Can't find sample wiring diagram

[patrickmathews]

I have looked through the forums and google but I can't find any examples of wiring a BCS 460 with 2 honywell gas burner valves, three pumps and 4 thermometers. The thermometers are pretty self explanitory and I think I understand what I'm doing with the pumps and honeywell burners but it would be real nice to see it laid out as built by someone already. This seems like a pretty standard setup for homebrewing and perhaps it would be nice if there were a good example of this setup somewhere on the website. I think most home brew rigs will have these components or electric heating elements instead of gas.

[todd]

I'm using burners but no pumps and only three temp sensors. I think everyone kinda just does their own thing and it depends on what you want your system to do. Todd

[clearwaterbrewer]

The main difference for you is that instead of electric guys using big amperage SSR's, you will use a relay or SSR to switch 24V AC to the valves... You can either use relays ( would probably dictate that you have a DC power supply), or use smaller capacity SSR's, which you probably can heatsink right to your panel. You will also have some relay/SSR's to power your pumps...

you can probably power a couple 5V relay boards off the BCS 5V out, but watch you millamps!


my advice
1 - Get the right voltage relays and a power supply (5VDC and 12VDC relays will both 'trigger' on 5VDC that the BCS outputs. ( I use a 12V power brick and use it to power 2 4-channel 12V relay boards. I used 12V as they use half the current of a 5V, that also supplies my wireless adapter and strobe light, and if I want to battery operate the system as gas some day, I only have to supply the BCS with 5V)
2 - make SURE your relay boards energize on supplying +5v, not on GND, to the input. ( eBay ones from seller 'electronics-salon' worked for me...)
3 - Get more relays than you think you will need... double is a good number.. you have 5 things, so 8 is a good number to start with. (also plan the outlets in your control panel with this in mind...)
4 - Read homebrewtalk.com 'electric brewing' forum http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f170/, and reference this web page.. http://theelectricbrewery.com/
5 - Read about having real e-stop, fuses/breakers, switches, etc... no need for you to learn the hard way when others have done it for you...

[patrickmathews]

Thanks for the responses. Over the weekend I created a drawing in visio to lay things out at least electrically. I've attached it and hopefully it makes sense. I bought the 25 amp relays from the ECC website along with 24 v DC tansformers (White Rodgers 90-t40f3). A few questions:

Do I need a heat sink to run pumps and 24v transformers? I didn't buy any. The pumps are march 809 and chugger (virtually same thing as the 809).

I am planning on using a bus bar for the ac connections (pos, neg and neutral) to make the wiring easier. I am also planning on using a DC ground bus bar - again just to make the wiring a little neater. These don't appear in the drawing. Any issues with this?

I have not started shopping for a box yet but I think I would like something that can stand up to weather and be at least water resistant. The box will be attached to the brew stand and stay out doors under a tarp when not in use.

I would like to get some sort of plug for the thermometers that is at least water resistant if not water proof. I am also thinking of using these for the honeywell valves so I can disconnect the box if necessary without unwiring it. For the AC pumps, I may just use the three prong plugs that are already attached.

You mentions a hard stop button. Is this the same as a master power off for the entire box? I see the "all stop" button on the BCS web interface. Wouldn't this do the same thing? I plan on having ball valves in line with the honeywell gas valves so that can be my "hard stop" for the gas. If I keep the plugs for the pumps - these can be the "hard stop" for the pumps. Is this the same thing as your talking about?

[clearwaterbrewer]

On your drawing, all the 'N's where the green wires go should be 'G's as they are ground... the '-' on your outlet and 120V connections should be N, and the '+' should be H or L1...

nit picky, but you will get respect from an electrician if you ask one a question and show them a drawing...

The E-Stop should interrupt the red line coming out of the plug where the '+' is.. the BCS 'all stop' stops processes, it will NOT shut off gas or a pump if the SSR fails 'closed'.. electric heat guys have to use a contactor, but there are 20A 20mm red mushroom e-stop switches that will handle all you have...

You should have a fuse or circuit breaker to protect things, with your 120V probably being on a 15A circuit, this may be enough.. a 10A breaker (smaller than the household one) that feeds everything in your drawing (basically, everything *except* the BCS power) will allow a trip without losing connectivity to the system or your process state...

you may find later that you want manual control at the panel location to override the BCS, so leave room for HOA switches (hand-off-auto) in case you want them later...

the little black bus bars you can get at radio shack, ets will work, but are overkill in my book for low-voltage... not like there are many alternatives... I think West marine had ones that were smaller and looked nicer.. I used connectors similar to the ones on the BCS, (but screw terminal to PCB prongs) soldered the back pins together, and mounted them to plastic strip and then that to my panel.

[ECC]

The transformer that you linked is 24V AC (not DC). The SSR's that we sell are AC only. Probably just a typo, most Honeywell valves are 24V AC as well.

You should be able to only use one properly sized transformer for all of your valves. Not sure if its cheaper, but will be much easier to wire and take up less enclosure space. Just take the voltage times rated current of the valves to get the VA power needed. For example, if you have 2 valves at 24V AC rated at 0.7 Amps each, the required transformer 2x24x0.7= 33VA, and give yourself a little extra (one 40VA might power both depending on you valves).

[patrickmathews]

It makes a lot more sense now. I checked and you are correct - the 24v valves are ac and so are the transformers even thought the output has only two wires. I don't see anywhere on the transformer or the box they came in marked DC.

It appears that the SSRs can switch 24V. So yes - I just saved a bunch of panel space. Is there a reason not to energize the transformers when ever the panel is plugged it? I'm thinking of hard wiring it to the AC bus bar.

Anyone want to buy some never used 24V transformers? Looks like I have three extras (for some reason I bought 4).

I'm going to update the wiring diagram and re post it to make sure I got it right.

[patrickmathews]

OK - so this is starting to look like a plate of spaghetti but I think it's going to work. Any other things I should change? Any tips on where to get a box for this? I was thinking Ebay.

BCS 460 Layout.jpg (87.76 KiB) Viewed 9770 times

[clearwaterbrewer]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Boxes-Enclosures-/42886/i.html

I would say 12x12 is minimum for strictly 120V... setup

I use a hoffman A1614 box... but it was nearly free.. I do suggest one with an internal panel to mount stuff to... and get yourself #6 and #8 tap-drill set from the hardware store... use a grease pencil to lay out how you want things, and sleep on it a few nights before your first cuts..

14" wide gives me enough room on bottom for power in, 3 L6-20 outlets and 3 duplex outlets (but did not do that the first time .. you can probably get by with narrower, since no 240V, but that is good size...

For you, I suggest L5-15 duplex receptacles... the twist-lock connectors provide confidence that they won't fall out... (L5-20 is not duplex, but you can use that for power in receptacle if you do not want cord always attached to box.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... -15+duplex

and cord ends.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... nkw=l5-15p

if you are buying male and female cords for these, say to run extensions to your pumps, here is a cheap way, a male, a female, and a GFCI for $15..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0692936215

[patrickmathews]

Is it common to have the wiring terminate in plugs at the side of the box? I'm thinking of the 24v wiring from the gas valves. I probably use the hubble twist lock for the pumps. It seems that I would only have AC power to the box (through the GFCI extension cord), network (if I don't do wifi), 3 pumps and 2 gas valves.

I am for sure not going to run into any heat sink issues with the ssrs running pumps and gas valves?