surgery on the the four gang to cut the strips that carry the live/neutral/earth from socket to socket and making a second hole for the second power source at the opposite end to where the supplied one is. Not for the faint hearted but works a treat.

 

[ManseMasher]

Neat job you've done there mate. My second stc 1000 in on it's way. I've decided I'm going for a double socket on the heat next time. That way I can plug a couple of computer fans in, and they'll come on when the heat comes on. As I mentioned earlier I'm going to put a speed control on the fans too.

I went down the double socket route for heater and fan, it works a treat. Will be doing the same again for the beast....

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I've got my fans on permanently so that no hot/cool spots develop.

There's a post on the web somewhere where someone uses a 6 gang mains extension lead and has wired it so that two are heat, two are cool and two are permanently on. I haven't gone that far but I have made a four-gang with two heat and two cool. It involves surgery on the the four gang to cut the strips that carry the live/neutral/earth from socket to socket and making a second hole for the second power source at the opposite end to where the supplied one is. Not for the faint hearted but works a treat.

You've kind of lost me there a bit, but I can always ask a friend who's a sparky.
My way of thinking was that when cooling the the air in the fridge would probably circulate anyway. I would have thought fridges are designed to circulate the air to keep a relatively average temperature.

Whereas when you add a heater, in my case a reptile heater, obviously it would be best to have something circulating the air.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

I went down the double socket route for heater and fan, it works a treat. Will be doing the same again for the beast....

I've only got one STC at the moment. At the moment it's got a bit cool here.
So the STC is connected via a double adapter to two heat belts around a cider in one FV and a draught beer in another FV, just sat in the garage.

Hopefully the second one will turn up this week. I ordered from China. I didn't realise at the time there was a place in Sydney selling them for $2 more. I could have had it a week ago.

Saved about 80p.

 

[Twostage]

You've kind of lost me there a bit, but I can always ask a friend who's a sparky.

Picture paints a thousand words so :-

One side of the 4 gang gets power from the heat output, one from the cool.

Inside the 4 gang the sockets are connected in parallel by three bendy metal strips, one each for live, neutral, earth. These are cut between socket 2 and three and 1/2 inch section removed so they can't touch each other.

You have to be able to use a soldering iron and know what you are doing. Usual health and safety rules apply - if you're not confident, don't do it.

For those that have wired an STC before and think the wiring looks odd - the control box is upside down.

 

[Smileyr8]

Well this post has inspired me to get on with my own STC 1000 controller housing (for my brew fridge), I have been looking for a suitable project box to house the controller and sockets for a good while without any success (well not within the price range I wanted to pay).
So using what I had to hand I made the box it took me a good few hours and I have yet to wire it up. I used a couple of pieces of floor board and plywood off cuts.

I have yet to wire it up, I expect thats a project for tomorrow.

 

[ManseMasher]

Necessity is the mother of invention - love it!!

 

[Smileyr8]

What fans are people using for inside their brew fridges? I am currently looking at one of these, thoughts?

 

[ManseMasher]

What fans are people using for inside their brew fridges? I am currently looking at one of these, thoughts?

That'll work mate. Personally I get them out of knackered computers.

 

[Pirate_Pete]

OK Twostage I get it now. It was late here when I read your post (and I'd had two or three beers) and it didn't really sink it.
I did have a think about it after and thought there is a way to hook permanent live up too, but do I need it and could I be bothered.

I'm thinking of doing something similar to Smileyr8 for my next STC, but with double sockets. In fact IF you made a bigger version of Smileyr8's.
You could put double cool, heat and permanent. Now there's a thought.
I have a mate who's a licenced electrician, and I tend to run my ideas past him before carrying them out. Most of the time he approves.

As for fans, mine came out an old computer too. Although I'm looking for another old computer / hard drive to get a magnet for a stir plate. I can't bring myself to smash the hard drive I took out of my last computer just yet, in case I missed copying something off.


** just taking a look at ebay. These would be pretty good for someone not confident with the wiring. Looks like they do the same as an STC, but already wired. What do others think? Is it basically an STC already wired?
For only a bit extra it comes already wired and in a neat case. English plug for you blokes obviously.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LED-AU-P...-Thermostat-/161453724145?hash=item25976451f1