Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Electronics => Topic started by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on October 28, 2016, 10:43:26 AM

Title: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on October 28, 2016, 10:43:26 AM
Anyone ever tried using these on the Boiler to control water temp in place of aquastat?
Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermostat w Sensor 2 Relays
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: mlappin on October 28, 2016, 10:49:17 AM
Other than it’s pretty cheap if I was going to go that route I’d spend a little more to get better quality.

What does you’re stove use now? It’s pretty common to switch out the OEM controller for a Ranco. I’m using a Ranco on my waste oil boiler for a high temp cutout, seems to work just fine and is easy to program.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on October 28, 2016, 11:17:34 AM
Mine has the White Rodgers 11b18-101. It's ok but would be nice to have the digital for easy veiwing at night or anytime for that matter. I'm having a hard time getting it set. The digital so much easier to set.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: ralphxj on October 28, 2016, 11:21:31 AM
Just got one yesterday! I'm going to use it to turn the indoor oil boiler on and off if the wood boiler temp drops when we aren't home. Seems to be well build.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on October 28, 2016, 11:45:09 AM
Wander if I could use it outside on front of my boiler to control water temp. Keep the white Rodgers mounted for backup. I'd like to be able to see the temp at anytime at night or as I pass by. Be easy to increase water temp if needed. This time of year I struggle with soot buildup due to being warm during the day. Seems I could adjust my cycles to help out on that
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on December 23, 2016, 07:49:58 AM
You guys think this would work as well as the aquastat? My boiler has a 6x6 junction box on front and now has the white Rodger aquastat inside. I don't want to completely do away with the aquastat. I thought I would go with a 8x8 junction box to give room for the digital and the one that's currently on it. Maybe let the aquastat be a backup to the digital. Or should I just love it alone and not make the change? It would be nice to be able to see exactly what the temp is at night without a flashlight or turning floodlights on. Also I wander if the digital would hold up in the outdoors exposed to the elements? Even though it's in the junction box the face of it would still be exposed to rain. Just need some tips here. Thanks and merry Christmas
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on May 27, 2018, 09:09:59 AM
Just curious to see if any of you guys tried using one of these. I have used them on poultry incubators and they do a fine job of precise temp control. Pretty durable for me. Never had one fail.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: NaturallyAspirated on May 27, 2018, 09:24:52 AM
Just curious to see if any of you guys tried using one of these. I have used them on poultry incubators and they do a fine job of precise temp control. Pretty durable for me. Never had one fail.
I have a couple even cheaper units I use for my Arduino testing, so far they have been just fine.  $30 for a temp controller and thermocouple is a good deal.   :thumbup:
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: greasemonkoid on May 27, 2018, 09:53:49 PM
I've got 5 of the inkbird units and 2 of the bayite units on my system now. In fact, I've been using then on machines at work to control steam injection. There are many variants of what seems to be one unit, just the electronics are slightly different. On the inkbird controllers the only gripe I have is an occasional skip in degree readout - as if it is converting celsius to F in the software. On the other hand the Inkbird has a neat unit with an additional "alarm" output with a 10 amp relay, which comes in extremely handy for controlling two outputs, one of which can activate when the reading value goes outside of the set value, high and low simultaneously.

They are cheap and accurate, buy spares, but I've yet to see one fail.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: E Yoder on May 28, 2018, 06:11:04 AM
I've used a cheap $17 Amazon inkbird controller on an outdoor furnace. Been working fine for a year or two now.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on May 28, 2018, 06:15:00 AM
Thanks Yoder
How is yours mounted? Is it in a junction box? It's it out in open as far as rain and weather. Just curious how they react to outdoor weather.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: E Yoder on May 28, 2018, 07:10:37 AM
I cut the rectangular slot in the metal under the eave of the roof with a jigsaw. A light rain misses but a driving rain would hit the face. It faces north so it doesn't get direct sun but the face is out in the weather. Doesn't seem to be affected last I checked but I'm not there a lot.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: mlappin on May 28, 2018, 09:09:00 AM
I used MyPin controllers for the waste oil gun, seem to work fine, easy to program once you get used to em, not water proof though.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: E Yoder on May 28, 2018, 11:11:54 AM
I'm pretty sure the Inkbird unit isn't technically outdoor rated but it seems to seal off pretty well. You could caulk around it. If in doubt buy two. :)
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: Bluegrass Wood Burner on May 28, 2018, 03:31:21 PM
I guess it could be mounted in a plastic box with a glass window on it where you could see it. I'd like to be able to see the temperature at night without a flashlight.
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: mlappin on May 28, 2018, 03:41:07 PM
Something like this could be used, I used something similar on a boiler I built for a cousin, had a Goldline controller in it.


https://www.amazon.com/BUD-Industries-PTQ-11048-C-Hinged-Enclosure/dp/B0131V9O8I/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1527543579&sr=8-6&keywords=clear+enclosure
Title: Re: Inkbird All-Purpose Digital Temperature Controller Fahrenheit &Centigrade Thermo
Post by: E Yoder on May 28, 2018, 05:42:02 PM
I'd like to be able to see the temperature at night without a flashlight.
It's very bright.