heat source

[ericsplls]

I've never built an incubator but would like to get it right the first time. I'm not crazy about lights for heat sources. I also would like to go straight 120v instead of wiring some stuff 120 and the fans through an adapter. I've thought about it alot and came up with a cheap heater like you would sit on a table top. They have a fan built in and could be wired through a water heater thermostat. I originally thought it would be too much heat but thought about using it to heat an incubator and hatcher/small brooder. Mounted in a way that it intakes through one side and out the other and returns through vent holes to the other side. I'm still contemplating the egg turner issue but thought I would run the heat source idea by some of the experts on here.
Thanks

 

[Camelot Farms]

 

[patandchickens]

Well, you can try it and see what happens and let us know

One problem that I would foresee is that those fans are typically quite powerful compared to what you'd have in a tabletop-size incubator, and having huge amounts of air movement is going to change the humidity that you need to be keeping (it will increase the required humidity, but I have not the first clue by how much). At best I think it would require some experimentation and trial hatches til you find something that works.

What is wrong with using a lightbulb? It is straightforward, safe, easily available... If you don't want the incubator glowing at you all night, put a lightproof cover on the window; a little light will still come out the vent holes, but not much.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ericsplls]

I wanting to build a large incubator. It would be outside so the glowing all night wouldn't be a problem. Light bulbs blow. I know all things man made will fail eventually but I seem to have problems keeping lights on. Also I want to be able to open my incubator if it's 20 degrees in the barn and add a dozen eggs, pull a few more to , put them back and have the bator back up to temp in just a couple minutes instead of how long it takes for a light. I thought the humidity might be a problem but I live in south GA and it's usually humid enough outside. Most of the heaters I'm talking about have a low setting on the fan but I know it is still alot more than something like a fan from a pc. I may experiment with it. I just thought someone might have tried it before. It just seems too simple to have one wire to hook on a thermostat and be done. Regardless of what I choose I have decided to have a backup source as a light bulb. Set it a couple degrees cooler than the main source and have a light on the outside of the bator to let me know from a distance that somethings wrong.

 

[ericsplls]

Quote:
I know I couldn't use it on serama eggs because it would blow them off the turner. Pass the popcorn

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Hmmm, you are likely to have quite a lot of trouble getting that to work. At the very least, you will need a whole BIG LOT of insulation, I am not sure whether a refrigerator or freezer shell would be enough. Incubators really work best in a pretty constant-temperature environment.

Light bulbs blow. I know all things man made will fail eventually but I seem to have problems keeping lights on.

Try buying the "rough service" bulbs, that are less apt to fail prematurely from voltage fluctuations.

The way to avoid losses in an incubator when using lightbulbs is to use several smaller bulbs rather than one larger bulb. If one goes, the others will still be able to keep it up to temp (or close to) until you notice and replace the one that's gone.

Also I want to be able to open my incubator if it's 20 degrees in the barn and add a dozen eggs, pull a few more to , put them back and have the bator back up to temp in just a couple minutes instead of how long it takes for a light.

That really has nothing at all to do with light vs anything else, it is just a matter of wattage. Put more wattage of lights in there, and it will come up to temp faster. (Although if you overdo the wattage of WHATEVER heating element you have, you may have quite a lot of trouble fiddling it into not overshooting your target temperature and causing excessive temp spikes)

Again, you can certainly try your fan-heater idea, and tell us how it goes -- I am just not convinced it is your easiest route to a functional incubator, is all. Certainly post pics once you've got it going!

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​