Beer Forum

OK- complete noob question. I wired up my ITC-1000 (Farenheit version of STC-1000 temp controller) and it seems to work fine, but when I plug my circuit tester into the heating side, I get a "Hot/Neutral Reversed" light. Does this mean that I simply reversed the hot and neutral wires from the power cord? TIA.

That would be my guess. Did you check to make sure the wire you were breaking on the power cord goes to the hot side of the plug (the smaller blade)? I just plugged a circuit tester into the "heating" plug on my STC-1000 controller and the circuit tester said it was fine.

There isn't a lot going on in there, so the possibilities are limited.

NateBrews wrote:That would be my guess. Did you check to make sure the wire you were breaking on the power cord goes to the hot side of the plug (the smaller blade)? I just plugged a circuit tester into the "heating" plug on my STC-1000 controller and the circuit tester said it was fine.

There isn't a lot going on in there, so the possibilities are limited.

No, I blindly followed a You Tube instructional video, even down to buying the same extension cord (I think) that the guy used as a power cord. He said, "The hot wire has ribbed insulation on it," and mine did, so that's what I used. If I just swap the two wires, is there any chance I'm gonna fry my STC-1000?

No, the STC-1000 doesn't know/care (since there isn't really any polarity to an AC signal for a 2 wire connected device such as the STC-1000). Just ensure that you aren't using the ground connection for anything other than the plug's ground lug. It shouldn't be connected to the STC-1000 at all. The other thing is to make sure the hot goes to the brass screws on the plug.

Did you break the tab on the outlet and make one plug "heating" and one "cooling"? That is how mine is setup and it has been a wonderful tool to have around.

NateBrews wrote:Did you break the tab on the outlet and make one plug "heating" and one "cooling"?

Yes.

I'll swap the wires and see what happens.

Bingo! Both sides show "Correctly Wired" now. Thanks!

BeerPal wrote:He said, "The hot wire has ribbed insulation on it," and mine did, so that's what I used.

Uh, ... no. The ribbed side is traditionally the ground side.

Extension cords are fine for low watt applications such as fans and controllers, but if you're switching a load such as a refrigeration or heating unit the typical extension cord isn't going to cut it.

For 120v equipment in the 500 watt plus range I recommend using stranded flexible wire such as Cerrowire 10/3 or 8/3 from your local Lowes/HoDep, and use a quality 3 prong grounded plug. Green = ground, white = neutral, and black = hot. Most modern appliances are safe when the polarity is reversed, but you don't want to be the guy to find the one that isn't.

Charlie,
I'm sorry to disagree with you, but depending on the extension cord, it likely can handle 500+ watts. 10/3 and 8/3 are way overkill for anything that's should be plugging into a 15 amp receptacle, unless he's using a really long cord. Plus cerrowire is a brand, not cable type.

BeerPal,
is there any on the cord saying something like 16/3? If not, did the cord package come with that information, max amps, gauge, or something similar?