Can a LG heating element / thermostat handle heating...

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

... a bigger space??
Hi!
Do you think that LG element / thermostat can handle maintaining temps in a 1" thick plywood box with the dimensions of --- 30" x 16" x 23 1/2" (with the appropriate air holes)?
I want to make a cabinet-style incubator from the lower part of a 'found' chest-of-drawers with that id and the upper part(smaller) can be a hatching space with it's own thermostat / element.

Potentially, the space could handle 6 LG turners (276 eggs--- yikes!) at a time or 92 eggs set staggered each week or 10 days (I think).

The main thing is will the Little Giant 'parts' handle more than that small space.

Thanks!
L i s a

 

[BirdBoy88]

i want to know this as well...

 

[millebantam]

Nope. I tried to use one of the elements in a hatcher of similar size to yours. Best I could do was 93 degrees with the fan on and 96 without it. The element from the LG is 25 watts. Just not enough to heat anything bigger than the styrobator it comes in.

 

[Bock_Bock]

might just have to use a good fan in there to get the air flow going so the hot air goes to the bottom and the cold air to top so it can be heated but i still think it might be a little to big but let me know how it goes

 

[rizq]

I do not know about 1" thick plywood .... but my LG heating element does not seem able to bring my homemade cabinet (quite small ... approximately 1 cubic foot - smaller than the original styrobator) up to temp. I am still tinkering, but thus far I cannot get it over 90 degrees. Even when I use a hairdryer to bring it up to temp, the heating element cannot keep it there. This portion is still air, there is no fan. That may make a difference.

I am still experimenting and trying to make it work. I will let you know if I have success and what worked for me. Hopefully someone else has had success with this and will chime in with what worked for them.

 

[Bock_Bock]

thanks mille for the fast reply well scratch what i said i was totally wrong

 

[millebantam]

I used a 125 watt element in my homemade cabinet incubator and it works like a charm.

 

[chicken vision]

I built a forced air 3/4" plywood box 16"x18"x20" The little giant heating element could not reach incubating temperatures.I believe the little giant thermostat could not handle a heating element large enough to heat the box you want to build without the addition of a relay.

 

[millebantam]

And another thing. If you have already installed all the guts and it doesn't make the right temps, you can cheat. All you have to do is to wire in a porcelian light socket in series with the element. The light bulb acts as a "helper" and works with the element to get you up to temps. The drawbacks are that you will have a light flashing on and off everytime the element turns on and off. Also, if for some reason the bulb burns out and you don't notice it right away, you end up with chilly eggs.

 

[rizq]

I was considering a light bulb in mine, but really want to avoid it because I do not want the light! lol Has anyone ever tried those ceramic heat emitter bulbs that do not light up? I wonder if something like that would work?

I would still rather make mine work as-is ... it should since it is actually smaller than the LG, but it is taller, I think the height is getting me. I may try mounting the heating element on the bottom.