# temp control wiring question (not an STC)



## GrumpyPaul (25/5/17)

Ages ago I picked up two C1260-d temp controllers of a forum member.

I finally got around to wiring them up.

Here is the pic of the back of the controller.





My question is in there any difference in the two wirning scenarios below.

Specifically in relation to the postive wire going in...

In scenario 1 the positive is split outside of the controllers then goes to pins 1 and 3 seperately.

In scenario 2 the live goes directly to pin 1 and then loops from 1 to 3.

In my little head they have the same effect of having a constantly live source going to pins 1 and 3.




The reason I ask is that I wired up one of these using scenarion 2 - I now have a burnt out controller that appears to have melted/burnt around pins 3 to 5.

Is the issue my wiring or the fact that my HLT might be overloading the controller. It has two 1800w elements - so basically its 3600w


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## barls (25/5/17)

id say that would be your problem as these are only designed to take 10 amps not the 16-18 it would be with two elements on it.


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## GrumpyPaul (25/5/17)

barls said:


> id say that would be your problem as these are only designed to take 10 amps not the 16-18 it would be with two elements on it.


bugger - had a feeling that was it.

Which means if I continue to use this urn as my HLT - Im not going to be able to set and forget the temp using a controller. back to sticking a thermometer in the HLT.

oh well - at least I found the problem before i set fire to the shed.


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## evoo4u (25/5/17)

From the diagram on the unit, it looks like the COOL switch is rated at 16A, and the HEAT rated at 10A. How strange!


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## barls (25/5/17)

maybe something like this that can handle the amps
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ITC-100VH-PID-Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-240V-control-heating-fan-/222280083106?var=&hash=item33c0ece6a2:m:mGWAh2x0MpM5racMw_l3w7A


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## Gloveski (25/5/17)

GrumpyPaul said:


> Ages ago I picked up two C1260-d temp controllers of a forum member.
> 
> I finally got around to wiring them up.
> 
> ...



Being a sparky mate your wiring either way is the same . As stated by evoo4u your most likely issue is that you have exceeded the rating of your controller switch with your two elements. An easy way to know your max wattage is Volts x amps so you already know that your voltage is 240v so if your controller switch is rated at 10A . So 240 x 10 = 2400 watts . Also your two elements gives you 15A (3600 divided by 240 = 15 ) so as your cool switch is rated at 16A if your not using this bang your wiring in this as at the end of the day its just a switch . Also another thing is to have the correct gauge of wiring as your circuit breaker in your house are there to protect your wiring not your device . So if your cable is to small your fail point will be your cable. I would do some research on your controller as I would be thinking the heat switch should be higher rated than the cool switch seems strange. If you have a sparky mate handy get him to check your wiring and connections not something you should be playing around with if you don't know what your doing


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## GrumpyPaul (25/5/17)

Gloveski said:


> Being a sparky mate your wiring either way is the same .


Thats what I thought



Gloveski said:


> Also your two elements gives you 15A (3600 divided by 240 = 15 ) so as your cool switch is rated at 16A if your not using this bang your wiring in this as at the end of the day its just a switch .


Trouble with that idea is if i us the cooling switch for the element - its only going to turn on (and stay on) when it is over the set temp.

Thinks I will look into a 15A or more controller


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## Gloveski (25/5/17)

GrumpyPaul said:


> Thats what I thought
> 
> 
> Trouble with that idea is if i us the cooling switch for the element - its only going to turn on (and stay on) when it is over the set temp.
> ...


yeah really strange that the cooling side is rated higher than the heating side


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## klangers (25/5/17)

Not particularly odd that the cooling switch is higher rated - a refrige compressor has far higher starting current than running, whereas resistive heaters are much the same. So a compressor with a 10A running current could easily draw 16 at startup.


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## mr_wibble (26/5/17)

deleted.


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## GrumpyPaul (26/5/17)

Mr Wibble said:


> deleted.


ooh I hate mystery posts like this one.....

feel like I've missed out on something


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## mr_wibble (27/5/17)

GrumpyPaul said:


> ooh I hate mystery posts like this one.....
> 
> feel like I've missed out on something


Well I posted suggesting that he could use the controller to switch an SSR (Solid State Relay) which are rated to 40A (Jaycar ones, many others), and then switch his high-current elements with that - in a daisy-chain.

But then I realised that his controller is switching (probably) 240AC, not the "up to" 24V DC that the SSR wants as input, so it was a potentially dangerous suggestion. 
I couldn't remove the post myself, so I did the only thing I could, and edited it all away.


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## koshari (27/5/17)

Mr Wibble said:


> Well I posted suggesting that he could use the controller to switch an SSR (Solid State Relay) which are rated to 40A (Jaycar ones, many others), and then switch his high-current elements with that - in a daisy-chain.
> 
> But then I realised that his controller is switching (probably) 240AC, not the "up to" 24V DC that the SSR wants as input, so it was a potentially dangerous suggestion.
> I couldn't remove the post myself, so I did the only thing I could, and edited it all away.


your on the right track, a contactor would be what you would use, with a 240v coil,

for example
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AC-240V-25A-2-Reed-AC-Contactor-2P-Closed-Domestic-35-mm-DIN-Rail-W8D3-/302250796541?hash=item465f8d25fd:g:SZwAAOSwSlBYxlgA

or

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JZC4-22-220-240V-50-60Hz-Coil-20A-2P-Three-Pole-2NO-2NC-AC-Contactor-CT-/302152849121?hash=item4659b696e1:g:MJkAAOSwB09YPkRN

either would work, you wire the relay output to pick up the coil and then use the switch on the contactor to make/break the load going to the heater. you can also double up the contacts for more load.


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