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Just built an incubator!

post #1 of 19
3/22/12 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 

Today I built an incubator in about 2 hours.  I purchased a hot water heater thermostat and a digital thermometer/humidity device.  The rest of the supplies was from stuff I had around the house.  It is nearly complete.  Just needs a some wire screen on the bottem I think and a bowl of water.  It will probalby need a little tweeking but I think it may work.  I'll try to put up a picture.


Edited by BrodieG - 3/23/12 at 5:20pm
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post #2 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:15pm

I would like to see some pictures. By the way, did you place your thermostat with the metal side within 1 1/2 inches from the light bulb. I also recommend drilling holes into the thermostat.

 

Here is a  video about drilling the holes into the thermostat.

 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MsbVbQ2vZ0  

 

 

 

I have done this to all of my water heater thermostats that I use in my incubators. I did this with my cooler incubator thermostat. Here is a link to my Cooler incubator page.

 

  http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-chick-factory-incubator   

 

 

  Hope this helps!

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

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In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

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post #3 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:17pm
Thread Starter 

Its gonna need to be tweaked I think.  Thanks for the info!  I'm working on getting the pic up.

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post #4 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:19pm
Thread Starter 

20120322_175110.jpg

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post #5 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:28pm
Thread Starter 

I took the lid off for the photo.  I am testing it right now and it is around 95 degrees.  It is supposed to be at 99 right?

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post #6 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrodieG View Post

I took the lid off for the photo.  I am testing it right now and it is around 95 degrees.  It is supposed to be at 99 right?


Yes, I am sorry to say this, but you made a mistake that many people make when using a water heater thermostat. The water heater thermostat detects radiant heat, not ambient heat. I see that you put your thermostat here, because this is on the side where the eggs are going to be, but you will get temperatures of about 94 to 105 with the thermostat in that placement.

 

To clear this up for you I will get you a video explaining why the water heater thermostat needs to be in such a placement.

 

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3D4gU4FnU94   

 

 

 

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

Reply

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

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post #7 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:49pm
Thread Starter 

Good vid!  Thanks, I'll definitly modify it tommorow!

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post #8 of 19
3/22/12 at 9:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrodieG View Post

Good vid!  Thanks, I'll definitly modify it tommorow!



Awesome, I'll try to help as soon as I can.

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

Reply

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, Let there be light! And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better. Ellen DeGeneres   
also//////// Y'all also need to check out my homemade cooler incubator, my homemade fridge-a-bator, and my cabinet incubator on my BYC page.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-cabinet-incubator

http://www.backya...

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post #9 of 19
3/23/12 at 5:21pm
Thread Starter 

20120323_190200.jpg

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post #10 of 19
3/23/12 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 

There is the updated version.  It is warming up for testing right now.  The thing with the sticks is my prototype egg turning device.  I will connect a stick through the side of the incubator to outside. This t way I can turn the eggs without opening the incubator.  I will make it a little longer so it can handle more eggs and I will put the foam on the outside edges of the sticks instead of the center.  Will 2 small plastic cups of water next to the light be enough for humidity?

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