Heat sink experiment

[aceoftrumps]

I've read on here where some people that have built a homemade incubator using jars of water as a "heat sink" to steady out the temp fluctuations in their bator....and it makes a lot of sense. It gives thermal mass. I have an LG still air incubator and there is just not enough room in there to use jars for that....but got to thinking about ancient times where people used stones as heat sinks to cook with. And to heat their habitats. So using decorative stones from Dollar Tree, I put two bags of them in the section of the incubator surrounding the water channels. This section contains the aspiration holes that the incubator "breathes" through. There should be enough room around the stones for it not to interfere with this. Going to get more today and try that too. It's been running for 24 hrs now and really can't tell if it's steady or not, but so far it looks better than before. Will update and hope it works as I want it to.

Kurt

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

I've read on here where some people that have built a homemade incubator using jars of water as a "heat sink" to steady out the temp fluctuations in their bator....and it makes a lot of sense. It gives thermal mass. I have an LG still air incubator and there is just not enough room in there to use jars for that....but got to thinking about ancient times where people used stones as heat sinks to cook with. And to heat their habitats. So using decorative stones from Dollar Tree, I put two bags of them in the section of the incubator surrounding the water channels. This section contains the aspiration holes that the incubator "breathes" through. There should be enough room around the stones for it not to interfere with this. Going to get more today and try that too. It's been running for 24 hrs now and really can't tell if it's steady or not, but so far it looks better than before. Will update and hope it works as I want it to.
Kurt

Hi Kurt! That's a good idea. Can't wait to hear how it works.

I think your LG is going to give you enough fit's with failed hatches & temp spikes, and humidity issues that it will consume enough of your time with out trying to do any alternative method. Please do your self a favor and trade that LG in on a real incubator, you will be much better off for it. AL

That's uncalled for.
I like my Little Giants and they grow / hatch eggs quite well.

Lisa​

 

[al6517]

I am simply trying to help the OP avoid the problems that's comes with this brand, all the post's in the hatching section where people have a problem incubating and then tell us they are using the LG, and those are the facts. Sorry if I am not a fan of super cheap Chinese Junk when it comes to hatching chicks.

AL


Be nice.

 

[aceoftrumps]

I agree Lisa....my last batch had 26 out of 29 hatch and still living....two died in the eggs after pipping and one died after hatching. And that can happen with any incubator.

Kurt

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Shows what I know. I thought LG was Lucky Goldstar, the Korean appliance manufacturer.

What are the easiest and most reliable small incubators?

 

[valley ranch]

Kurt, Sounds like you have it down! 26 out of29! Keep it up.

Richard

 

[rebel yell]

I have heard so much about Styrofoam bators being cheap & no good, let me enlighten you , I made my Styrofoam bator out of a Omaha steaks ice chest, a hot water heater thermostat & a light bulb, & a pc fan & no auto tuner, how cheap is that, & hatch rates have been excellent !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would not hesitate to put it up against any bator out there, including ones made from bathroom cabinets. but getting back to heat sinks, ceramic tiles make good ones also, I use these in my Styrofoam bators.

 

[Baralak]

Dodge, Ford, Chevy... Everyone has comments concerning their favorite brand. Generally Speaking, of course.. all of the automotive manufactures makes a vehicle that goes backwards and forwards, has 4 tires, and its' own following... The same is with incubators... I have 2. I have a Brisnea Octagon 20 Eco, I have a GQF Hova-Bator 1583 with turner (on the way). I have also access to home brews, LG's. Most of the popular table top models. There is only one bator that I have test drove that I wouldn't use and that's the little frisbee Chickbator.

With that being said, back to the big 3 car manufactures, the all have their "ways". My Ford truck doesn't like cold weather, while my son's GM Astro doesn't care. My truck has over 270,000 miles while my wife's car (ford) has to have some hum-dinger work.

Bators are the same way, LG hatches out THOUSANDS of eggs yearly, some people like them, some dont, Hova's hatch thousands, and the same is true some like them some don't, Brinsea hatches out thousands yearly, some people like them some don't (which I don't understand how you don't like a brinsea

)

Products that are truly junk are generally not around.

There are improvements for all the bators that can be preformed. Such as adding a fan to the LG, replacing the wafer thermostat on the hova's.. the list can go on and on.

THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER in which ever bator you have is to SET it up weeks in advance. Monitor temps, monitor humidity just as you were incubating. Go into lock down with it, run it for a few days. Just know how to operate your bator BEFORE you set your eggs.

And back to the OP topic. Yes I have used, and it does work. I have also heard of people using bricks, rocks. Remember though that the eggs will retain heat for a period of time as well.

 

[aceoftrumps]

While we're on the subject of "cheap chinese incubators"....styrofoam is styrofoam....no matter what country it is molded in. I spent my career in a chemical plant. There is worldwide specs that all manufacturers have to meet....or they will not last long. That being said, I doubt that the thermostat is made in China. That is more Japanese technology. The basic problem with ALL thermostatic controls is it's on/off technology. Because it's cheap. The ideal control would be modulation. Like throttle control. Instead of on/off control, the heat source could be modulated as needed. As the temp is reached, the heat source could be throttled down and eventually it would all be in equilibrium. But this would take old technology like the old bias control on tube type radios. The problems with solid state controls is it cannot control the 110 volts to the heat source. Heat sinks is the only solution to this problem that is cheap...and can be added on later.

Kurt

 

[Tala]

I put Mason jars of 100*F water in my LG for my last hatch, and the temps were VERY stable. Still didn't get a great hatch rate though. I think because one of my hens is genetically unfertile --- because she is feather-legged and I had ZERO feather-legged chicks come out. Problem is that her eggs look identical to her sister's (who is clean legged), so I have no idea how many eggs were doomed from the start.
So many variables when it comes to hatching!!!!!!!