GHL Heater Control Thread

[fftfk]

I have set up my heater using the GHL walk through videos and it keeps turning off and staying off for some reason. I am not sure why. It ran for a while and now turns off. I can manually turn it back on using the switch channel manual override. No alarms have gone off that I know of.

Here are my current settings:

 

[DFR]

Your screenshots show that your desired temperature (nominal value) and actual temperature (current value) are both the same (77.5F) so you heater should be off. Your hysteresis is also set to 2F. If you want it to come on more frequently try decreasing it to somewhere between 0.5 and 1F. As it is set, it seems to be operating as programmed. If you click on “switching points“, (next to probe/sensor controls) you will see the temperatures that the heater should turn on and off.

 

[fftfk]

Ahhh - OK, that makes sense. Is there a way to set it so that it stays on permanently and only turns off if the temp get's too high? That seems like that would be the switching points you are referencing. I have a separate Temp controller plugged into it so that the GHL would be the fail safe for a malfunction.

 

[KStatefan]

Ahhh - OK, that makes sense. Is there a way to set it so that it stays on permanently and only turns off if the temp get's too high? That seems like that would be the switching points you are referencing. I have a separate Temp controller plugged into it so that the GHL would be the fail safe for a malfunction.

@Lasse has a great write up on GHL heater control

 

[fftfk]

@Lasse has a great write up on GHL heater control

Do you have a link or name of the thread? I have tried searching for a post by him or general heater controller/ghl can cannot find the right post. I see him posting in multiple threads but do not see one where it is referencing my situation. I want to use a ranch controller as my primary controller with GHL as a failsafe. The GHL keeps turning off the outlet. The setup guide does not speak to this type of setup - https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/knowledge-base/how-to-setup-heater-control/

Edit - also, the support ticket system does not seem to be working.

 

[KStatefan]

Do you have a link or name of the thread? I have tried searching for a post by him or general heater controller/ghl can cannot find the right post. I see him posting in multiple threads but do not see one where it is referencing my situation. I want to use a ranch controller as my primary controller with GHL as a failsafe. The GHL keeps turning off the outlet. The setup guide does not speak to this type of setup - https://www.aquariumcomputer.com/knowledge-base/how-to-setup-heater-control/

Edit - also, the support ticket system does not seem to be working.

It was a thread on using GHL for the control. I did not see in your orginal post that this was for a fail safe. You just need the range of the GHL to be above the range that your normal range is.

ie set the temp to 80°F and the hysteresis to 0.5° F and the outlet will turn off at ≈80.5°F and back on at ≈79.5° F

I use two Ranco independent of my Profilux for my temperature control. In my experience with the Ranco controllers in an industrial environment I do not use a failsafe for an stuck on failure.

 

[Lasse]

We will solve this - I ask some questions to you in this thread but I can ask the same here

What temperature does your Ranco turn of your heater? Which is the temperature you want GHL to shout it down?

Your setting now

It will give these on and off points. Off at 77.8 F and on at 76.5 again

However - the first thing you need to control is if the rancho temp probe and the GHL probe read the same temperature. Let your rancho operate without putting it into the GHL switch. When the rancho turn the heater off - note the temperature on your GHL Let us say that your GHL shows 78.8 degree F (26 degree C) when your Ranco turn off the heather (The important thing is what GHL thinks the temperature is - not the one you set your Ranco controller at - because it is two different probes and they can differ among themselves !) Now you want your fail safe be at GHL temperature of 79.7 degree F (26.5 degree C) and temperature should go down to 78.8 before the outlet is switching on again - you can test this. Nominal value 79,5 and Hysteresis 1.4 F.

If you press the button in red - you will get this information below. Heather function is switched off at 79.7 F and on again at 78.8. It means that when GHL think it is 78.8 it will switch on the outlet and give power to the ranco controller again. If the ranco is defect and stuck at on - the temperature will rise to 79.7 again and GHL will switch the outlet off. If the ranco is working the right way - the temperature will go down to ranco´s lower on point and off at 78,8 again by the ranco controller. GHL will not shout it down before it reach 79.7 again.

Now you should knit this temp 1 (in my case) to your outlet (SW1 in my case)

Now you can put your Ranco into SW1 and it should work the way it is intended

Sincerely Lasse

 

[fftfk]

We will solve this - I ask some questions to you in this thread but I can ask the same here



Your setting now

It will give these on and off points. Off at 77.8 F and on at 76.5 again

However - the first thing you need to control is if the rancho temp probe and the GHL probe read the same temperature. Let your rancho operate without putting it into the GHL switch. When the rancho turn the heater off - note the temperature on your GHL Let us say that your GHL shows 78.8 degree F (26 degree C) when your Ranco turn off the heather (The important thing is what GHL thinks the temperature is - not the one you set your Ranco controller at - because it is two different probes and they can differ among themselves !) Now you want your fail safe be at GHL temperature of 79.7 degree F (26.5 degree C) and temperature should go down to 78.8 before the outlet is switching on again - you can test this. Nominal value 79,5 and Hysteresis 1.4 F.

If you press the button in red - you will get this information below. Heather function is switched off at 79.7 F and on again at 78.8. It means that when GHL think it is 78.8 it will switch on the outlet and give power to the ranco controller again. If the ranco is defect and stuck at on - the temperature will rise to 79.7 again and GHL will switch the outlet off. If the ranco is working the right way - the temperature will go down to ranco´s lower on point and off at 78,8 again by the ranco controller. GHL will not shout it down before it reach 79.7 again.

Now you should knit this temp 1 (in my case) to your outlet (SW1 in my case)

Now you can put your Ranco into SW1 and it should work the way it is intended

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you for the detailed write up @Lasse. I think I understand the concept. You want the GHL to turn off the outlet just above where the ranco will turn it off and back on just under the ranco off set point. In this way the outlet will always be active and only switch off in the event of a failure

I tried to set up the GHL in this fashion but for some reason the outlet is not turning on. The ranco stops heating at 79.9 per the GHL sensor. I believe I have the GHL set to turn off just above that temp and on just under.

I know the GHL outlet works bc I can manually turn it on and off via the app.

 

[Lasse]

Your outlet will turn on at 77.9 F

Sincerely Lasse

 

[KStatefan]

The sensor has to cool down to 77.9 ° F to turn on.

 

[Lasse]

You have programmable logic 1 as function. In my case I use temp 1 - heather as function

If you try to change your nominal value - the GHL will shout of the outlet at 78,5 and on at 78.2. If your ranco works at it should it will stop at 78.1 - if it stuck at on - the heather will work to 78.5 and GHL shout it down.

And I do not think that you should believe 100 % on the switching points because there is a difference in the calculations between degree F and C

The sensor has to cool down to 77.9 ° F to turn on.

Exactly

Sincerely Lasse

 

[fftfk]

@Lasse - Thank you for all of your help. I appears to be working right now. In any case it is a redundant heater as I have two separate ranco on the tank with one being monitored by Apex. I am slowly moving all monitoring and control functions from apex to GHL so am sure I will have more questions in the future.