Son of a Chiller is a S.O.B.

Ok. I'm about to throw my Son of a Fermentation Chiller

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out into the garbage. I can't seem to get this to work. After spending about a month searching for foambard and parts I have put the chiller together and I can't get the thermostat to work. I have 2 thermostats (1 digital 1 analog)

4 Adapters (7.5VDC 12VDC 15VDC and 24VDC) and 2 computer fans (rated 12VDC)

I have tried every conceivable combination with the adapters and the thermostats with the 2 fans and I have yet to see the fan spin. Let me go over what I understand. The positive (red) wire from the fan should be attached to the 'G' terminal of the thermostat. The negative(black) wire from the fan should be attached (with a wire connector) to a stripped end of the adapter. The other stripped end of the adapter attaches to the 'RH' terminal. The fan should at least spin if the switch is in the 'ON' position, and it doesn't. I don't know what to do anymore. Can someone please help? I know I shouldn't worry and have a homebrew, but I'm completely out and need to make more!!!

Thanks

roger

Reply to
Roger Dubet
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Are you sure your AC adapter is putting out DC volts? or, if so are you sure your fans are DC and not AC? Do the fans run when you hook them straight up to the power supply w/o using the thermostat?

Ricky.

Reply to
Ricky Nickolson

Reply to
Roger Dubet

Reply to
Roger Dubet

Roger,

I made a Son of a Fermentation Chiller last year, they are wonderful. I used mine last winter to make a lager (primary fermentation only) at

50 degrees. Then I have been brewing all summer in Tallahassee, Florida and have been easily able to maintain 66-68 degrees with changing the ice jugs once or twice per day. When you begin primary fermentation you will need to lower the temp just a bit and then raise it just a bit to maintain an even temperature. With practice you can keep it dead on. I had my brother help me to build a wood shell around it with a hinged lid. It turned out very nice. One suggestion that I have often heard is to use heavy duty jugs. I believe this to be a excellent suggestion since I am using heavy duty Zephyrhills bottles and they tend to bulge on the sides. Remember to leave about 3 inches at the top of the jugs for thermal expansion of the ice. As far as the electrical wiring goes, you can take the route that myself and many others have, find a friend. It worked for me and I'm very happy, sometimes I wish I would have built it to fit two carboys!

Have fun and don't give up,

Orin Walker

Reply to
Orin Walker

Well, if both the adapter and the fans are DC voltage, it probably means one or the other is bad. If you have access to an electrical meter, it'd be an easy task to check the voltage on the adapter (and then check the ohms across both leads of the fans. If they are bad, you'll probably not get a reading on the fans in the ohm position).

Ricky

Reply to
Ricky Nickolson

Uhhhm, one problem there may be with metering the fans this way - most low voltage 'DC' fans use a driver circuit for the motor - you may not get much of anything on a normal Ohms range (maybe on a diode setting - the electronics won't read without about 0.7 or so volts on them).

Shaun aRe - Hey, it's my job ',;~}~

Reply to
Shaun Rimmer

I had no idea. Most of the DC fans that I use are old computer fans, and I've never noticed any circuits on them. But, then again I've never put an ohmeter across the leads either...maybe t'night I'll break out the meter and have a go.

Ricky

Reply to
Ricky Nickolson

Ok...back from work and I got another adapter and another fan, good thing I work for a major retailer and all of their old computer stuff is left in the warehouse to rot. Not sure what I should to to test the fan and adapter

Should I attach the fan to the adapter directly or should I connect the whole thing and see?

Reply to
Roger Dubet

I'd personally hook the fans up to the adapter to give them both a quick test. If they work, then introduce the other parts.

Ricky

Reply to
Ricky Nickolson

we'll do. I'll post my results thanks for the input Ricky, and everyone else.

Reply to
Roger Dubet

You're welcome. Let us know how it works and post some pics too! (well...post links to pics, don't want to get you in trouble or anything!).

Ricky

Reply to
Ricky Nickolson

WHOOHOO!! I attached the fan directly to the adapter and it works! continuing on with the thermostat now...will let you know

anything!).

Reply to
Roger Dubet

crap... still doesn't work...I'm disconnecting the fan and reconnecting it to the adapter.

Reply to
Roger Dubet

grrrrr.....disconnected the fan from the thermostat and its working fine. I really don't know what to do now.

Suggestions?

Tallahassee,

Reply to
Roger Dubet

"Roger Dubet" wrote in news:I7M9b.1708 $ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com:

take a good look at the diagram, do you have the wires reversed perhaps?? (not sure if that really makes a diff..)

Reply to
ET

Reply to
Roger Dubet

Roger, There should be 3 terminals on the thermostat. A common, a normally closed and a normally open terminal. It almost sounds like you are connecting the fan between the normally closed and the normally open terminals. If you have an ohm meter you can meter it out and discover the proper terminals for your connections. Just operate the controller from hi-temp to low while testing and you will be able to figure it out. It's a shame these thing do not come with a diagram.. It would help a lot.

Post the terminal names that you see, along with the present connections. Someone here can compare what they have to your unit. It would also help if you posted the make-model of your unit. (I don't remember you posting this info.)

PJ

Reply to
PJ

Ok... I'm using a White-Rodgers low voltage heating/cooling thermostat. Model

1E56. The terminals on it are 'G', 'RC', 'Y', 'RH', and 'W'.

like I said before, I'm connecting the red fan wire to the 'G' terminal Black fan wire is spliced with one end of the adapter. The other end of the adapter is attached to the 'RH' terminal.

Thanks again guys...

Reply to
Roger Dubet

Roger, I posted this before, but it may have gotten lost in the replies. Try wiring it to the RC connector, not the RH. On mine, I had nothing at all when wiring to the RH, but when switching to RC (thinking "hey, H for heat, C for cool, and I'm trying to cool this, not heat it") it worked like a champ.

Hope THIS reply gets through! :-)

Reply to
John Oberley

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