Thanks a million mate.
That is very well explained and a very logical approach.
That little temperature controller looks idea!
How are you managing to fit the probe into a tee fitting mate?
Thanks again I genuinely appreciate this! 👍
Right. I replaced the flexible rubber hoses with the outside mess support Heatwave use, with car heater hose. I can then take a short length of 15mm copper pipe and solder 1 olive at one end. Then slip the heater hose over that and clamp the hose so it won't leak under pressure. The soldered olive will stop the heater hose slipping off the pipe under pressure. The other end of the short copper pipe will have a compression nut and olive that will secure that bit of copper pipe to the bulkhead connector.
I then took a hose clamp, opened it up, and knocked a half round shape in the hose clamp band that was the same size as the temperature sensor. I used my vice slightly open and a round piece of solid metal round bar. With the hose clamp tightened, it holds the sensor securely onto the copper pipe without crushing it. So basically it will near enough record the temperature of the water in the pipe.
As I previously mentioned, I set the temperature controller to kick in at 3 degrees C just to make sure I account for any discrepancies in the temperature readings. After all, it is a cheap Chinese made, mass-produced, product. It's worked like this every winter for the past 5 years.
As I also put an electric heater in the van, the diesel heater maybe kicks on twice overnight at the most. The van is parked on our driveway and the closest neighbour never hears it. But then again, the heater exhaust doesn't point in the direction of her house.
I actually have 3 of these controllers. The one I use as a frost controller also measures the heat of the water as it leaves the heater to my pole. The 2nd one measures the heat of the water going to the pole my son uses. The third is set on cooling mode. I've added a third 22kw water to water heat exchanger in my system. When the internal hot water circuit reaches 83 degrees C, this controller switches on a third Shurflo pump. This pump draws cold water from the tank, pumps it through this 22kw heat exchanger and back into the tank. When the internal circuit water drops to 75 degrees C, the controller switches the pump off. This means my diesel heater is kept in the reduced heat mode and will never turn off when I stop to talk to my customer. It will go on like this all day if I want. I do have a pwm speed controller linked to this pump, which is set to a reduced speed and water flow, which slowly reduces the temperature of the internal circuit.
I hope this all makes sense.
