Recently I was faced with a challenge; I wanted a single fan to exhaust garden air when either the temperature was too high or the humidity was too high. This sounds straight forward but almost every controller I found controlled one or the other, but not both. The few that did control for both had separate sockets for two devices. Although I did find a couple high-end controllers that would fit the bill, I wasn’t willing to pay that kind of money. So, for $80 I did it myself and I am very pleased at the result!
On my workbench you can see the XXDuoStat (attic fan) controller, an outdoor extension cord, and a Govee thermometer/hygrometer. The Govee was an additional $14 but makes for a great addition that allows you to track stats using an app on your phone.
Unboxed, it is clear that this device needs to be wired. Note the extra 2″ length of 14 gauge copper wire. It should be attached to the green screw which will ground the unit (as seen below).
Assuming your home wiring is standard (white = common/neutral, black = hot, green = ground), use the picture below along with the wiring diagram on the inside of the unit to make your connections. I wired mine with the power input from outlet on the left. Chop your extension cord in half, peel back the insulation and strip the wires. Be sure to install cable connectors first and use appropriate wire-nuts.
Notes:
–White wire passes through so simply reconnect with wire-nuts.
–Ground wires should be connected to the ‘stub’ that is connected to the green grounding screw on the unit.
–This picture does not show cable connectors installed on the openings where your power cord enters and exits the unit. I’m not too proud to admit that I forgot to install first, then had to take apart my wiring and try again (I forgot to take a second picture). Cable connectors help to keep pests out of the device and ensure that the wire-nut connections aren’t stressed.
After dialing in the temperature and humidity settings for a couple days, this unit has performed extremely well and has dialed in the environment in the grow tent nicely. As you can see from the graphs, the trend for temperature and humidity are staying within a consistent range. I have a bit more work to do to further refine the environmental parameters, but this unit is doing precisely what it was designed to do.
Happy Harvests!
— The Lit Farmer —
This is more awesome diy stuff bro!! Thanks again for all you do!