Fan in incubator question

[embkm]

Mine is like this:

_________________
! x * * ! O= light bulb
! ! t= thermostat
! o w ! x = fan (pointed toward the bulb)
! t * * ! w= wiggler
!________________! *= thermometers

Once I get it to where there are less cold spots, I will be taking out the extra thermometers simply because checking 5 temp readings multiple times a day will drive me crazy. There has been a 5-7 degree difference between the closer thermometers and the ones in the back corners. I put heat sinks in the far corners this morning. I will check when I get home if it is helping.

If that doesn't work, I might try a stronger fan or adding a second one all together.

 

[Panther Creek Poultry]

Can someone explain? What are heat sinks?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

A heat sink is something used to dissipate heat in to the air faster sometimes called cooling fins. But on here people use the term heat sink when there actually talking about thermal mass. A large solid object or jar of water. It heats up slowly an dissipates it heat just as slowly helping to stabilize temp fluctuations.

 

[Panther Creek Poultry]

Thanks for the explanation. So I am understanding that you would put a heat sink in the areas that may be slightly cooler and the heat sink will warm them up. Is that correct?

Sheila

 

[AndreaGS]

I have the light on one end of the 'bator, and the fan on the same end, in the corner, tilted slightly down toward the light bulb. I made a MissPrissy 'bator. It's small, so I don't know how relevant my placement would be. Temps stay steady throughout.

I discovered this by accident, since I mounted the fan to blow above the light bulb...it fell down, but before I put it back up, I noticed that the temps were more consistent. So I left it.

I got a pretty big fan. I had a smaller one before, but it didn't keep temps consistent, so I went out to Fry's and bought a larger one.

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
A heat sink is a heat conducting and heat storing object or body, mostly metal or water to absorb and give out the heat.

It is being used in low quality (styrofoam or bad designed homemade incubators to even out the spikes and wide fluctuations of the temperature.

Good designed quality incubator does not need a heat sink.

Good designed homemade bator or quality commercial incubator does not need a heat sink, it will run stable empty or filled with eggs.

Sorry if I offended anybody.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Again you describing thermal mass not a heat sink.
This is a heat sink.

All incubator use thermal mass. Big incubator use there bulk as thermal mass. Smaller incubators have less thermal mass so adding jars of water or bricks add to there mass. The best designed incubators have as much thermal mass as they can for there size. My fridge incubator has enough thermal mass to keep the inside temp above 95 degrees threw a 6 hour power outage. If your not using thermal mass in your incubator then your ignoring one tool at you disposal for better hatches.