Please help with old 1266 GQF incubator...

[naychicks]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum and looking forward to learn from the pros...

I just bought an used 1266 GQF cabinet incubator yesterday... the guy that I bought it from told me that he had it for a little over ten years, he hatched some emu and some phesant eggs with it a few times and it spent a lot of time just stored in his barn... He said that it worked just fine for him and he never had to replace any parts if it... I ended up paying $200 for it. It has the clear door, auto turner, it has a wafer and an electric thermostat.

I hooked it up as soon as I got home and played with it until I was able to get the temp stable at 100f... It comes with 2 thermometers... one closer to the wafer and the other closer to the door. Even thought they are very close to each other, they weren't reading the same temp (the one closer to the door was about 98f while the other was right at 100f) I left it overnight and when I looked at it this morning it was reading the same temp.

I have been testing all morning today and this is what got me a little unhappy... I'm chaging the thermometer between trays and from the front to the back and the temp doesn't seem to be exacly the same... It varies by two to four degrees... for instance, I get it right at 100f in the front of the second tray and when I place it in the back of the same second tray without changing the temp it reads 96 to 97f...

This is the first incubator that I buy and don't know what the problem is or if that's normal... Please help...

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

If you go to www.gqfmfg.com you can get a lot of info on your incubator. Including operating instructions.

ETA:

 

[naychicks]

I already try to find an answer in their website but couldn't find anything... Thanks.

 

[jvls1942]

look at the back of the bator.. there should be holes with metal cover plates.. 3 at the top and 3 at the bottom.. these are for controling the humidity, mostly.. I close all of mine .. and control the humidity in a different way.. I think you will find that the temp will be more uniform.. It will always vary some..
when it is full of eggs, it is easier to control..

 

[naychicks]

Quote:
Thanks for you help... Again this is the very first incubator that I put my hands on and the 2-3 degrees variation got me worried... I guess I'll keep a very close eye on it when I put my first batch...

 

[TomsChickens]

I think it will hold temp better with some eggs in it air temp changes quickly something with some mass will hold temp

 

[naychicks]

Ok great... So the incubator will hold the temp better when is loaded with the eggs... Thanks. Has anybody else had the same problem in the past?

 

[flyweed]

If you got a bator with the electronic thermostat up front and a backup wafer style in the back...then that's cool...First you want to set your rear wafer style thermometer as per the directions (103F)...then once that is set, you can adjust your electronic one to your desired temp. If you have two thermometers one in the humidty hole (nearest the wafer) take that out..unless you have a wick to read wet bulb temps...you won't need it and you'll only give yourself fits when it's not reading the same temp as the front one. Trust me, read temps on the front thermometer ONLY, the one in front of the little aluminum "wind block".

Also...take your thermometers out and test them in boiling water....you can twist them to adjust the readout..and make sure they are accurate. Once you've done that..you are ready to go.

Yeah, I agree with all others....once you set some eggs, your temps will move very very little. I have 7 Emu eggs in mine right now...and when my turner is to the left it reads 99.2F and when it rocks to the right it reads 99.7 F...and that is on a brinsea spotcheck digital mounted on the rack...my dial thermometer stuck in the hole on the side never moves from reading 99.7F.

Good luck
Dan

 

[mstricer]

Here are the instructions
https://www.gqfmfg.com/pdf/1202 1250 Cabinet model instructions.pdf