How to Make a Cheap Digital Temperature Controlled Outlet

[@preparedbrad5736]

I have watched every video of yours over the past couple weeks. I just received the parts for this today, and sat down with my 11 year old daughter to put it together. It works perfectly. I bought all the parts for around $60. Could have been more inventive like you and done it for about $25, but that is fine by me. I did put an outlet cover over the outlet by drilling a center hole. I have rabbits and quail already, and your videos are awesome! Keep sharing, and I will keep learning!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

awesome. Even if it was $100 you got to spend some quality time with your daughter and you built something together that works and looks good. I say that is a win. Good job.

[@maxshearer9222]

Made this this afternoon and it works like a charm. Also made the brooder box. Keeping my fingers crossed that in about 10 days I will have some quail chicks hatching out. I'll keep you informed on how it all works out. I'm also hoping to get into raising rabbits soon. Thanks for your excellent and very informative videos!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

awesome. Thank you for watching and sharing your experience. Let me know how it works. I haven't used mine much lately because it is summer time but there were concerns in the comments below about the bulb burning out quicker. I haven't been able to confirm it and not sure it is a big concern really but would be interested in your experience.

[@wmjweber45]

I made a controller just like yours except I mounted the controller through the top of the ammo box and the outlet on the narrow side.. That made the wire routing and connections much easier. P.S. Great video - thanks for taking the time to make it.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

sounds like an improvement to my plan. :) thanks for watching and glad you liked it.

[@jacksonvillereclaimedwood6709]

That is how I will build mine as well. This is a really great video - Don

[@natet.5738]

I followed your instructions, made one for myself, and I have used it for quails and now cockatiels. As I'm setting this heater up for my new baby cockatiel, I thought I should leave a comment of thanks!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Awesome. Thank you for watching. I am glad you found this video helpful.

[@jeffreykral]

I like your energy and how quickly you move along. One suggestion I have is to put the total project cost in the description or beginning of video. You have "cheap" in the title, but that's very subjective.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Good point. Thanks for the tip.

[@normawingo5116]

You are just such a talented huge help. Thank you so much. My Marine said good job. We just made the no waste feeders and they’re so good at no waste and so cheap, quick and easy. Looks like I have a new project now. What crazy productive birds quails are. Wow.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you so much for the kind comments. I am so glad to hear that the feeders are working well for you.

[@normawingo5116]

Slightly Rednecked And I apologize, please give my very best to your wife for her continued health improvements. We’ll continue keeping you both in our prayers.

[@roberteckelkamp1772]

Very good teaching skills. I wired mine exactly as you demonstrated. It worked perfectly. I appreciate your effort in making this vid so simple to follow. Thank you.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Awesome. Thank you so much.

[@paparitz1]

I have outside brooder 55 gal. barrels that needs a set up like that. THANK YOU

[@Slightlyrednecked]

awesome. Glad i could help. Thanks for watching.

[@learnTableTenis]

Very impressive. This is exactly what I'm searching for to keep my quail house > 50 degrees to maintain the egg production in cold winter. Thanks for sharing.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

+Tom Huang Great. I am so glad that you found it useful. Thank you for watching.

[@alaricsylas6029]

i know Im asking the wrong place but does anyone know of a method to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost my password. I would love any help you can offer me.

[@flynnjeremy9799]

@Alaric Sylas instablaster :)

[@alaricsylas6029]

@Flynn Jeremy I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

[@SuperFredAZ]

You used a grounded outlet in your project box, but did not use a 3 wire plug. This creates a possible problem, if the device you plug in needs a grounded outlet this defeats the protection. All you needed is a 3 wire extension cord, that you can buy at Home Depot and run the ground wire to the outlet, then you can safely plug in 3 prong plugs or 2 prong plugs. Be careful!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks. I will look into that.

[@SuperFredAZ]

You're welcome, this is for your safety, and very easy to do. Fred (retired Electrical Engineer)

[@connieback7577]

Thank you! Great video. I'm trying to rig up a mini fridge to culture veggies. It's always either too hot or too cold where I live, so I think I need a heat lamp added to the fridge and also a fan to circulate the air and bring in fresh air. I don't think I can make the system air tight because the fermenting microbes need air. I think I can run the fan constantly and use the temp controller for just that. If you have any insights they would be much appreciated. Thanks, again, for the great video.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I bet that would work great. I am not sure I can add any suggestions, sounds like you pretty much have it figured out.

[@joshhaas2410]

Bro, love this video. Well done.

[@TinnonFamilyFarm]

I totally understand you..I am using the factory little giant heating element. I will try adjust the temp again thanks for your help and input.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

No problem. I am glad to help where I can. If you are using it on the little giant incubator because the original temperature control went out you might try contacting Miller Manufacturing. I had that issue and they were more than willing to send me a replacement and had it to me in just a few days.

[@tommcd62]

You left out a very important wire, the grounding conductor that ties to the ground on your receptacle. Any appliance in plug into that outlet is not properly grounded. Your neutral is not a ground, it is a grounded conductor. Grounding conductors are green or bare copper.

[@jo31b]

This should be built with a ground circuit. To prevent shock or death for two reasons. 1. If someone uses a metal ammo can it could get energized and shock you when you touch it. 2. If you use it to control a heat lamp or another 3 pronged appliance it's case could get energized and shock you.

[@steveeb00]

@9:04 I'm so confused! Is it a screw, a nut, or a bolt that you're tightening down with a screwdriver? :P

[@traveltrailertipster259]

can you tell me what the heat and cool range is? what type of temp probe do you use? Nice video.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

the temp probe comes with the unit. The temp range is from -50 to 200 F. Hope that helps.

[@traveltrailertipster259]

thanks

[@drdream123]

I had the problem of my AC running all night then the room being freezing in the morning. One problem I ran into is the "real feel" temperature. This uses relative humidity in a very complex calculation. I did it with an audrino and a relay. I was gonna order your thing until I remembered I need real feel temp.

[@DarkWhisperer13]

Hello Chris, I'm from Quebec, Canada. I grow mushrooms and hoping you might have a suggestion for me. I need a temp controller, a cold water sprinkler controller, ventilation air, heat in the winter.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I am sorry but that is really out of my area of expertise. I wish i could help but don't really know much about those kinds of systems.

[@richardlangley90]

Hi Chris, hoping you might have a suggestion for me. I need a temp controlled outlet for a hotwater circulation pump. I have a water line from my outside wood fired hotwater boiler that I am connecting to a flatplate heat exchanger in order to heat the water in my house hotwater tank. There is a pump circulating water from, and then back to, the boiler. A second pump circulates water through the heat exchanger and the hotwater tank. I need that pump to only come on when the boiler water is 160F or greater and the water in the hotwater tank is below 140F. I need the pump to go off when the water in the hotwater tank reaches 140 but come back on again if it drops to 130. The pump is 115/120VAC approximately 80W 1/25hp. I am assuming that I would need two STC-1000 controllers connected in series in order to manage these two different temperature sources. Do you know of an inexpensive device that can do this? Could two STC-1000 controllers do the job? Thanks in advance.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Wow. I wish I could answer that for you but that is a little out of my area of expertise. I have some ideas and I think you are on the right track but I hate to give advice base don "ideas". Especially when working with electricity and hot water. Sorry i can't be of more help.

[@whiteboy2600]

let me ask you something if i build one for my grow box and i just need heat will it turn off at a temp i set it to ??

[@Slightlyrednecked]

It should. That is exactly what it is designed to do.

[@TinnonFamilyFarm]

I hooked one up to my little giant incubator but the temp seems to fluctuate from 37.0 to 38.2 I used ice water to calibrate using 2 different thermometers. I put 4 rocks in for heatsinks I have it set at 37.7 for heat but it doesn't stay constant enough I have had the incubator going for 2 days now... Any suggestions?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

did you set the variance on it? it can be changed to allow a smaller variance in temperature. That is the first thing I would look at. I hope that helps a little.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Well that was my first guess. What are you using for heat? It may be that it takes a little while for the "heat sinks" to absorb the heat so by the time the heat cuts off they are still warming up. I don't know if that makes sense or not. You might try adjusting the temp down a little and see if that helps to average it out.

[@jacksonvillereclaimedwood6709]

Very well done dude!!! Thank you for you work on that!!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for the kind comments. I am glad you found the video helpful.

[@miketidbit9649]

Nice work, but I need a controller for a meat smoker. Need to maintain temperature between 200 to 250 degrees. Also, only need in on/off outlet to run a fan that supplies air to a wood fire. Once the fan goes off, the fire dies, then turns on when temp too low/off when too hot. Can you help?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Sorry but that is out of my area of expertise. Not sure I can help with that.

[@eugenebabinat7080]

Mike Tidbit k

[@darrellthompson6871]

I am confused on how to actually set the parameters on the controller. Can you run through that part of the process?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I actually don't use this one anymore, I upgraded. It wasn't too difficult to set up but I don't have it down in memory. Here is the section of the user manual that discusses how to set it up. I hope that helps. 5.1 Check Parameter: In normal working status, press “ ” key once, it will display the setting temperature value; press “ ” key once, it will display the difference value; 5.2 Parameter Setting: In normal working status, keep pressing “ ” for more than 3s to enter set mode, set indicator lamp is on, screen displays the first menu code “TS”. Press “ ” key or “ ” key to move up or down the menu item and display the menu code. Press “ ” key to enter the parameter setting of current menu, the parameter value starts to flash. Press “ ” key or “ ” key to adjust the parameter value of current menu. After the set, press “ ” key to exit the parameter setting of current menu, the parameter value stops to flash. User can set the other functions as above steps. In any status, press “ ” key to save the parameter modified value, and return to the normal temperature value.

[@johnwani7194]

Hi I have STC 3008 Temperature Controller Can I connect it the same way? Thanks

[@markmeier4206]

Cool setup but what are your thoughts on the Inkbird ITC 308? It may be a bit more money but no setup!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I have one of those now. The wifi version is fantastic. I did a video on it recently but the bottom line is, it is worth the investment in my opinion.

[@joelleandgavin2028]

Would this idea work to help control temperature in a frigidaire for dry aging meat

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I don't see why not. I think that they were originally made to control refrigerators.

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

What a GREAT PROJECT! Thanks for sharing.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

+imasurvivornthriver Thanks. I am glad you liked it.

[@713blackout]

if I wanted the controller to power on a homemade nichorme heating element, do I need a relay in between the controller and heating element to handle the power of the relay? if so, what kind of relay and power source would be good for powering the heating element?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I am sorry, but I am afraid I can't answer that question.

[@lynnhudson838]

The controller has a small relay (actually two- one heat and one cool) inside it. However, you should check amperage/wattage capacity of the controller and heater. If heater current draw exceeds controller rating, then yes, you will need to add a relay. Love the DIY!

[@victorg7036]

Can this be used with a heat lamp or heat mat to heat up a animal enclosure and keep it at a certain temperature? For example my dad has some chickens sometimes in the summer it's too hot and their enclosure and in the winter it's too cold. So would I be able to use this to when it gets too hot it turns a fan on in the summer and in the winter it turns the heat on when it gets too cold?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

It should work well for that purpose. I have used it to run a heat lamp on my brooder boxes.

[@natester1064]

Very good video, probably the best I have seen so far!!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you so much for the kind comments.

[@LL-Bjork]

I live in norway an have an stc-2000 temp controller. I am going yo use it for an fridge. Any ideas on how to wire it?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I am not familiar with that model exactly but there are wiring diagrams online you should be able to look up pretty easily. Sorry I can't give specific instructions on it.

[@LL-Bjork]

i've tried google and dident find anything. im not the best when it comes to wire stuff and norwegian outlets is different than US. also back of the stc-2000 there is only one outlet besides the power source and sensor

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I wish I could help you out but i am not familiar with that model exactly and I am not an expert on wiring for Norwegian outlets either.

[@lukeclark5009]

If your not that handy, Inkbird makes a temp controller that works great. about $30 bucks on Amazon.

[@lukeclark5009]

This was what I used. I generally like to make stuff like this but was in a time crunch. www.amazon.com/Inkbird-Itc-308-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat/dp/B01MDSWXY4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493331665&sr=8-1&keywords=temp+controller

[@Slightlyrednecked]

thanks for the tip.

[@chimi6877]

This is awesome thanks Luke!

[@boxploy]

Great project I'll use it to control a room heater (when temp gets cooler it kicks in )

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Awesome. Thanks for watching and I am glad you liked it.

[@markmaue9246]

Would this work to turn on my deep freeze at 40 and off at 36 so I could use it as a refrigerator in a school bus?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I suppose you could use it for that. I would be concerned that it might wear out your deep freeze compressor though.

[@karimhernandez6738]

E- nail for dabbing ? Will it work ?

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I am sorry but I don't know what that means.

[@darrellthompson6871]

So why did you change to a different model and what did you change to. This one is not working right.

[@Steve-ps6qw]

I only have metal ammo cans....need to find where you got that Italian ammo box. Good stuff as always!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I bought that at a gun show. It was full of ammo at the time. You can probably find something similar at any hardware store though. it doesn't have to be an ammo can. :)

[@matthewleonard1975]

Very clear and easy to understand. Thank you

[@Slightlyrednecked]

thanks. I am glad you liked it.

[@frankcuzzolina9947]

Hello! Wowo great to see comments on this video are recent! I wanted to PM you privately, dont know if that is possible? But its okayto commuicate through here too. So I am currently looking into setting up a "Heat Rack" for the reptile collection. I will have about 40 12 quart tubs stored on a shelving unit and connected to one 50 foot long 3" heat tape strip. The wattage it will pump out should be no more than 200 W, i dont know if i need to look into the amps or volts as well, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ELECTRICS LOL. But i am a fast learner, your video was great. One question, if i want to instead use the "cooling" side to also heat, could i set both the heating temp and the cooling temp to kick on in such a way that both outlets could be used to heat 2 devices at the same time to 90 degree F.? Maybe they sell models that cater to this? But i figured id ask and see what your input was, i was trying to calculate in my mind how this might work... If you have any beginner advice, or something you see i am missing that could be detrimental to my project, i would GREATLY apreciate your feedback. TY Slightly Redneck, and thanks for the very instructional video!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Hey there. Unfortunately I am not an expert on this either. The cooling side wouldn't work though. It only kicks on when a temp reaches higher than the level set. These are pretty cheap units so you could just build two units to run two different outlets. Sorry I can't help more.

[@frankcuzzolina9947]

Thank you for your input, that actually helps :)

[@Slightlyrednecked]

No problem. Glad to help.

[@CoroaEntertainment]

On many plugs/plates there should be 2 holes that are already threaded for the bolts. No need to use a nut and bolt to hold the plate in place. s26.postimg.org/5h02tvjwp/holes.jpg

[@machinegreen1911]

Ammo box and a Leatherman. LOL. Thank you for sharing shooter.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you for watching. I am glad you liked it.

[@spagsmageren]

Is this dengerous to try? And does the devise use alot of power? I know these qustions are problely stupid. And sorry for my English :)

[@Slightlyrednecked]

It doesn't use any more power than just plugging a light into a regular outlet. And as long as you wire things up and keep the wire tidy (not touching anything else and not out in the open where you can get your bare hands on it) there isn't any more danger than a regular outlet. Don't go trying to run your refrigerator off of something like this though. This is for small things like lights. Hope that helps (and your English is fine). :)

[@rrmerlin3402]

Fantastic, very well explained thank you

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for watching and glad you liked it.

[@chopstixandfriends2604]

brilliant!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[@johnbrown2072]

thank you , been making every thing you do, and bro you know good ammo

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you for watching my videos. I am glad to hear that they have been helpful for you (and that was good ammo). :)

[@mubeenamjad3619]

U should use wire connectors instead as there are high amps u gona running thrpugh them

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Yes you should use connectors on wires that are connecting to each other.

[@carter7404]

does it have to be a 16 gauge wire

[@Slightlyrednecked]

It doesn't have to be but I wouldn't go much smaller.

[@carter7404]

Can I use 32 with 16 ?

[@carter7404]

I'm going to build it soon great vid

[@carter7404]

And where do I get wire ?

[@foreverpermaculture8572]

an extension cord from walmart.

[@EDDIEGARAGE]

how do you set the controller

[@babykraig]

i want to know too

[@michaelortiz4250]

Your video was very good but one problem you didn't show how you hooked up the outlet to the unit but otherwise keep making the videos I think they're great thank you. Mike

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I am so sorry. I guess I just assumed that part was the easy part. Thank you for the feedback.

[@kenxie2905]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

+Ken Xie thank you for watching. Glad you liked it.

[@jamesvalez376]

Thanks for posting, very well explained!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you for watching and I am glad you liked it.

[@backtobasicstipswithtomrib19]

Another great how too video....like the ammo can idea also...LOL

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you so much. I am glad you found it helpful. I thought the ammo can was appropriate. and I just happened to have it laying around.

[@sreekumarUSA]

110221/0156h PST. Thank you or the demo.

[@ncgreenie6707]

Cool video, I maybe understood only 50% of it b/c I know nothing about electrical wires, other than how to plug them in, but I have a new project for hubby now!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

lol. So glad I could provide you with a new honeydo. :)

[@viluongsam9939]

Many thanks to you, I learned something new today. Great video!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank so much for watching. I am glad you liked it.

[@jerryportier6504]

can you make this unit stay at 99.5

[@Slightlyrednecked]

It does a pretty good job of staying at one temp and you can set it at 99.5. I haven't tried it in an incubator but I think it would work pretty well.

[@ShawnJames310]

Everything here is opposite to the way they wire it on the wiring diagram did no one else notice this.......... And what if you were going to wire it directly to a refrigerator instead of a extension cord?

[@carter7404]

how do I program it

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Sorry for the slow reply. You should be able to find the manual online with instructions. It will do a better job than I can in the comments section. if you have a hard time finding it let me know and I will see if I can look it up for you.

[@carter7404]

I need to know

[@aed0nis]

Very easy to understand. Thanks.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for the kind comments. Glad you liked it.

[@johnhardisty8596]

Brilliant vid thanks heaps!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

THanks, Glad you liked it.

[@NFlight]

FYI - your transition fades are also fading your audio.

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for the feedback. I have since changed my video style so hopefully it isn't an issue any longer.

[@SPriess78]

Very awesome and informative!!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thank you so much.

[@sheppyfire87]

Awesome video thanks man!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for watching. I am glad you liked it.

[@SirFixalot45]

You have the STC-1000F, *not* the ITC-1000F as you said. You should change your video description to notate that. I have the ITC-1000F and it's a 12 volt DC model practically identical to yours except the voltage is different. Great video though. It's helpful since the controls are the same. I'm going to use mine to control 12VDC heating pads to warm up the lithium iron phosphate batteries in my van so they don't accidentally get charged when the temps are below freezing which could easily damage them.

[@AnglinTexas]

Not sure, but the Amazon link shows the ITC-1000 and it says 110V in the description.

[@SirFixalot45]

@@AnglinTexas that's odd. I have my 12 volt unit in front of me that clearly says model ITC-1000F. I searched for this model on Amazon just now and low and behold, the ITC-1000F is listed as a 110 volt version and the listing for the one I bought says it's a model ITC-1000 so I believe the mistake is not with you (you are correct) but is with how Amazon incorrectly listed the different products. My apologies for the confusion.

[@mmiller867]

Nice! Their web page says 10 amps at 250 VAC so I'm unsure of the max draw capacity at 110VAC. Maybe someone with more knowledge than I can chime in... But if this unit is rated at 10 amps max draw at 110VAC then as long as your heater does not pull more than 1100 watts/10 amps (volts x amps = watts) then this will work fine... but I think you might want 12 gauge wire for the wall plug and internal wiring as 16 gauge is only rated for 3.7 amps and the cord could get hot and start a fire. Since it's a short cord you might get away with it but in a location with flammable material and a heat source, e.g. brooder, I personally would use larger wire... www.ink-bird.com/product/detail/p/All-Purpose_Temperature_Controller_ITC-1000/id/6 www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[@Slightlyrednecked]

+M Miller good question. I am not an expert on that subject but if I remember right it should be fine because it is a short length cord. I think you are correct that 12 gauge is recommended. Either way, (I guess I should have said this to start with) the relays in this unit are rated for 10 amps. I plan on using it for heat lights and small fans so it should be plenty to run that. I hope that helps.

[@mmiller867]

+Slightly Rednecked You might - depends on the draw in watts of the heat lamp... you might run it for awhile and feel the wall plug cord. If it's warm at all then you might want to think about the wire - it's cheap... Anyway - thanks for all you do on your channel! It's great to have this community of great people helping one another, and you help make that happen!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

good advice. I will keep an eye on it for sure (always do). I do know that a 250 watt bulb only pulls about 3 amps though so it should be fine. I also know that these units are used to run compressors on fridges so I am pretty sure that it will be fine. I will keep an eye on it though and make changes (and note the video) if any problems occur.

[@mmiller867]

Smart - hope the discussion is helpful for others who come along... Keep up the great work!!!

[@Slightlyrednecked]

I hope so too. Thanks for bringing it up.

[@jefflahman5579]

too cool, thanks

[@Slightlyrednecked]

thanks for watching. I am glad you liked it.

[@carter7404]

Hey it’s me again you prob don’t remember me but thank you for this vid my chick now chicken is now a year old and I wish a could show a pic but thank you I named her rocky

[@Slightlyrednecked]

nice. Congrats on your chicken making it to a year old. Sounds like you are doing things correctly.

[@carter7404]

😁

[@rp101aquatics6]

cool

[@Slightlyrednecked]

Thanks for watching. I am glad you liked it.