Can't keep steady temp in homemade incubator

I made an incubator out of a freezer. And the temperature won't stay steady. Help please.

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

thanks for having me. see so much good stuff,figured id join haha.

Sorry I don't know anything about incubation. You may want to post on the incubation threads and also "DIU incubators."

There are 1001 ways to design an incubator, if you have proper air moment and thermostatically controlled heating maintaining the temp is very easy... If you are trying to do it without a thermostat you are playing a game of chance on a teeter-totter...

Your can get digital thermostat modules for a couple of bucks from Asia on Ebay, or you can get a upper water heater analog disc thermostat for about $8 at a local hardware store... To me it's a no brainier to invest the few bucks in a thermostat vs risking losing eggs or risking poor hatch rates...

Computer fans can be had for a few bucks on Ebay to move air...

Hi and welcome to BYC - you have some great advice already so I'll just say hello!

All the best
CT

And what is it doing? What is the temp?

Pictures of the setup would be helpful as well, to see the location of the parts and how they are configured...

this is what im working with


the second pic isshows the fan in the top pushing air in i have a large drill bit hole in the bottom side to let air out.

Get rid of that reflector bulbs for starters get a 'Y' adapter for the socket and install two 100W incandescent bulbs or two 100W equivalent halogen bulbs (not CFLs) instead at the top...

Same with the bottom, get rid of the reflector bulb and a single 100W or 100W equivalent halogen (usually about 75W) should work fine there...

That reflector bulb focuses all the heat downward and very little towards the thermostat are, no way it will regulate properly...

Next it would be smart to install a heat deflector under the top bulbs and above the bottom bulb so that the light doesn't shine directly on the eggs and create a hot spot...

Next install computer fans on the sides of the light bulbs blowing towards the thermostat, so the thermostat gets a constant flow of the hottest of the hot air to regulate...

Next drop that top fan down a bit and close of the hole on top, you want to recycle the hot air in the cabinet not draw in cold air... Or you could drill more holes in that existing top and then put another top sot he fan draws from inside... Either way you don't want the fan drawing from outside...

Drill a few small vent holes somewhere for fresh air but don't use a fan to suck the air in let it just do it's thing...