Fluctuating temps

[banter]

Why is my Brower Top Hatch incubator impossible to set? I cleaned it well before I stored it, set it up 3 days before I put the eggs in, and fiddled with the temp until it was right. I put the eggs(10) in last Saturday, and it's not held since. Temps from 87-102! Right now it's under a towel to keep the temp up. Can the thermostat be shot? It's only a year old. The turner is fine and it's holding humidity. We do keep the house cool, but it's in a draft free bathroom. Any ideas???????????

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I have a brower top hatch. might be the thermostat. I know it does not take a wafer like the GQF. jimnjay says to wrap it in bubble wrap to help with temps

 

[banter]

Do you mean wrap the whole outside? I've got a towel over it-I have to monitor that to because it heats up too much. I think I should just sit on them myself! I wish this breed was broody but their not! Thanks!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

yeah if you wrap the towel or bubble wrap around it. The light also creates heat so if you cover the top with bubble wrap it may work. Problem is monitoring it. maybe if you tape the bubble wrap around it and put a twoel on top you can check the temps. my room has a space heater and my temps been reading 99.5-101F for 6 days straight

 

[banter]

Thanks! I'm home the next couple of days and I'll try that. Were going to have an ice storm tonight, and there's a good chance we'll lose power. I may end up heating water on the wood stove and using jars of it in a cooler! So much for Spring in Maine! These are my own eggs so I can start over I guess! I just get sooooo maternal!
Chris F in Maine

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

I know how you feel. When we lost power in december I thought the whole batch was gone. I bought these eggs on ebay and was so upset thinking all of my future babies where gone. BYC'ers said do not pull the plug and to see what happens. I got 11 out of 15 to hatch

 

[MissPrissy]

I can only think the wafer is going bad if it is that kind of thermostat. It is a good idea to change those at least once every year to prevent a failure during a hatch. I even know of some people that change them out every few hatches just to be sure.

 

[banter]

I'm going to go to the Brower site and see if they have tech support. When I've gone to the manufacturers trouble shooting pages I've never got a good answer. Most of them say things like "Be sure your incubators plugged in", lol!
Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

no problem. Any more problems and just. We will be sure to help

How many times have you used yours

 

[banter]

This is only the second time. The 1st hatchout was OK even though we had a power outage overnight and the eggs cooled down to zip. I'm going to dismantle and fiddle with it before I even attempt another batch. I have used a Hoovabator SP?(borrowed) in the past with zero problems. Thought I was up-grading when I bought the Brower!