Building a hatcher (NEW PICS Pg. 3)

[Poulets De Cajun]

How would I measure that? I only have one thermometer.I have the thermometer currently hanging off of the shelf by a piece of tape so i can see it through the window. Its holding at 99.5 degrees and shutting off/on like it is supposed to. I'd also holding humidity around 65% without the ventilation holes in the back panel. I only have a 9x13 baking pan of water on the top shelf though. I'm thinking about adding a wire shelf to the bottom and putting a second pan of water under it.

I do have to say, I NEVER had this many problems getting humidity up in my LG, althoug the dang thing shorted out. I wonder if we just live in an exceptionaly DRY old OLD house.

 

[greathorse]

If you use a larger pan on the top if you have room it would help or you could also put a sponge in the pan. I was thinking you might just move the to the bottom of the bator and take a reading down tere. of course if you only have a tray at one level it doesnt make much difference I guess.

Glad it is holding temp It will likely cool down a bit when you put the vents in the back, but guessing you have enough wattage to take care of it.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

HOPING I have enough wattage... its holding at 99.5, but struggling it seems. The heating element and bulb stay on 95% of the time.

But then its directly under an A/C vent, and its rather cool here today. I'm sure it would work a lot better if I moved it to the back bedroom that is very warm.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Moving it to someplace draft free will help, also when you put shelves in be careful that they are not to close to the bulb without shielding, the heat will be concentrated at area around the bulb.

You could though if you have room move the bulb up to where your pan is this would make the heat more even and increase humidity. Just mount it to the side or back side whichever has more room.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

hmmm.... I do have room to move the light bulb to the top, but I'd have to move the water pan to the bottom.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Maybe find a smaller water pan, the closer the pan is to the heat source the higher the humidity(warmer water). My small homemade hatcher does have the pan in the bottom away from the light, but it has a heating element in it that warms the water. It is on the same thermostat, when the light comes on so does the element. I control humidity by ventilation.

If you seal a water heater thermostat to your pan you can adjust your humidity. But you would either need to make or buy a submersible element for the water.

 

[skeeter9]

Ooh, I like your hatcher, Cajun! I'm sure it will be great once you get all the little bugs worked out. Sure beats paying $500-600 for one, doesn't it?

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

I've moved the hatcher to a warmer less drafty room in the house. I've also drilled two venilation holes, one in the top of the back panel directly behind the fan, and one at the bottom of the back panel. They are each about 1/2 an inch in diameter and I am using the red plugs from my LG to open/close them. I opened both of them and humidity was in the 40's. I've put them back in and we are up in the 50's now and climbing. I know that ventilation is the key, but how do you ventilate properly without loosing humidity. These holes shouldn't be big enough to reduce it by that much but it seems they are.

Could it be because my heating element isn't hefty enough?

I'm nearly at the point where I'm just going to give up on my salvaged parts and the lightbulb and just order a good heating element with the insulators from GQF...

I'm thinking the fan may be a little weak too. Although you can feel it pulling in air, and pushing it out if I open the vent holes.