"Love Controls" heat/cool controller

[xeon]

I decided to toy with one of the Love Controls gadgets that would potentially work for either a heat or cooling controller.  It has multiple programable items including operating as a heater or cooling application.  

 

Up to this point, it seems to be working pretty good.  At the present it is running a fan for test purposes.  It could handle up to a 3/4 hp chiller I believe.  I only wish I had something I could use as a reference point to check the accuracy of the temp.  You can calibrate it plus or minus 10 if it were found to be off.  Using the factory length cable, I imagine the probe temp is pretty "on".  You can extend the cable several hundred feet I think.  I imagine then you might have to calibrate it since the probe is a thermistor and the temp is a voltage subject to loss along the cable.  

 

Without further adieu, my ~$50 heat/cool controller:

 

Love Controls DTS-13010 w/ PVC probe

Power cord

14ga wire

wire nuts

electrical tape

15A receptacle

outlet box

outlet box cover (modification needed)

epoxy to ensure seal on temp probe

I think that's it....

 

[GaryL]

dave were did you get this stuff at?

[xeon]

By "stuff" do you mean the Love Controls device? If so, you can go to http://lovecontrols.com/ and pull up the device I noted above. If memory serves me right, their online catalog isn't that great. If you can't find the device, I have a paper catalog I can copy a page out of if you need it.

[Ne0eN]

Why not stick the probe in your sump and assuming you have a thermometer in there, you can determine if your probe is set correctly.

 

I like this idea. I may use this design for something else - like controlling a fan in my attic.

 

-Rob

[dchild]

Why not stick the probe in your sump and assuming you have a thermometer in there, you can determine if your probe is set correctly. 

 

34986[/snapback]

 

Biggest problem is that the little tank thermometers are not always accurate (had one once that ran 3-4 degrees too low and I ran my tank at 84 for 3 weeks til I bought 2 more and verified with both of them)

 

A better solution is to calibrate with your probe in a big cup of ice water. I think even if you do not extend the wire length it's a good idea to calibrate.