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

[Wynette]

We won this at a farm auction...I thought I got a sweet deal on it, and it was announced that it was in good working order. Well....plugged it in, an nada.

It's made by Scientific Products; I Googled and Googled and the only thing I could find was a company selling an older one. I can't find any specs or info. on the original manufacturer, or anything.

It's not in great shape on the outside, but the inside looks perfect (at least to me). I haven't cleaned it up yet, but I have lots of questions, and I'm hoping my BYC friends can help!

Okay, here we go - pic of the front of the unit - it has a metal door wiht a little knob that you can open separately from the thick glass door on the front:

Metal door open:

Thermostat in the bottom:

Control panel - there are no degrees, just numbers...also, I assume the red button to the left goes on when it's heating (?)

It has a good, strong latch, but you can see that the seal is dry/cracked, so I assume that would need replacing:

I took several pics of the wiring underneath the unit - my brother, who will be fixing it for me (HOPEFULLY) can't understand where the heating element is. He DID say he thinks we may be able to get parts at a Radio Shak or something. I don't see any type of heating inside the box at all - just the thermo. at the bottom of the unit. Here are several pics of the wiring - I wasn't sure what was imortant so tipped it up & tried to get several pics from different angles:

SORRY SO PIC HEAVY!

Okay, so.....give me the word. Is this thing worth fixing? HOW in the world does it heat up? What would need to be replaced? Any idea where to get parts, if you think it's fixable? THANKS for all feedback!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The wiring pics are a little to close to get an over all of what does what?

How thick is the walls? Looks like the heat element may be in them.

What is behind the cage in the top?

 

[Wynette]

Ooops...sorry - I thought closer up pics of the wiring would be better. Darnit! I'll get some further out pics tonight. Okay, DUMB QUESTION: Is it okay to lay it on its side to get the pics of the bottom? For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't be laying it flat on its side...

Oh, that cage is just loose in there, there's nothing behind it. All the walls are stainless steel and smooth. No fan or anything. Oh, that would be another question - how to install a fan.

I'll try to estimate how thick the walls are tonight.

If the heating was in the walls, wouldn't the sides come off so you could get to the heating elements? Thanks!

 

[Bluemoon420]

That looks like an incubator that was in my aunts lab. I quite sure that was a lab incubator. She was head of the lab at a hospital we used to meet her for lunch time to time.

The heating element might be in the 7th picture down. The round metal thing. I couldn't see where that thermostat is connected.

I think your best bet is keep the shell, and completely rewire that.

Bluemoon

 

[Wynette]

Bluemoon, that sort of round thing? (BTW - how are your chicks?)

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Quote:
You are right, it's an old culture incubator. Not trying to alarm anyone, but if it were mine, I would sanitize the inside good before I handled it much on the inside. Never know what might have been grown in that thing. May have been in a bio-lab.

 

[Wynette]

Yikes. I've got Oxine at the ready & will spray it down well tonight. Thanks for the advice there - I wouldn't have thought of it.

 

[Bluemoon420]

Yeah that round metal thing. That might be part of the heating element. It could be in the walls like rebel says. I wouldn't tip that just yet. Find out what's in it first. To be safe

That does look like it was in lab at some point.

The chicks are doing well.

Houdini ( named for his numerous escape attempts) is HUGE. He's the size of the full grown chickens already! I seperated him a couple days from the others for feather picking. We then gave him a small taste of the big girls, and he pretty much begged to go back with his brooder mates. He hasn't harmed a feather on anyone since.

We lost Gandalf a couple weeks ago. Opa ( He's the best

) let me borrow an incubator to hatch some of gandalfs eggs. I'm on day 16, and everything is good so far. I'm a little nervous with the lockdown part comming up soon.

The threads here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=255274

I'll post some pics when we get to that part.

Bluemoon

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

That 7th pic is the thermostat...

You have two wires coming in. Block an off white. There the main, one goes threw the switch an one or both threw the thermostat. Then it goes in to the wire buss (flat thing with the screws) an that splits power to to different locations. I assume 2 heaters. The black an the yellow stained wire should go to one heater an 2 of the 3 white paper coated wires should go to another. The third white wire stuffed under the same screw as the yellow wire is confusing me so how knows I may be way off?

 

[Wynette]

THANKS so much, rebel! You've given me what sounds like good info. to tell my brother! What about tipping - in your opinion? Is it okay to lay it on its side to work on it? Thanks so much!

Bluemoon - will go to check out your thread now!!