For those using water heater thermostats...

[yotetrapper]

How do you regulate them?? I have a wonderful incubator my husband just made for me, and have spent the last 3 days trying to regulate it. Started with 2 25 watt bulbs, but it wouldnt get hot enough. Switched to 2 40w bulbs, but now it goes from about 95....to when I adjust it just a tiny bit, it jumps up to 105. How do you get it right??? Thanks in advance!

Angela

 

[ChelC]

I had to put it in backwards so the sensor was reading the temps better, and then the fluctuation stopped. I bent some hardware cloth to attach it to closer to the center of the incubator.

HTH!

 

[patandchickens]

Have you tried a 40 plus a 25, instead of two of the same?

If that doesn't do it:

I'm using a wafer thermostat but had similar problems (40 watt wasn't big enough to get temp *quite* up there, but 60 watt caused excessive fluctuations).

I ended up putting in a 40 watt bulb that is not wired through the thermostat -- it is on full-time, never turns off -- and a 12 watt bulb in the thermostatically-controlled socket that goes on and off to get it the rest of the way up to 99.5 and keep it there.

You might consider trying something like that.

Or, wire a rheostat (dimmer switch) in, so you can dial back the bulb to a wattage that works best for you.

Good luck,

Pat, who found it extremely frustrating trying to get the darn thing behaving properly but now it is stable within less than 2 F and my eggs do seem to be developing, so far anyhow (day 6)

 

[cici_p]

Read my thread on the same subject and see if that helps:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=142674