Heater controllers do fail

[rwreef]

I've had this setup for about 6yrs. Today I was in my basement and smelled burning. It took a few minutes...but I found that my inkbird controller was stuck on and smoking/burning. Luckily I have redundancy and this setup was in a fire safe box.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I've had this setup for about 6yrs. Today I was in my basement and smelled burning. It took a few minutes...but I found that my inkbird controller was stuck on and smoking/burning. Luckily I have redundancy and this setup was in a fire safe box.

Holy mackerel!

 

[robbyg]

I get that the redundancy is a fireproof box but would it not have been better to have had a controller or something else in the line to turn off the stuck ink bird.

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

Lol,. Yeah, at 6 years, I would say the output relays were used past their life expectancy.

 

[JGT]

I've had this setup for about 6yrs. Today I was in my basement and smelled burning. It took a few minutes...but I found that my inkbird controller was stuck on and smoking/burning. Luckily I have redundancy and this setup was in a fire safe box.

What kind of controller is that? Was expecting the usual Inkbird temp controller but that thing is massive.

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

It's an itc model

 

[Flippers4pups]

Lol,. Yeah, at 6 years, I would say the output relays were used past their life expectancy.

I get it that for that long the relays would have some serious wear, but to short out and burn? Normal?

 

[rwreef]

I get that the redundancy is a fireproof box but would it not have been better to have had a controller or something else in the line to turn off the stuck ink bird.

This will be the extra added redundancy plan moving forward. Had it shorted to ground my GFCI would've tripped. I caught it before this occurred I believe
...not gonna plug it back in to see the complete failure mode.

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

I get it that for that long the relays would have some serious wear, but to short out and burn? Normal?

No, you're right, not normal but it definitely is possible. Depending on how it failed. In HVAC and power generation, I've seen quite a few electronic components have a thermonuclear melt down like that. The itc inkbird user manual says, "If the output relays are used past their life expectancy, contact fusing or burning may occasionally occur. Always consider the application conditions and use the output relays within their rated load and electrical life expectancy. The life expectancy of output relays varies considerably with the output load and switch conditions."

 

[Flippers4pups]

No, you're right, not normal but it definitely is possible. Depending on how it failed. In HVAC and power generation, I've seen quite a few electronic components have a thermonuclear melt down like that. The itc inkbird user manual says, "If the output relays are used past their life expectancy, contact fusing or burning may occasionally occur. Always consider the application conditions and use the output relays within their rated load and electrical life expectancy. The life expectancy of output relays varies considerably with the output load and switch conditions."

Could the 306 and 308's suffer the same fate?

 

[George81]

I use that same controller. I have the sensor fail numerous times. Im on my third one. Ive even maxed out the offsets.
as an electrician, in the future dont switch your loads with that piece of garbage. Use that to drive a contactor that your heater plug passes through. I know you probably
Dont have access to allen bradley parts but i use that controller to drive a AB contactor. Which carries the load of my heater and all that controller does
Is turn the coil on and off.
i would never trust the contacts on that to carry any kind of load like heaters.

edit. On my phone. Lol

 

[ingchr1]

Could the 306 and 308's suffer the same fate?

This will not answer your question but the controller in the OP is not manufactured by Inkbird, they just relabel it.

I use the same controllers but different model (STC-1000) in my homebrew setup. No idea of the manufacturer, could be the original.

 

[FactoryKTMmotocross46]

Could the 306 and 308's suffer the same fate?

I've never seen it, but I haven't looked into it either.


I use a finnex controller on a 200w aqueon and replace every few years. 1.6amp resistive load is not much. I've been lucky though. It helps to undersize your heater and keep it in a high flow area so it does not cycle a lot. I have a la crosse mobile temperature alert system that sends me a txt and email when my temp alarms high or low. Its like $1/month.