Fridge Shorting My Power Via Stc

[Spiesy]

Hey AHB posse,

Had a good mate pop round today and install my STC1000 into a fridge I had recently purchased from eBay - I was stoked! Finally... a controlled fermentation environment.

So... I've decanted a cube into a fermenter, hooked the system up with a fan heater in the fridge (Westinghouse Silhouette 422), plugged everything in - and await the joys of HB technology...

But alas.... as the fridge kicks in, I hear the sound of something that resembles subdued gunfire, a puff of smoke comes out of the back of the fridge, and the power shorts. I head to the power switch board thingy (by now I'm sure you're aware that I'm no Tim Taylor), flick the switch back again and reset... same thing. The fridge keeps shutting off the power. Unplug fridge, open the door and wait for the heater to kick in (typical, cool Melbourne winter day)... no probs... it's the fridge, or possibly the fridge's wiring to the STC.

Can anyone shed any light on this? Bloody annoying... thought I was set, and now a spanner has been thrown into my fermenter.

I'm hoping it's not just faulty fridge...

BTW: I have turned the freezer to the minimum, and the fridge is set to "medium" setting.

 

[seamad]

Does the fridge do this when plugged into the wall?

 

[Cocko]

So the fridge ran fine prior? If yes, not the fridge.

I would say the STC is not correctly wired....

Christ, I hope you catch a break soon mates!

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

Hey AHB posse,

Had a good mate pop round today and install my STC1000 into a fridge I had recently purchased from eBay - I was stoked! Finally... a controlled fermentation environment.

So... I've decanted a cube into a fermenter, hooked the system up with a fan heater in the fridge (Westinghouse Silhouette 422), plugged everything in - and await the joys of HB technology...

But alas.... as the fridge kicks in, I hear the sound of something that resembles subdued gunfire, a puff of smoke comes out of the back of the fridge, and the power shorts. I head to the power switch board thingy (by now I'm sure you're aware that I'm no Tim Taylor), flick the switch back again and reset... same thing. The fridge keeps shutting off the power. Unplug fridge, open the door and wait for the heater to kick in (typical, cool Melbourne winter day)... no probs... it's the fridge, or possibly the fridge's wiring to the STC.

Can anyone shed any light on this? Bloody annoying... thought I was set, and now a spanner has been thrown into my fermenter.

I'm hoping it's not just faulty fridge...

BTW: I have turned the freezer to the minimum, and the fridge is set to "medium" setting.

What wiring setup did your mate use Spiesy??? Have you tried to disconnect the STC and just run the fridge????
Make sure someone is around if you start fiddling with the fridge and you start dancing ......
Cheers
BBB

Edit - the blokes above are too quick

 

[petesbrew]

The main question is did the fridge work before you plugged in the STC1000?
Either that or your mate stuffed up.

The puff of smoke is not a good sign.

 

[Rob S]

Post up a pic of the wiring on your STC. If your mate followed the directions on the enclosed instruction sheet with the STC you could be in for problems.

 

[Spiesy]

thanks for reply guys.

far out... i have to be the unluckiest of homebrewers in the history of homebrewers...

when plugged in by itself, this ******* of a fridge now just gurgles for a second at the back, and then the switchboard throws the switch - shutting off the power... awesome (excessive use of sarcasm being employed right now).

 

[petesbrew]

thanks for reply guys.

far out... i have to be the unluckiest of homebrewers in the history of homebrewers...

when plugged in by itself, this ******* of a fridge now just gurgles for a second at the back, and then the switchboard throws the switch - shutting off the power... awesome (excessive use of sarcasm being employed right now).

but did it work when you got the fridge? BEFORE you plugged in the STC?

 

[Cocko]

Sorry to hear bro.

Did anyone take up CM2's fridge?

The rusty one from his folks? Can't find the thread...

 

[seamad]

Was said mate a sparky ?

 

[Spiesy]

Was said mate a sparky ?

yep.

to be honest, I witnessed the fridge working at the seller's house, but didn't both turning it on myself until today.

 

[seamad]

Thats real bad luck, must be frustrating

 

[Cocko]

Thats real bad luck, must be frustrating

On top of his other experiences with a KK kegerator, Splitting lines, and un-recoverable keg from eBay which was sorted but the agony of fighting for it... blowing out a kettle tap, it just goes on and on....

I am hoping my phone doesn't ring to tell me he is swinging from the rafters! Although, I am sure at this stage, the rafter would break...



Hang in there spiesel, we will get there!

 

[seamad]

**** must have run over a chinaman.
The next brew will be all the sweeter.
Cheers
Sean

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

Buy a lotto ticket tomorrow - seriously, your luck must change soon.
Cheers
BBB

yes I will hunt you down if you win ... and take half

 

[Spiesy]

thanks guys, appreciate the support... thankfully it's winter, so I can do without the fridge for a couple of months...

 

[alfadog]

is the heater plugged into the STC-1000? some heaters can throw the safety switch if kept in a humid environment

EDIT: just read the thread correctly this time... disregard the above comment. If it is throwing the safety switch it may be recoverable, if the sparky mate is available. If it is throwing the circuit breaker it may be a bit more of an issue

 

[TSMill]

If the STC setpoint was higher than ambient, no power should have gone from the STC to the fridge. Even if ambient temp was above your setpoint, the fridge shouldn't start until at least after the compressor delay duration.

I reckon at the very least he has wired the fridge to the heating relay (but that in itself wouldn't kill the fridge immediately), possibly the heat relay was trying to power both the fridge and the heater simultaneously, and the fridge shat itself? Worth testing out the heat/cool switching with the STC powering a couple of lamps so you can see what is going on.

 

[nathan_madness]

It is quite easy to wire the STC-1000 incorrect if you switch the neutral you are in for a world of pain where if you switch the active all is good. I have hard wired 2 of these in to a fridge and a freezer no worries, but I have had many years in the electrical field.

 

[Spiesy]

If the STC setpoint was higher than ambient, no power should have gone from the STC to the fridge. Even if ambient temp was above your setpoint, the fridge shouldn't start until at least after the compressor delay duration.

Probe was attached to the fermenter, and insulated from ambient temp. Fermenter (and wort within) was higher than the set point. STC flashed on the "refrigerator" light for maybe 30secs, and then "refrigerator" lights up, fridge kicks in - fridge gurgles and power is cut (to the power point, and a whole bunch of other appliances in my house).

I reckon at the very least he has wired the fridge to the heating relay (but that in itself wouldn't kill the fridge immediately), possibly the heat relay was trying to power both the fridge and the heater simultaneously, and the fridge shat itself? Worth testing out the heat/cool switching with the STC powering a couple of lamps so you can see what is going on.

Good idea, thanks.