Electrical dunce needs online mentor for incubator build...

[lonepalm]

I have tried building incubators several ways, the firts was a styrofoam cooler with a light bulb and a small fan, I regulated the temp by changing the bulb size, it actually did hatch eggs, but wasn't good enough major problem was temp outside cooler effected incubator too much and if you use the top of cooler to load check and add water you loose too much heat out of top can cut door in side that helped. next I built a large cabinet incubator with four trays with turners and a hatcher tray and a circulating fan, I used the type of thermostat shown by one of the responders they are available from ebay for $15 or at home depot for $8 it is an electric water heater control but make sure it will operater at 99 degrees this did not work at all this control has too wide a range of on off limits, (I cooked 200 eggs with it) so I finally went to the GQF website and purchased a real incubator thermostst and heating element from then it worked great, they has several thermostats mine was $75 but the wafers work well and are much cheaper, but I would seriosly consider checking ebay or local livestock auctions for little giant or hovabator styrofoam incubators they work great and use units with turners(you need the turner) can often be found for under $20 hope this helps

 

[mulia24]

i believe a polystyrene box (AKA styrofoam(R)) is good to keep heat/cool inside it. i'm too shocked when i only need 5 watt bulb to get 45 deg (C) when i need 60 watt to get 40 deg (C) using wood bator i made.

and as for me, price do make a sense, that's why i can only use home made, i love mine tough.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Ryan, No biggie, just trying to help. Just think of it like this. If you have a fuse on the neutral side going to a fixture. If something shorts out in the fixture and blows the fuse, even though the fixture doesn't work, there is still power at the fixture itself.

Marty

 

[Ryan81986]

True. I guess I'll have to rewire mine now.


I'm using a cooler with a 40w bulb in it. It seems to shut off after about a half hour of heating up.