# Where To Buy Thermostat.



## kman (29/5/04)

im looking for one of those thermostats that you plug the freezer in to it and then plug the thermostat into the wall and set the temp.

you know the ones im talking about. Does anyone know where i can buy one? ive heard some homebrew shops have them, but mine doesnt.

thanks

kman


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## JasonY (29/5/04)

Pretty sure you can get them from Grain & Grape, the brand is growarm, just make sure it is the one you want. I think one is designed to heat so will switch when temp is lower than setpoint and another is designed to cool so switches when temp is above setpoint.

I got mine from TWOC in WA for about $90 so you may find cheaper if you shop around. You could also build one yourself if you dare.

In any case you deinfately want to read this thread.


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## dicko (29/5/04)

Kman,
If you get one of those Grow warm jobs you can wire it which ever way you want it or you can have it both heat and cool, although you will have to find a sparky etc that knows how to do it as they only come wired for one way use.
I rewired mine and it switches the fridge on when it gets too hot and a 20 watt bulb if it gets too cold.
A mighty fine set up IMO.
Another option is that you can buy the same control but without the box it comes in and you still need to have it wired to suit your needs.
It is made by E.G.O. and the model is EF55.13204.010
I dont know where you can buy one but if you do a search on this site or the Grumpys site there was a lot of info about them some time ago or maybe one of our fellow brewers might help when they read these posts.
Hope this helps,
Cheers


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## dicko (29/5/04)

Hi once again Kman,
I just found a bit more info on that thermostat.
This was a quote from a post at Grumpys

QUOTE>
chaps'
I have been following some very interesting posts on this site regarding various methods
of controlling the fermation temp.If any one is interested there is a temp controller
available for $33.00 at global components Blacktown nsw, ph 0288313133,
email [email protected]
The unit is made by E.G.O. and the model no is ef55.13204.010.
I have been using one now with great success for over5 years, 
another brewer Brian of Birkenhead has just purchased one and can confirm the price.
Just dial in the desired temp and walk away from it. it is very reliable.
QUOTE<

Kman,
If your intention is to use this thermostat on a freezer for a keg fridge you will only need the "cold" side of the switch and it will be spot on.
Cheers


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## Tony M (30/5/04)

For W.A. brewers, "All Controls" in Belmont have these. Same price.


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## kman (31/5/04)

ive email them, hopefully i will be able to get them to send me one rather then me driving up.

thanks for the link.

cheers


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## Poodz (28/6/04)

Just wondering kman if u got one of those thermostats from global components?


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## kman (29/6/04)

no not yet, they still have not replied to my emails.

If you can get a responce from them, i would be interested in getting one still.

cheers


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## SJW (29/6/04)

I just rang the number and got Grace Brothers at Parramatta. I will try telstra's directory phne number and see how that go's.


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## SJW (29/6/04)

The number is 02 98313133 and they don't stock em anymore.


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## kman (29/6/04)

damn, looks like the only option now is the grain and grape $100 one.

oh well, you cant win em all


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## Justin (29/6/04)

I can still recommend the TS-040S (0-40C) thermostat from www.tobins.com.au. $38.50 incl. GST

These thermostats can both heat and cool with the flick of a switch (you have to set it up with this switch). There really isn't much to wiring these up. Just a though. Hope they still have some in stock now though. Bought 5 of them on Thursday last week. Holding them in my hot little hands now.

Cheers, Justin


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## ForkBoy (29/6/04)

Justin,

Could you provide a quick run-down of what's required for wiring?

Is it just a matter of wiring this up to the middle of an extension cord, and adding a switch-box housing? How do you wire the switch?

Cheers,
Matt


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## GMK (29/6/04)

justin

a pic or two would be good...

Thanks


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## Justin (29/6/04)

Off the top of my head I can't recite it exactly (correctly!) so I'll take notes when I get home tonight and report back tomorrow. Basically there is just three tabs off the thermostat. One is connected to common. One is open on heating, one is closed on heating. You just need to connect to the right tab (hence the switch) to have the heating option or cooling option.

I'll post a pic when I know the "correct wiring configuration" and which way round the heating and cooling options are.

Cheers, Justin


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## Justin (30/6/04)

Ok guys, here it is. 

Now, there are two possible modes of operation with this thermostat. 

You can:

1. get the thermostat to switch on an electrical appliance when the temperature in your enclosure drops below your desired temp (like an ale fermentation box for example. You may use it to turn on a low wattage light bulb to raise the temp).

2. get the thermostat to switch on an electrical appliance when the temperature in your enclosure raises above your desired temp (as in a lagering fridge. When the temp rises your fridge will turn on and hence lower the temperature).

In order to have both these options available to you from the one thermostat you need to install a switch (see wiring diagram). The installation of this switch to flick between both modes is also available to those with a Growarm thermostat, but check this with a multimeter to make sure. It's exactly the same in my experience, but you make your own judgement.

I installed this thermostat in an extension lead. I cut open the insulation and found the wire that I wanted (the active, it was brown in my case but the colour can change) then cut the wire and installed my switch and thermostat here. I used a Jaycar jiffy box to house the thermostat and mount the switch, I suggest you do the same. There are other options available (like the installation of a plug fitting as seen in the growarm controller) but I leave the creative stuff to you. 


Good luck guys. Be safe, check your work and hopefully everything will work out great.

Cheers, Justin

Disclaimer-I'm not an electrician. If you fry yourself- I'm not at fault. If you doubt your ability to perform this wiring safely or check your job, then get someone that knows how to do it to either help, do the job for you or check your work for you. I offer this info out of a will to help others, it is correct to the best of my knowledge. It is not difficult stuff but undertake this project at your own peril.


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## GMK (30/6/04)

Justin

Looks good.
Does this thermostat have an external temp probe - or is the temp sensor internal.

Thanks.


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## Justin (30/6/04)

External probe. As below it come's with the knob, bezel and screws, you just need a jiffy box to mount it in.

0-40 SPDT 16A Thermostat (with Knob, Bezel & Screws)

Trade Price: A$38.50 Each 
(Price includes 10% GST)
Single Pole Double Throw
Temperature Range: 0 - 40C
Capillary Length: 1 metre, stainless steel
Bulb Size: 5.8mm dia. x 126mm
Differential: 4C


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## GMK (30/6/04)

tahnks

Justin

Differential of 4C

is this the hysteresius between the cooling and heating option?

Thanks again.

If you have one spare i would be happy to buy one - 40.00 plus freight?


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## Justin (30/6/04)

Sorry, they're all accounted for.

Yep the 4C is the hysteresus (sp.) (basically you set the temp at eg. 15C and it will vary +/-2C), which really isn't much when your looking at changing the temp of a 25L vessel full of liquid. I find that the temp hardly changes at all. And the hyst. seems to be less than 4C anyway. I reckon you'd be lucky to find a mechanical thermostat with a hyster. differential of less than 4C (I have a Johnson Controller with variable hyst. that is between 3 and 5C).

Cheers, Justin


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## ForkBoy (30/6/04)

Thanks Justin, this is very helpful!


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## Poodz (4/7/04)

Ive just pulled out a thermostat from my chest freezer (it was stuffed, even more once i tried to fix it), and im hoping to replace it with one of those tobins jobs (who havent replied to my email???)

Anyway, im no electrician but studying the thermostat i pulled out and the power plug i notice that there is 3 wires in the cable (active, earth and neutral), but there is 3 wires attached to the thermostat, one of which is an earth. The other two must both be active right??? 1 in and 1 out...

Basically what i want to know is 1: is the neutral wire attached only to the freezer motor or whatever it does? and 2: will a new thermostat such as one from tobins be able to simply replace the one i ripped out?


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## Justin (5/7/04)

Ok, as above I'm no electrician, but the above thermostat can just replace the one you pulled out. Remember though that there is probably one more tab on the Tobins thermostat than on the one in your freezer (because your freezer one only works one way remember, only cools vs the Tobins ability to heat and cool.)

Without looking at the thermostat I'd be tipping that both the wires you talk about coming off the thermostat are active leads (they have to be because that's the way it works), it should be pretty much as I've shown above. Just think of the thermostat as a simple switch, therefore it just makes a break in the active wire which you then switch on and off to control the unit. As you stated one is probably an earth (you need to check this and make sure you have the right one) and the other two will be active leads. Try and remember that because I have put a switch in before the thermostat that only one wire is really running through the thermostat at any one time. If you don't want to control a heating or cooling option then you don't put in the switch and you only hook up ONE wire (yes the common stays attached, I'm not talking about that one,just the No 1 and 2 terminals). DO NOT CONNECT BOTH THE 1 AND 2 TERMINALS AT ONCE. That's why the switch is in there.

Ok, be safe and good luck.

Cheers, Justin


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## Poodz (5/7/04)

Thanks for your help Justin, just another question or 2.

There are 3 wires into the old th'stat, a green and yellow (the earth), a black wire and a brown wire. My understanding is that black is normally neutral. This confuses me if there is only 1 active wire going in??? 

Also, about tobins, they havent returned my email how long did it take you to get hold of them and did you email or call?


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## Justin (5/7/04)

I emailed them and got a reply but did the order over the phone. It's best to call them anyway as I couldn't find a happy way of paying by credit card over the net (it's not a secure site). Factor in about $6-8 for postage in an express post satchel.

I'm sorry about the wiring but I just can't give you much more info without looking at your situation as I'm just making wild guesses, and that's not safe-there are consequences for stuffing up here. There are complicating factors such as the running of the compressor and stuff which make it a bit harder to work it out on this side of the screen. Does the freezer just stay on all the time and hence just get bloody cold? If so just make an inline thermostat with an extension lead like I did above and control the freezer that way. Or if you can bypass the thermostat in the freezer (so it runs all the time) you can do it that way as well (with the external inline job). You can make this option to cantain within the freezer itself. 

If I was able to look at it I could help you no worries as it's pretty simple but I just can't tell you what to do without looking at it. I have no idea what's going on in your particular freezer. You're going to have to ask around all your mates (or your Dad's mates, anyone you know) an see if anyone knows what they're doing and if they can give you a hand. Worst case get a fridgey or sparky to help. I just can't safely give out the necessary info over the net like this, sorry.

Good luck with it though.

Cheers, Justin


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## Poodz (5/7/04)

Thanks for your help justin, ill talk to a few people and im going to take the part i pulled out to a local fridge fixer second hand dealer today. Maybe he might help, maybe he'll try and sell me a new one. Any way, i understand you cant help with out seeing it. 

Thanks again.

Jim.


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## Poodz (6/7/04)

Can i replace my freezer th'stat (broken), with a fridge th'stat?


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## Linz (6/7/04)

Thanks Justin!!...


clear as a bell with the pic. Mine was packed in a plastic bag with NO directions


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## Justin (7/7/04)

Yep, mine didn't have any directions either, and packed the same. Just the plain old thermostat and the knob. There is a little wiring diagram on the back of the thermostat that shows you the common and then the switched lugs but not which ones open when. I just sat down and had a think about what I wanted and pulled the multimeter out and built it. Glad to hear your underway, sorry it took so long to get back to you with a diagram.

Cheers, Justin


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## ForkBoy (8/7/04)

Thanks again Justin, I built one of these tonight based on the intsructions you put up and it works a treat!


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## Doc (26/7/04)

Justin said:


> 0-40 SPDT 16A Thermostat (with Knob, Bezel & Screws)
> Trade Price: A$38.50 Each
> (Price includes 10% GST)
> Single Pole Double Throw
> ...


 Tobins must be getting a few requests for these puppys too.
Just rang and ordered one and the guy knew the part number off the top of his head  

Thanks for the tip and post Jusin.

Beers,
Doc


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## Corey (26/7/04)

Those of you doing a freezer conversion might be more interested in keeping your freezer functionality whilst still allowing great fermentation control. For only a few extra $$ it would be worth it.

Go to www.rsaustralia.com and search for 2506061.

This thermostat has a temp range of -35C to 35C. The temp differential is +/- 0.5K.

There are offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Otherwise postage is probably $10. I haven't ordered yet, but will be soon.


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## Justin (26/7/04)

Not a bad find. Although, if I want my freezer to work as a freezer I just unplug the thermostat. Ta da, back to a freezer (as was demonstrated when my flatmate turned the freezer on when I had allocated the thermostat to another short term duty. 18L ice blocks. Doh!!).

But yeah, it would be nice to be able to turn the temp down for a -1C lagering period. 0C is good enough for me. Looks like that one may have a differential of between 1 and 5C. The ?? marks are a bit confusing. Would do the job though.

Cheers, Justin


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## kman (27/7/04)

ive just turned my freezer to the min setting, in there i have a bottle of water and a bottle of beer, plus a few glass i think.

So hopefully it will be cold, but not too cold, i figure, frozen water should be ok, but frozen beer is not.

because just like the grea man said: "You know me, Marge. I like my beer cold, my t.v. loud, and my homosexuals, fuh-laaaaming." Homer Simpson


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## Doc (27/7/04)

Good luck Kman.
I turned my new freezer down to min to see what the temp would be and it settled at -18.5 degC.
So I'm replacing the thermostat  

Doc


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## kman (27/7/04)

lol, damn, i hope mine doesnt do that, in fact ill go check it now, its only been on a hour or so


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## RobW (27/7/04)

I have an old chest freezer that I run on the minimum setting & it swings between -8 & +8 but won't freeze things as long as they don't sit on the bottom (where the cooling coils are I guess). That's the air temp, I haven't got around to checking the temp of liquids. The more stuff I put in there to act as ballast the less the swing seems to be too.


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## kman (27/7/04)

i just checked mine then, its been going 2 or 3 hours i guess now since i turned it on, frost on the side walls, but nothing frozen yet, fingers crossed, but im not holding my breath.

also just installed my font on to the new freezer and fastened it ontop. The nut was cutting into the plastic on the bottom of the lid, so i cut a bit of timber approx 200mm x 50mm x 25mm and drilled a hole in it, so the pressure would be taken over a greater area. Works a treat.

anyway, ill leave the freezer on over night a check it when i get home tomorrow, hopefully no frozen stubby (but if it does freeze, will it still be all right?)

cheers

kman


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## Doc (27/7/04)

Thermostat arrived today.
Installed it tonight.
Took a bunch of photos and have added them to a sub album in the gallery. You can check them out here
I'll add more photos as my conversion comes along.
Got an email from a mate in NZ and he has a four tap font on the way for me, so should only be a matter of a couple of weeks and she'll all be finished and under load testing B) 

Doc


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## kman (27/7/04)

do you have any electrical style experence in stuff like this? and if not was it hard to install? 

and where, how much, delivery time........... thermostat, understand?

(sorry, 7 too many beers maybe  )

im also going to steal your idea of using cutouts too see how many kegs will fit, i know i can get 4, but fingers crossed for 5 (or 4 and a gas bottle)


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## Doc (28/7/04)

kman said:


> do you have any electrical style experence in stuff like this? and if not was it hard to install?
> 
> and where, how much, delivery time........... thermostat, understand?


Experience yes. I did Electronic and Software Engineering including some Power electronics. It was quite some time ago now, but the basics are still in my head.

Ordered the unit about 4:30pm Monday from Tobins in Sydney and it was at my office 4pm Tuesday (Sydney).

The hardest part of the install was I initially tried to put the thermostat probe in the orifice the original one came out of (see photos). Because the original one didn't have a bulb on the sensor the hole wasn't big enough. After 5 mins of trying to make it bigger I just shoved it in one of the other holes next to it made for the purpose (see photos and you can see there are still another couple there). Finally to put the dial from the freezer on the thermostat (so you wouldn't know things had been changed took a bit of force. The thermostat dial shaft on the new one was a bit bigger than the original one. *But when your only tool is a hammer every problem looks like a nail*  Solved quickly and easily. :lol: 

Got up this morning and it is sitting nicely around 1-2 degrees. So all is looking good.

Doc


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## kman (28/7/04)

results of my test - 1 frozen block of ice in a PET bottle, 1 frozen stubby of beer.

Looks like im now in the market for a new thermostat. Damn!


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## BrentonSpear (14/8/04)

For anyone looking to use the Tbbins thermostat (or any other kind), here is a picture of my EGO one that I bought from Grain & Grape.

The wiring diagram is exactly the as the one Justin has provided.


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## Poodz (25/8/04)

Can anyone tell me, would it be possible to replace an existing feezer thermostat with one of the tobins jobs, or the other one listed from rsaustralia???

You see i have a chest freezer with no original thermostat. I chucked a fridge thermostat in there and thats working ok but i would like one that i can adjust to a wider temp range.

Would i be wasting/risking my money trying to replace the thermostat instead of doing what most people here have done and that is using it as a secondary thermostat attached to the power cord before the freezer itself?


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## Batz (25/8/04)

G&G have thermostats on special for $89 at present


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## Poodz (30/8/04)

Where to buy a thermostat?

Right here ;-)

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=2880


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## chillamacgilla73 (17/3/05)

Tony M said:


> For W.A. brewers, "All Controls" in Belmont have these. Same price.
> [post="20086"][/post]​


I have just spoken to Darren @ All Controls in Belmont & will collect a thermostat this afternoon. Now $35.00(+GST). Part No has changed - will post new numbers when available.
 
Cheers


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## Trough Lolly (8/6/05)

Excellent thread, guys!

Even the hand tool challenged like me understood most of this - and I'm looking for a thermostat controller for my beer fridge, as lager time approaches!
TL


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## Wobbo (8/6/05)

Trough Lolly said:


> Excellent thread, guys!
> 
> Even the hand tool challenged like me understood most of this - and I'm looking for a thermostat controller for my beer fridge, as lager time approaches!
> TL
> [post="62801"][/post]​



TL
To save yourself some postage or a trip to Sydney, Actrol Parts (www.actrol.com.au) at Fyshwick sell thermostats similar to the tobins unit for about $40. Also Jaycar at Fyshwick have the new temp controller kit as detailed in the latest Silicon Chip mag for $39.95, problem is you need to be good with a soldering iron.......

Cheers
Wobbo


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## Trough Lolly (8/6/05)

Hey Wobbo, thanks for the excellent tip!
Hmmm, a soldering iron, eh? Last time I used one of those was in 1979 and I was in Rad Tech training at RAAF Laverton. I failed that course and became a morse code operator instead! I got in the $hit for blowing up the damn multi meters!!  

Nonetheless, I can cable up a mean stereo video system so I reckon that Tobins unit will be no probs and I'll get one of the brew club tech guru's to check it out when I'm done...  
Cheers,
TL


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## Plastic Man (2/8/05)

dicko said:


> I rewired mine and it switches the fridge on when it gets too hot and a 20 watt bulb if it gets too cold.
> A mighty fine set up IMO.
> Another option is that you can buy the same control but without the box it comes in and you still need to have it wired to suit your needs.
> It is made by E.G.O. and the model is EF55.13204.010
> [post="20062"][/post]​



Dicko

Hate to jump back so far - but you posted in an earlier "thermostat" thread (a few posts down page one) that you had set up your thermostat to both cool and heat as needed - without flicking a switch. Does it cycle too much between the globe and the compressor set up like this. Also - if possible - any description of the wiring would be most appreciated !!

STOKES sell an equivalent to the EGO EF55.13204.010 so I'm keen to look at this option.

Cheers - Richard.


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## Justin (2/8/05)

You can do this with any thermostat that will give you heat or cooling options. As long as you have access to the tabs/terminals it should be no worries. Wire it up so that the fridge is connected to the common terminal and the cooling terminal, wire the heater so that it is connected to the heating tab and the common tab.

When the heater is on, the fridge is off and vice versa. I only wired a switch into my thermostat so that I only had one plug coming out of the device versus two as I had no need to do both heating and cooling at once off the one thermostat. 

If you want to have both a heating and cooling option running at once I would only attach a very weak, low wattage heater (15W light bulb for example), otherwise when the fridge turns off and the heat come on it will heat up very quickly when then turns your fridge back on. Not really a very efficient set up in my books.

I cant see why you'd need to run both at once though? If you house is too cold, using just a heater will allow the heater to warm things up then naturally cool down. And vice versa with the fridge, if your house is warm get the thermostat to tunr the frdige on to cool things then let the ambient temp warm things back up.

If you get something with a small hysterisis you wont have a wide temp variation. Plus if your dealing with 25L of liquid the air temp might fluctuate 5C but I guarantee the liquid wont change that much in that space of time.

Cheers, JD


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## dicko (3/8/05)

Justin said:


> You can do this with any thermostat that will give you heat or cooling options. As long as you have access to the tabs/terminals it should be no worries. Wire it up so that the fridge is connected to the common terminal and the cooling terminal, wire the heater so that it is connected to the heating tab and the common tab.
> 
> When the heater is on, the fridge is off and vice versa. I only wired a switch into my thermostat so that I only had one plug coming out of the device versus two as I had no need to do both heating and cooling at once off the one thermostat.
> 
> ...



Justin

The reason I set my controller up this way is because if you brew in a shed like I do and the ambient temp during the day is say 25 deg and overnite it drops to say 12 deg then what happens is the low temp overnite causes the temp inside the fridge to continue dropping and while it may not get down to 12 deg it can drop to around 15 (assuming ale yeasts) and then you end up with a stuck ferment. 
It is not until the air inside the fridge warms up higher than the set temperature that the fridge will switch back on.
If you had the fridge in an area that didnt drop more than a degree or so you could just use the cooling cycle.
BTW, heating and cooling dont run at once on my system as ther is a couple of degrees c of temp differential between cooling and heating on the EGO unit.

As with most things in brewing each to their own when it comes to set up and what works for some may be unecessary to others.

Plastic Man,
I will have to pull the switch apart to detail the wiring and I wont have time to do so until the weekend.
I will PM you the details
Cheers


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## recharge (29/1/06)

chillamacgilla73 said:


> Tony M said:
> 
> 
> > For W.A. brewers, "All Controls" in Belmont have these. Same price.
> ...


Chilla
did you have any more details on the thermo you bought in belmont?

Cheers 
Richard


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## chillamacgilla73 (29/1/06)

Richard,

I forgot to follow up...oops. It was Damien not Darren(I'm crap with names) at All Controls and I think from memory the model was TS040....Tobins brand 0-40degC thermostat. I asked plenty of questions and they were very helpful although somewhat cautious which is a good thing in my book. It was much easier to install than I expected. I printed posts on wiring after doing a search and basically copied the wiring from the existing thermostat and stood back using a broom stick to flick the switch(Ever the pessimist) and it was a goer.I would also suggest getting a digital thermometer with Max/min to monitor/calibrate the thermostat setting(Mine is about 4deg out). I tape the thermostat probe thingy (Capillary?) and also the max min probe to the outside of my fermentor and adjust accordingly.

Temperature control and using a good quality yeast starter improved my brews by at least 100%.

Let us know how you get on.


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## Patrice9 (6/6/11)

Justin said:


> Ok guys, here it is.
> 
> Now, there are two possible modes of operation with this thermostat.
> 
> ...


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## Patrice9 (6/6/11)

*Hi Justin

I want to build one of these thermostats. I already ordered the parts. 

I only want to heat. No cooling. 

Can you please see the attached image and confirm that the proposed wiring is OK. 

The picture of the completed unit is that of another member (MAH). I just added the comments about my proposed wiring>

Many Thanks. 

Patrice

*=======================================================


Justin said:


> Ok guys, here it is.
> 
> Now, there are two possible modes of operation with this thermostat.
> 
> ...


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## Spork (6/6/11)

Why???


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## Patrice9 (7/6/11)

Because I have no use for cooling. I just want to control the heat. 
=========


Spork said:


> Why???


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