Where To Buy Thermostat.

[Doc]

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

 

[kman]

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!

 

[BrentonSpear]

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.

 

[Poodz]

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?

 

[Batz]

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

 

[Poodz]

Where to buy a thermostat?

Right here ;-)

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

 

[chillamacgilla73]

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

 

[Trough Lolly]

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

 

[Wobbo]

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

 

[Trough Lolly]

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

 

[Plastic Man]

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.

 

[Justin]

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

 

[dicko]

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

[post="69624"][/post]​

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

 

[recharge]

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

[post="49503"][/post]​

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

Cheers
Richard

 

[chillamacgilla73]

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.

 

[Patrice9]

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.

 

[Patrice9]

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

=======================================================

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.

 

[Spork]

Why???

 

[Patrice9]

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

Why???