eyedoctodd
Well-Known Member
Hi all, I wired up an STC-1000 according to this thread:https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/stc-1000-wiring-diagram-question-362214/
(I broke off the tab from the hot side to give the top receptacle for the heating stage and the bottom for cooling - I didn't break the neutral side as the original poster in that thread did).
Plugged it in and it seemed good to go. I tested it by plugging in this immersion heater:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FO8FY68/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and setting the temp to 60C, with the temp sensor and heater submerged in a plastic bucket of water in my plastic laundry tub.
It was happily heating along so I decided to take a hydrometer sample on a fermenting batch, and when I was done, I went to rinse off the hydrometer by dunking it in the bucket of water.
I instantly got a shock and the GFCI tripped off.
Obviously I am concerned. My intended use of this controller and heater is to have the immersion heater in my stainless hot liquor tank to heat mash water to a set point.
Is the problem that the heater has just a 2-prong (I'm guessing that means ungrounded) cord? I was careful to wire things properly in the STC-1000 but does this symptom maybe sound like I possibly screwed something up in that? The temp probe for the STC-1000 is supposed to be waterproof and submersible, any chance I got one with a small break in the insulation? Do you think if I just plug that heater directly into a GFCI outlet and test it the same way, bypassing the controller, that it will still trip the GFCI? Is that a stupid way to troubleshoot? All I got was a small jolt, but I don't want to keep putting my life in the hands of a $10 GFCI.
Will my HLT be energized if I don't change anything? Is there a way to properly ground the heater or kettle to resolve this? I use a Blichmann toptier, for what it's worth - I don't know if the aluminum mast can be employed some way in grounding this.
Any help is appreciated. Cheers!
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
(I broke off the tab from the hot side to give the top receptacle for the heating stage and the bottom for cooling - I didn't break the neutral side as the original poster in that thread did).
Plugged it in and it seemed good to go. I tested it by plugging in this immersion heater:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FO8FY68/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and setting the temp to 60C, with the temp sensor and heater submerged in a plastic bucket of water in my plastic laundry tub.
It was happily heating along so I decided to take a hydrometer sample on a fermenting batch, and when I was done, I went to rinse off the hydrometer by dunking it in the bucket of water.
I instantly got a shock and the GFCI tripped off.
Obviously I am concerned. My intended use of this controller and heater is to have the immersion heater in my stainless hot liquor tank to heat mash water to a set point.
Is the problem that the heater has just a 2-prong (I'm guessing that means ungrounded) cord? I was careful to wire things properly in the STC-1000 but does this symptom maybe sound like I possibly screwed something up in that? The temp probe for the STC-1000 is supposed to be waterproof and submersible, any chance I got one with a small break in the insulation? Do you think if I just plug that heater directly into a GFCI outlet and test it the same way, bypassing the controller, that it will still trip the GFCI? Is that a stupid way to troubleshoot? All I got was a small jolt, but I don't want to keep putting my life in the hands of a $10 GFCI.
Will my HLT be energized if I don't change anything? Is there a way to properly ground the heater or kettle to resolve this? I use a Blichmann toptier, for what it's worth - I don't know if the aluminum mast can be employed some way in grounding this.
Any help is appreciated. Cheers!
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
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