A Saga of Thermometers, Or: What Thermometer is Best?

[Bluegenes]

What thermometer are you all using? I am so frustrated with lack of good thermometers I can trust right now! First I was using an IncuTherm which I tested against a good digital candy/meat thermometer (which I had tested both in ice water and in boiling water). Then I thought my incubator went beserk (it was my first time you a Hovabator), but I realized after couple days of trying to keep the temp stable that the thermometer was what was at fault and I was adjusting back and forth based on a crazy thermometer. Then I started using the plain little bulb kind that comes with the incubator, which I also tested against the candy, but that one was very hard to read accurately since each line is 2 degrees. Also, I realized the wires holding it on the plastic with the numbers on it were looses to the bulb could slide and therefore would not stay accurate. Then I ordered a set of four digital thermometers off Amazon (very good reviews overall). I also got a human digital oral thermometer to test against that is supposed to be accurate to 2/10 of a degree.

The four digitals all were very close/accurate to each other when laid side by side in the living room, but when I went to test them against the human thermometer I found no rhyme or reason to what they showed. They were usually within two degrees (which was their accuracy guarantee) but they didn't stay the same in comparison to each other. I tested three times, each time writing on the back of the term what the adjustment was compared to the medical thermometer. and each time they said something different (e.g. 1.5, +.5, +1) So they weren't being consistently inaccurate (eg. just add 1 degree to find the real temp)... so I'm not sure how to use them accurately. Also, the human thermometer is hard to use because I have to manually press the button the get it to register temp but to do that I have to open the incubator which makes the temp fluctuate.

I just want a thermometer I can look in at and know, "Ok, it says 98, now I add 1.5 degrees and that means it is at 99.5", and know that is actually the temperature!

Any suggestions? I'm leaning toward an old style one, but one that is easier to read (smaller increments) and with a smaller margin for error.

Any suggestions?

 

[Bluegenes]

And to further confound things I just compared my cooking/cand/meat Thermometer with the medical thermometer in warm water (just over 100 degrees) they were 2 degrees apart. And then I took my temp with the medical on is said 97.8... Urg

 

[HatchCraft]

I know just how you feel. Been there done that. The mercury in glass thermometer made for use in incubators work best for me. The one I use is graduated in 1 degree increments, but I can read half a degree easily. I use as a master thermometer to compare others to. I never have to guess what the temp in my incubators are. This thermometer is accurate and reliable. Biggest short coming is glass thermometers are fragile. I have broke a couple, but now I am much more careful with them. Can be difficult to read compared to a digital as you need the column of mercury turned just right. I get mine from Philadelphia Instruments. They have a variety of thermometers made for incubation.

 

[Bluegenes]

Thanks! How did you order them? I don't see a way to do it online?

 

[HatchCraft]

I call them, they have been very helpful for me. I have order thermometers and mercury set thermostats from them over the years that way. I believe products containing mercury must be shipped UPS so expect 15.00 or more in shipping.

 

[Mosey2003]

First off, @Bluegenes - is your HovaBator brand new? If so, is this the first time you've ran it?

If it's a 1602n with the wafer, you really need to break it in before you try to set it. You need to just set it up and let it run without water in it for a few days, and turn the dial up high. Then start backing it down. New wafers need to "stretch" a bit before you try to dial them in accurately.