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W1209 thermostat, test, opinion, applications

TechEkspert  61 20190 Cool? (+11)
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TL;DR

  • The W1209 thermostat controls heating or cooling loads with an NTC sensor, 0.1C display resolution, a simple SET/+/- menu, and an included plexiglass housing.
  • Its P0–P6 settings select heater or cooler mode, set 0.1–15C hysteresis, calibrate the probe, add relay delay, and trigger an emergency alarm shutdown.
  • It runs from 12V, draws about 16mA with the relay off and 65mA when the relay is energized, and its relay is rated for 20A at 14VDC.
  • A test with a 4.7 ohm resistor at 45C showed visible on/off cycling and delayed temperature response from thermal inertia.
  • The setup works well for simple thermostatic control, but tighter regulation would need PWM, phase control, or a PID controller.
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The W1209 thermostat can control a heating or cooling device. The LED display shows the current temperature with a resolution of 0.1C, measured with a sensor based on the NTC element. The simple menu of the system allows, among others, to define the type of controlled device, calibrate the thermometer readings, and determine the hysteresis range. The system is supplied with 12V and consumes ~ 16mA with the relay turned off, while the relay coil is powered, the current consumption increases to 65mA. Relay contacts, as described, can switch 20A at 14VDC and 20A at 125VAC. A plexiglass housing is included with the thermostat.

The W1209 thermostat will soon appear in the elektroda.pl gadgets.

To set the set temperature, shortly press the microswitch marked SET (the digits on the display will start blinking) and use the + - buttons to set the temperature to be stabilized by the thermostat. We can set the value from -50C to 110C.

Holding the SET button for longer than 5s displays the menu items from P0 to P6. Entering the settings of a certain menu level is done by pressing the SET button.

P0 - select the type of connected device:
H- a device generating heat, i.e. a heater, e.g. in the form of a resistor
C- cooling device, e.g. fan or Peltier module, C is the default setting

P1 - we set the hysteresis, i.e. the deliberate interval between switching on and switching off an element, by default they are 2C (0.1-15 adjustment),
e.g. in case of cooling and the thermostat temperature is set to 20C, cooling will be turned on after reaching 20C,
while cooling will be turned off at 18C (2C hysteresis). Setting the hysteresis will reduce the number of switchings of the relay, increasing the life of the contacts.

P2 and P3 - setting the maximum and minimum temperature (by default set to the maximum and minimum measurement, I do not know what is the practical application)

P4 - temperature sensor calibration -7C to 7C. A one-point calibration is debatable, but for the thermostat's setpoint temperature it may make sense.

P5 - delay time of switching on the relay.

P6 - extreme temperature alarm, when the temperature reading reaches the set alarm threshold, the relay will be turned off, the symbol --- will appear on the display. You can set this value to a temperature that is dangerous for the system, in an emergency the heater power supply will be turned off.

The NTC sensor is closed in a metal housing which increases its resistance to damage. When the sensor is disconnected, the thermostat displays LLL. Room temperature readings are the same as with a thermocouple multimeter.


Connecting the controlled receiver is very simple. The relay is connected in series in the receiver power supply circuit. We supply 12V DC to the thermostat.


Let's make a test and use a 4.7om resistor powered from 12V as a heating element. Place the sensor so that it measures the heater temperature. At the same time, we can record the temperature of the resistor.

We set the thermostat to 45C and see how the on / off control is doing.


Considerable temperature fluctuations caused by the "inertia" of the system are visible. Around 45C you can see the moments of switching on the relay, but despite switching off the power supply to the resistor, the temperature rises for some time, then the temperature drops until the relay is switched on again. This example shows that the accuracy of the temperature sensor and measurement may not be of great importance in on / off control. Such simple control will prove itself in many applications. In more demanding applications, the heater can be controlled, for example, by PWM or phase, and even a PID controller as a controller.

In the set with the W1209 thermostat you will find a plexiglass housing.


Where do you see the applications for the W1209 thermostat?

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TechEkspert
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Comments

ElectroTom 20 Apr 2018 02:12

And how to measure negative temperatures, e.g. -10 degrees Celsius or - 20. [Read more]

Niebieski 20 Apr 2018 11:33

For me, the third season controls the central heating pump. [Read more]

miszczo997 20 Apr 2018 15:37

How are minus temperatures indicated? Somehow I was recently looking for an alternative to a mechanical freezer thermostat because I couldn't find a suitable one for my medel and was considering buying... [Read more]

TechEkspert 20 Apr 2018 20:44

@ElectroTom @ miszczo997 negative temperatures are indicated by a minus, with two-digit numbers the resolution of indications is reduced: https://obrazki.elektroda.pl/6615403900_1524249541_thumb.jpg... [Read more]

Granat :) 20 Apr 2018 21:19

The biggest disadvantage of this thermostat in my opinion is that when the maximum temperature (I don't know how the minimum) is reached in cooling mode, the relay is turned off. Let's assume... [Read more]

krisRaba 21 Apr 2018 12:43

This may be a deliberate safeguard, i.e. the controller switches the actuator on, but sees no changes in the feedback signal. It may be a situation that you write about, e.g. cooling does not work, but... [Read more]

AndyNW 21 Apr 2018 13:24

Hello, I control the CO circulating pump in the furnace. OK. [Read more]

nici 21 Apr 2018 17:18

You do not need to use this feature, it can actually be troublesome in some situations. [Read more]

TechEkspert 22 Apr 2018 10:31

@krisRaba P6 can be set to OFF. [Read more]

krisRaba 22 Apr 2018 13:49

And after the "biggest flaw" ;) [Read more]

cocokoko 23 Apr 2018 07:24

I have been using two such thermostats for two years. One controls the hot water circulation pump, the other controls the relay that activates the electric heater when the water temperature in the boiler... [Read more]

dgproject 24 Apr 2018 13:30

I use three such modules to control the airflow power in the DGP installation in the fireplace and they do well with the appropriate setting of parameters. The only drawback, in my opinion, is the lack... [Read more]

vodiczka 25 Apr 2018 17:14

I read on the electrode forum that while the indications in the range of 10-30 ° C are correct with an accuracy of 1 ° C, as the temperature increases, they are burdened with more and more errors. When... [Read more]

Rezystor240 25 Apr 2018 20:31

an interesting thing about this thermostat. For me, it would be used with a laminate etching machine. I can never sense the matter and sometimes I can boil acid. This thermostat fits perfectly, if the... [Read more]

brofran 26 Apr 2018 19:48

I believe that the range of voltage of the executive relay contacts (24 and 125 V) is a big disadvantage. After all, the typical voltage of our home installations is 240 V AC. :cry: [Read more]

vodiczka 26 Apr 2018 23:06

It will withstand 125V, it (judging from previous posts) will also withstand 240V at a much lower current, and at 20A I do not believe it, despite the manufacturer's assurances. [Read more]

Granat :) 27 Apr 2018 22:09

P6 does not work on off, only a range is set. I have it set to max, ie 110. The sensor is on the boiler flue, at a distance from it, otherwise it would be 300 ° C. Rarely, because rarely, but if you want... [Read more]

AndyNW 02 May 2018 07:47

Hello, I apply to CO in a single-family home. It works fine [Read more]

Niebieski 06 May 2018 16:01

I have a single-function boiler and a heat exchanger. The thermostat controls the pump in the radiator circuit. It turns it on when hot water from the boiler appears and turns it off when it cools down... [Read more]

FAQ

TL;DR: Relay handles 20 A @ 14 VDC [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090]; "works fine" when driving a CO pump [Elektroda, AndyNW, post #17198520] Fans love the W1209 for its −50 °C…+110 °C span and ₹300-level price. Why it matters: cheap, hackable control beats mechanical thermostats.

Quick Facts

• Temp span: −50 °C to +110 °C, 0.1 °C step [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090] • Hysteresis adjustable 0.1–15 °C via P1 [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090] • Supply: 12 V DC, 16 mA idle / 65 mA relay on [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090] • Relay contacts: 20 A @ 14 VDC or 20 A @ 125 VAC (expect ≈5 A @ 240 VAC) [Elektroda, TechEkspert, #17177090; Elektroda, vodiczka, #17190393] • Board MCU: N76E003AT20 or STM8S003F3P6, both re-flashable [Elektroda, TechEkspert, #17179031; miszczo997, #17316242]

1. What temperature range can the W1209 measure and control?

The on-board firmware accepts set-points from −50 °C to +110 °C. The same limits apply to displayed readings and to the P2 (upper) and P3 (lower) safety boundaries [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090]

3. Is the supplied NTC probe waterproof?

Yes, the NTC is potted in a metal sleeve, but corrosion in aquaria has been reported after 6 months. Slide on heat-shrink or coat with two-part epoxy to seal it fully [Elektroda, pierotez, post #17475828]

4. Can the relay safely switch 230 V AC mains loads?

The PCB relay is rated 20 A @ 125 VAC; users confirm it survives 240 V AC but at lower current (~5 A) [Elektroda, vodiczka, post #17190393] For higher power, drive an external contactor or SSR instead.

6. What do parameters P0–P6 actually change?

P0: Heat (H) or Cool (C) P1: Hysteresis 0.1–15 °C P2/P3: Max/Min set-point limits P4: Sensor offset −7…+7 °C P5: Relay delay 0–10 s P6: Over-temp alarm OFF or 0…110 °C [Elektroda, Freddy, post #17210353]

7. How do I disable the P6 alarm that kills cooling at 110 °C?

Enter menu (hold SET 5 s), scroll to P6, set value to OFF. The relay then ignores the temperature ceiling [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17181491]

8. Can I replace the probe with a 3-wire DS18B20 sensor?

No. The firmware expects a 10 kΩ NTC. A DS18B20 will read 3× too high even with two wires connected [Elektroda, Fisqss, #20846901; #20847307]. Swap in any waterproof 10 kΩ NTC instead [Elektroda, vodiczka, post #20847443]

9. How reliable is the board?

Field data: about 20 % of new boards have relay contact issues and occasional MCU failure has been logged (pin 6 shorted) [Elektroda, Kkaz, #21156208; sergiuszf, #18022978]. Quote: "very unreliable thermostat" [Elektroda, Kkaz, post #21156208]

11. How do I quickly set a target temperature with hysteresis?

  1. Tap SET; digits blink. 2. Use +/− to choose target, tap SET to save. 3. Hold SET 5 s, pick P1, set hysteresis, save. The relay now toggles at target±hysteresis/2 [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090]

12. What are common applications shared by users?

Users drive CO pumps, DHW heaters, fireplace blowers, aquarium heaters, PCB etching baths, and lawn-mower acid batteries [Elektroda, multiple posts #17178161, #17183039, #18210292, #17265473]. A 65 mA coil current lets battery systems run efficiently [Elektroda, TechEkspert, post #17177090]
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