Fan for DIY incubator, how strong?

[Bettacreek]

Well, I found these really ugly Ifans at Walmart, but, figured for $1.50 each, I would get two of them for the DIY incubators. I turned one on, and they're pretty strong for how big they are. So, how much air flow are you supposed to be getting from your incubator fan?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Not too much. I have seen incubator fans on the internet for not too much $...the wally world one may be too strong...

 

[Bettacreek]

Hrmm. Well, if worst comes to worse, I can plug it into a dimmer and slow it down. I already bought them, so, meh, lol. I didn't realise how much power one little fan could have.

 

[BeardedChick]

First I put in a tiny small PC fan in a cooler-bator. It was noisy. I wasn't real happy with the temperature swings. Ended up putting in a bigger PC fan from Radioshack, I think a 4". It evened the temperature out completely and is quieter. A bigger fan rotates slower anyway.

If you use a PC fan you can use a transformer with a smaller voltage to effectively slow it down. That's what I did with mine. Both PC fans are rated for 12V, I am using a 7V transformer.

I did try the smaller fan with a 12V transformer, and it was just toooooo noisy.

Really nice fans at Radioshack are about $10, which I thought was an OK deal.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I would use it. I use the biggest one I can get in my incubators. You cant hurt the eggs by to much air flow. The one in my fridge-incubator moves as much air as a box fan on low. If the box fan would have fit it would have been in there....

 

[Bettacreek]

Oh, and, I can't plug it into a dimmer... lol. I forgot, it's battery operated. Uses three AA batteries, if that helps with how powerful it is. It's 5"x 3"x 1", so, the size of a standard index card and an inch thick. The outflow of the air points UP, so, maybe that will help, since it would naturally point towards the top and not directly on the eggs? Otherwise, I can plug up a little bit of the intake and hope that doesn't burn it it, or I could even put thin cotton on the outflow thing to slow it down, or any number of other ways to slow the flow down.

 

[BeardedChick]

I would not use a battery operated fan. When it goes out, your eggs may cook.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

You can wire it to an inverter. A "AA" battery is 1.5V DC so 3 is 4.5V DC. Use somewhere between a 4V an 5V inverter an your good.

 

[BeardedChick]

Yay Rebel!

Do you think those little fans are made for continuous duty? That was the only other potential issue I thought of with a small battery op fan.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Dont know? Dont seem like the brushless motor in them would last any less time that a pc fan brushless motor. I didn't think that old hair dryer I used for a heater in my incubator would last but its still going.