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Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:19 am
by tucker0104
I have a 4x8 fermenting room that is in my non-temperature controlled garage. The room is insulated with R-30. I installed a window unit to cool it during the summer and plan on using a 1500w oil filled heater to heat during the winter. The problem I am having is now I want to put them on a controller. The Inkbird controllers wattage are too low wattage rating. So, I am looking at the STC-1000s and using relays. A couple questions before I do that:

1) is there a controller that automatically controls heat and cooling at the same time? If not, then I can just use two STC-1000s. One for heat and one for cooling but would prefer just one. I didn't know if this is something the STC-2000 does.
2) Is there a specific type of SSR that I should use? I am wanting at least a 40% buffer from the maximum rating. So, 1500watt heater (12.5 amps) so would like something rated at least 20A (17.5A). In case i need to have more heat in the dead of the winter.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:01 am
by still_stirrin
The STC-1000 can control both (heating & cooling) circuits. The STC-1000 displays only *C, however.

Here's a digital control that can be set to display either *F or *C. Works the same; closes one circuit on temperature rise (cooling) and closes one circuit on temperature fall (heating). Like the STC-1000, it is limited to a 10 amp supply. So, if used to power a resistive heater, you would likely need to build a relay circuit for the heater power. But this control would certainly drive the relay well enough.

Here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0152 ... _qh_dp_hza" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow
ss

Edited to add: This thread had a good circuit diagram for wiring the STC-1000. http://w.homedistiller.org/forum/viewto ... 85&t=29261" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:36 am
by Still Life
Here's a 25-amp solid-state relay with 120vac control input if it helps: Relay

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 9:11 am
by tucker0104
Thank you for the help. The controller and the relay were the exact two pieces I was looking at. Just looking for some confirmation.

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 2:15 pm
by NZChris
A fan heater may heat the room more evenly than an oiled filled.

Does the window unit double as a heater? I thought they all did.

Consider venting the CO2 out of the room. Unvented fermenting rooms can be deadly and there was a death in NZ attributed to one a while back.

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:31 pm
by Truckinbutch
Consider venting the CO2 out of the room. Unvented fermenting rooms can be deadly and there was a death in NZ attributed to one a while back.
That has been a grave concern of mine . That is my reason for developing fermentors immersed in water baths that are heated with aquarium heaters in a well ventilated room .
My underground mining experience makes me wary of enclosed spaces without positive ventilation .

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:23 am
by tucker0104
Only the larger ones do. I believe >8000BTU. I am going to have a fan running 24 hours a day.

NZChris wrote:A fan heater may heat the room more evenly than an oiled filled.

Does the window unit double as a heater? I thought they all did.

Consider venting the CO2 out of the room. Unvented fermenting rooms can be deadly and there was a death in NZ attributed to one a while back.

Re: Cooling and Heating a fermenting room

Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:21 pm
by cob
there are small portable heat pumps that vent through a 4" flex pipe, some have remotes

I saw one on CL last week for $100 search the net. most lowes and home depot have them

but they are north of $300 new.