i am building it out of a old stand up type freezer. i plan on using infrared heat lamps for the heat source. but i am trying to decide what is the best thermostat to use. I see that alot of people are using hot water heater thermostats and i am just concerned that it will very in temp to much. i am using a 8in desk fan for the ari movement. I have built a egg turner out of a 110volt motor controled by a timed relay, the frame work is made from pvc pipe with egg cartons with holes cut in the bottum for the egg cradles. if u guys have a better idea's for the egg cradles or the thermostat i would be very greatfull for any info! thanks in advance.
check with Chris https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=265597 His thermostats use a sensor mounted on a wire so that the thermostat can be mounted outside the incubator away from the corrosive effects of the humdity, yet still allow you to place the sensor in your egg trays for a more accurate monitoring of proper temperature. This method is way more effective than a waterheater thermostat and is flexible enought that it can be incorporated in most any incubator design. The thermostat is also rated for way more than the other electronic thermostats on the market so you dont have to worry about whether your heat source will be more than the thermostat can handle.
A lot is going to depend on your budget or how much you want to spend. If you don't really want to use a water heater thermostat, then you have a choice between a wafer thermostat or an electronic thermostat. There are quite a few here at BYC that has had great success using the water heater thermostat. I personally spent the extra 10 bucks and got the wafer thermostat for my wine chiller/incubator conversion. I found that the water heater thermostats to be too cumbersome for my liking while helping others build incubators. Marty
Here's a link to the GQF website... I've bought a lot of parts for my fridge bators here. https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/front.asp
The best $70 I spent was for a RANCO Electronic Temp controller from w.w. grainger. www.grainger.com you can set the differential to +/- 1 degree. the accuracy is 1% kinda high but it will nail the temp
