Hey all. I have an INKBIRD itc-312 controller and it worked great for about six weeks. A week ago I changed the settings and now it is very erratic. INKBIRD customer service is horrendous. Does anybody have experience with this controller? What do you use to control your heater?
Heater controller
- Thread starter Jamie805
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I use the ITC 306A. My graph doesn’t get as detailed as that (or at least I haven’t figured it out) but it looks like you’re fluctuating right around 1 degree which isn’t bad. What setttings did you change on it?
I changed the on/off temps by -0.2 degrees each. And the high and low alarms by the same.
I have since put it back to where it originally was and still being erratic.
Hmm I’m honestly not too sure. I allow my temp to fluctuate some so and not sure where that detailed of info is in the app (unless it’s a 312 thing).
It’s in the history. It might be a 312 thing though because I have to tap the device to get to this screen. I did order a 306a this morning though.
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Hmm yea I’m thinking it’s a 312 thing. This is what I have on IOS.
Then I can scroll left to right on the graph but I can’t/haven’t figured out to get a more detailed temp.
Then I can scroll left to right on the graph but I can’t/haven’t figured out to get a more detailed temp.
wvned
Well-known member
I use hydros to control 9 heaters. I do not see anything in your graphs I would describe as erratic. What is the target temperature and heating differential set to?
Without knowing that I cant tell if it is doing what it isa supposed to.
A lot of what I am seeing on your graphs is probably caused by the temperature of the room the tank is in. There are segments when the tank temperature continues to fall when the heater is on. Also the temps rise after the heaters shut off. That would mean the heater has enough mass that it still transfers significant heat to the tank after it shuts off. Usually from an oversized heater.
Without knowing that I cant tell if it is doing what it isa supposed to.
A lot of what I am seeing on your graphs is probably caused by the temperature of the room the tank is in. There are segments when the tank temperature continues to fall when the heater is on. Also the temps rise after the heaters shut off. That would mean the heater has enough mass that it still transfers significant heat to the tank after it shuts off. Usually from an oversized heater.
I have the ITC-306A as well and my android UI looks like this. I have mine set to maintain between 79-79.5F
however i changed my alarm to greater swings at like 70.0 and 80.5f because it was randomly going off like once a day even if temps were set correct, I never did figure out why the alarm was going off so randomly. It just... stopped doing it one day.
Thank you guys for responding. I just got a 306a. INKBIRD is replacing the 312. I’m beginning to think it’s my heater. Last night the continuous time alarm kept going off set at 2hrs. This morning when I got up the temp was 77.5 and within the hr it was 78.0. I have it set to turn on at 77.5 and off at 78. High and low are set to 70 and 78.9. The graph on the 306 doesn’t show much so it’s hard to say what was going on.
@wvned do you have a link for the controller you use?
@wvned do you have a link for the controller you use?
Hydros is a brand of controller that has many models. I assume @wvned is using a Collective or group of Hydros controllers for his heaters. Here's a link to the various Hydros controllers.
wvned
Well-known member
I used one of the older ink bird models, No app or anything.
With a controller like Hydros. You just plug the heater into an AC outlet and program what you want it to do.
An XS started kit would do it. Many people would only plug a heater into an XP8 controller. My WIFI is very stable and I have power backup for everything.
My system is too large for a standard controller and I purchased a Ranco one but never wired it up.
Can we start at the beginning?
How big is your tank? Your heater?
Perhaps you simply have the Inkbird set wrong.
How much does the room temperature change over 24 hours?
Does your heater have built in controls? Did you defeat them by setting them to a high value?
With a controller like Hydros. You just plug the heater into an AC outlet and program what you want it to do.
An XS started kit would do it. Many people would only plug a heater into an XP8 controller. My WIFI is very stable and I have power backup for everything.
My system is too large for a standard controller and I purchased a Ranco one but never wired it up.
Can we start at the beginning?
How big is your tank? Your heater?
Perhaps you simply have the Inkbird set wrong.
How much does the room temperature change over 24 hours?
Does your heater have built in controls? Did you defeat them by setting them to a high value?
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I have a 36g bowfront. The heater is in the Oase 100 canister filter with its own dedicated power cable. I live in Wisconsin and right now we are not running our ac/heater so we are probably getting a pretty big temperature swing in the house(which is one reason I believe the heater is too small. We keep the house pretty cold during the night and summer with the ac running. It seemed the heater was struggling to heat up the tank last night. I have the heater set at 77.5on. 78.0off. Alarms are at 77 and 78.9. I had the continuous alarm set at 2 hrs. Changed to 4 last night and then off this morning. Continuous alarm kept going off last night after a low temp alarm. At 0630 this morning temp was 77.5 and within a half hour it had raised to 78. I’m assuming because the room was warming up.
Temp has been consistent at 78 all morning so far.
wvned
Well-known member
Have you considered adding a second heater. You plug a splitter into the ink bird heating port. A submersible heater can be placed horizontally in the back of the tank where it isn't visible. Inkbirds can generally control up to 10 amps of current draw on the heating port. Two 100 watt heaters would only be about 2. It also give you redundancy is one fails.
Most heater size recommendations are based on a stable room temperature above 70 degrees.
Most heater size recommendations are based on a stable room temperature above 70 degrees.
Yeah. I’m thinking of doing that. I do think the heater in the Oase is too small. Thank you for the help.
ok thats weird, FWIW my inkbird came with two power outlets so I am running two heaters myself right now. In the winter our house sits routinly around 61F so I may actually need both of them at that point, but generally speaking I keep them for redundancy. I'd have to look cause I cant for the life of me rmember but I feel like its a big 300w and a 175w or something. I have one in the overflow and one in the sump where the heater monitors are. I would prefer to maybe have both in the sump though. Maybe if I do that I'll move the heater sensor/monitors to the DT, IDK.
wvned
Well-known member
I think if you look it does have 2 outlets but one is for heating and one is for a chiller.
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