 | market - home |
|
| market - home |
|
 |
 |
News & Events:
|
Posted by markg on December 09, 2002 at 00:02:48:
In Reply to: on/off thermostat inline with dimmer to control heat tape? posted by ross2k on December 08, 2002 at 18:49:49:
This is a common problem when the ambient room temp fluctuates. Unfortunately, the only sure-fire way to maintain reasonably-constant heat tape temps without having constant room temps is by using a proportional controller like the one from Big Apple or the Helix models.
You certainly can put the dimmer in series with the A-Life thermostat. Then, the thermostat would protect against overtemp conditions, so you can set your dimmer on the higher side and not worry about overheating. But, A-Life sensor reacts very slowly to temperature changes, and the effect is that the heat tape temp cycles quite a bit. A-Life's don't offer very good control of heat tape and heat pads unless used as a high-limit cutoff. Proportional is the way to go. You will soon find that out when you get one, and you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
For now adjust the dimmer in the morning and then again at night and watch the temps closely. When you get your proportional unit, you won't have to guess anymore.
