i finished my hatcher yesterday and I have been setting the temp and letting it stabilize and so far it has held stable at 99-100! Not bad for a bi-metal thermostat!
I used a thermo-electric wine cooler and took the outer fans and the cooler chips off. I kept the inner fans, light, and control module in back of unit in order to power the internal fans. I layed the unit on its side so I have a larger surface area for a hatcher container. I turned it so the door lifts up and you can lay it back enough so it stays itself. When closed, it uses gravity to help keep it closed
I bought a bi-metal thermostat and a 125w heating rod and made a holder for the rod and mounted it to the fans.
Make sure to notice the arrows on the sides of the fans so you know they are going the correct way you want. I used zip ties to mount fans together.
I used .041" lock wire to make the mount for the heating rod to the fans. I also used a small piece of metal framing with a few holes drilled in the corners to mount the fans with zip ties again.. lol.. You can see where the bi-metal thermostat is mounted in the back. I again used a small piece of metal framing and drilled a hole for the dial and just "clipped" the metal framing onto the slats on the fan shield.
I wired the fans to stay on all the time and the heating rod is wired to the thermostat. All wires are ran out through the hole that was already in the wine cooler. In the back of the unit, I used 2 pieces of metal framing wrapped with some heat duct foil tape to keep the heat in when the fans are circulating the air through the channel. I have one fan blowing in and the other sucking out so it runs through the outside ductwork where it picks up fresh air and adds it to the circulation.
After putting everything together, I had to dial in the bi-metal thermostat to make sure it holds the temp where it should be. 99-100 ROCK SOLID!
I hope you guys enjoy my projects and are inspired to make your own stuff from recycled items! You may have to buy some things but it is a whole lot better than having to buy EVERYTHING and not having the satisfaction of completing something that YOU built and will be functional for YOUR needs. Enjoy your skills!!
I used a thermo-electric wine cooler and took the outer fans and the cooler chips off. I kept the inner fans, light, and control module in back of unit in order to power the internal fans. I layed the unit on its side so I have a larger surface area for a hatcher container. I turned it so the door lifts up and you can lay it back enough so it stays itself. When closed, it uses gravity to help keep it closed
I bought a bi-metal thermostat and a 125w heating rod and made a holder for the rod and mounted it to the fans.
Make sure to notice the arrows on the sides of the fans so you know they are going the correct way you want. I used zip ties to mount fans together.
I used .041" lock wire to make the mount for the heating rod to the fans. I also used a small piece of metal framing with a few holes drilled in the corners to mount the fans with zip ties again.. lol.. You can see where the bi-metal thermostat is mounted in the back. I again used a small piece of metal framing and drilled a hole for the dial and just "clipped" the metal framing onto the slats on the fan shield.
I wired the fans to stay on all the time and the heating rod is wired to the thermostat. All wires are ran out through the hole that was already in the wine cooler. In the back of the unit, I used 2 pieces of metal framing wrapped with some heat duct foil tape to keep the heat in when the fans are circulating the air through the channel. I have one fan blowing in and the other sucking out so it runs through the outside ductwork where it picks up fresh air and adds it to the circulation.
After putting everything together, I had to dial in the bi-metal thermostat to make sure it holds the temp where it should be. 99-100 ROCK SOLID!
I hope you guys enjoy my projects and are inspired to make your own stuff from recycled items! You may have to buy some things but it is a whole lot better than having to buy EVERYTHING and not having the satisfaction of completing something that YOU built and will be functional for YOUR needs. Enjoy your skills!!
