DIY Incubator, I need a thermostat from Home Depot or Lowes!!!

[Bettacreek]

Alright, darn it. I've been looking and looking and searching and stressing out about the stupid thermostat for my incubator. I REALLY want a thermostat, but I want one for $20 or under, and I can't find any around here specifically for incubators (stupid when you consider that I live in a FARMING community). Anyways, I've noticed some people using water heater thermostats, and all kinds of other crazy things. Please, if you got your thermostat from Lowes or Home Depot, PLEASE post a link to your EXACT model and instructions on exactly how you wired that specific model. I'm sorry that I'm such a pain in the butt, but most of the thermostats that I see that *might* work, I can't really see how the wiring works, and the ones that I can find around here that look easy to wire, don't meet my demands (some can't be set low enough for eggies!). So, any help with this, with as much detail in your post as possible, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AHappychick]

check ebay I got a great one there for just about $20

 

[mhaines4102]

I used a normal honeywell thermostat that was for a standard system. I ran 12v threw it and engaged a relay. The info is at: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=115338 thread #5 and #6.

The relay that was used on the bater in thread #2 actually would not have damaged the thermostat. But if you are not real familiar with playing with wires, neither will be very useful.

Just FYI, that incubator is still running and it's temp delta is about 2 degrees. It is almost always either 99 or 100. I think the room thermostat really works well, at least for me.

 

[erin0415]

I started out with a $7 hot water heater I bought from Lowes. It had such a large temp fluctuation that I eventually ordered a wafer thermostat like the one on the 2nd page of the link in the message above mine. I paid about $20 and it was well worth the money. It keeps in a range of 1.5-2 degrees.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I alos got the low-end water heater thermostat from Lowe's. A friend of mine used it in her incubator, and the temp bounces between 98-102, which is fine. You have to mount the water heater thermostat to something metal, like the electric outlet brackets that go in the wall. I'm not sure what they are called, but they are a little metal box that you electric outlets sit in. If the water heater thermostat is not attached to something metal it won't work right. It was >$8

 

[erin0415]

I mounted mine to a metal box too, but I just didn't like such a great temp fluctuation. It may have worked fine because the temps averaged out, but I didn't like it.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Did you use a water wiggler with yours, or just go by the air temp?

 

[jvls1942]

for about $20.oo you can order a solid state thermostat from LG made for the LG incubator..

 

[skeeter]

i have a waterheater thermostat in my homemade incubator and its not wired to anything but the light bulb and the power cord the temps dont fluctuate hardly at all,maybe its the difference in brands or maybe the bators but mine works great for$6.99

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Water heater thermostats can work but there not ideal. Most if not all have at least a 5*F swing between the on an off. You can put the heat element close to it an make the effect smaller, something like 2*F.

The regular wafer type incubator thermostats work great, are easy to wire an ant that expensive. Because of there thermal mass it takes time for them to react to temperature changes. In a large incubator that heats slow it would have a .1*F swing but is a very small one with a strong heat sorce it could be as much as 3* F.

A coil type house heater thermostat an relay is harder to wire an ant really cheaper but its more accurate. It absorbs an discharges heat way faster than a wafer, reacting to temp changes much quicker. Helping it keep +/- .1*F even in small, shoebox sized incubators.

Really any thermostat will work. Air temp can fluctuate as much as 20*F an still be able to keep eggs with in there temp range. But the closer to stable the air temp is the less stressful your incubating experience.