Cabinet incubator-is it worth fixing? [VERY pic heavy!!!]

[Bluemoon420]

Quote:
I thought maybe thermostat too. I couldn't see where the wire went, but it looked similar to the one inside. The wiring is confusing.

Bluemoon

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

As for a fan, I would buy a 3 or 4 inch desk fan an run the wire threw the hole in the bottom that the probe for the thermostat is ran threw. Then make it plug in separately or wire it to the 2 main wires between the switch an the thermostat.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Ops, Missed that question.... I don't see why laying it on its back or side would hurt anything. Its not good for anything that uses liquid to move heat (fridge or heat pump) but this should just use electric elements so it should be fine.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, looks like a research/lab incubator to me too. Have a few similar items in the lab I'm in now. My best guess is that it was used for bacterial cultures or just plain drying slides/heating paraffin/keeping things warm depending on how hot it was able to get. Wipe it down just to get lab junk off of it but any "life" is probably long dead from the thing as lab strains of bacteria/animals are weak when exposed to "real life" and often die just like that. The heating of the unit is likly the floor of the machine, just see where the thermostat is connected to and follow the wires. I believe member AngieChick salvaged a similar old lab incubator and retrofitted it to hatch eggs. If I remember right, in the end, the incubator was used as the housing and all the termostat/heating/air circulation items were added on.

As a side note... we don't use the old equipment in lab for anything requiring precision anymore. So if you want to use it, I'd recommend using it as the shell.

 

[Wynette]

THANKS all! I really appreciate your feedback!

 

[Wynette]

Okay took two more pics this a.m. Here is the entire bottom of the unit:

And is THIS the thermostat?

 

[Bluemoon420]

Yeah, that looks like the thermostat. The heating is probably in the bottom.

Bluemoon

 

[Wynette]

Gosh, I guess I need to look at it more closely, because I sure don't see any way to remove the bottom panel; if the heating is in the bottom, shouldn't the bottom panel come off so as to be able to replace heating coils & such?

 

[Bluemoon420]

Do the sides come off? Or the top?

It's somewhere inside those walls. When DH comes home later, I'll look at the pics. The only other alternative could be that is the heating element, but I don't think so.

Bluemoon

 

[Wynette]

Gosh, this is frustrating. I'm at work, the bator's at home. But, I don't recall seeing that any of the sides, top, or back came off. I surely missed it...I'll check tonight. Thanks!