About to cuss! These new incubators! ARGH!!! Temperature woes.

[Julie_A]

I was given three hovabator still air incubators. I think a kid must have played with them. I don't know. Have been trying to get a decent temp for a week and half and still nothing. Varies from 75 up to 112.

Never in between. Any tips?

I'm getting desperate!

 

[Georgiapea]

Are they really clean? Could a fleck of dust or debris be on the controls? Is the room you are testing them in temperature stable? I'm not experienced with this, but have had dusty house thermostats that didn't operate correctly.

Good luck with resolving the issues and congratulations on being gifted with 3 of them.

Georgia in Alabama

 

[Brahmafan]

Hi, try replacing the round disc on the thermostat, they unswrew. Can possibly find new ones at a feed and seed store or at Tractor Supply. Good luck.

 

[HEChicken]

I know nothing about incubators, having never owned one but....when I was learning to fly, I had to learn to make small corrections. Making a correction that felt "right" often swung me too far and I just ended up with the same reverse problem. It occurs to me that incubators might work similarly, in that you might need to set it, then wait 24 hours for the temperature to stabilize, and then make small adjustments, each time waiting 24 hours to see what the result of the adjustment is, rather than trying to make big adjustments to get it to that middle point.

 

[EweSheep]

I personally do not like wafer thermostats, I would opt to go with the auto thingy that Hovabators have. Might be a little pricey but well worth the price! I have one for five years so far and had some minor wear and tear repairs on it this year. I would not trade mine for anything!

A knob would do it well because wafers are so touchy!

 

[Georgiapea]

Have you looked at the GQF site? They have all the instruction manuals posted in case you don't have the ones that came with your machines. Replacement thermostats are about $17.00.

Georgia in Alabama

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Quote:
Tractor supply only has parts for LG's. FYI

 

[neferset]

Use very very small adjustments only. Put flat stones on the bottom of the incubator to help keep the temps stable. I've tried it for about a week like that and my LG still air is more stable than it has ever been.

 

[cook_kaka_ook]

It appears that the thermostat is the culprit. I hatched my first 13 chicks out of 19 with a used Hobabator I bought from craigslist. The most important tip I can suggest is to keep the incubator in a room where sudden change in temperature is minimal. Also be extra dilligent in turning the eggs at least 3 times a day.
Good luck!!

 

[Junkmanme]

Just to "experiment", I would adjust the "wafer thermostat" FULLY one direction on EACH of the incubators.

WAIT a while and take temp.

THEN, I would adjust the "wafer thermostat" FULLY the other direction on EACH of the incubators.

WAIT a while and take temp.

Then I would adjust to the area which I "presumed" would produce 100F on EACH of the incubators.
(adjust the SAME number of turns on ALL.)

WAIT a while and take temp.

That should tell you what's working and what isn't.

AND then you can decide what to do.......

(Buy a new "wafer" or whatever......)

just a suggestion of what I THINK I would do.

-Junkmanme-