Heating Element vs Heat Lamp...

[countrypreacher]

Hey guys I have built a HUGE incubator. It is modeled after the sportsmen but it is 6 feet tall, 3 feet deep, and 16 inches across. With this size of an incubator will it be better to heat it with a heating element like the sportmen does or go with heat lamps. I got plenty of air flow witht he fan that I put in it. I am just having a slight difficulty in getting the temperature up where i want it to be....

 

[mwdh1]

A heating element such as the electric heat cable would provide more even heat than a heat lamp would.

 

[Ruditchka]

Quote:
Agreed...!

 

[countrypreacher]

electric heat cable? Is that the cord that you put around pipes to keep them from freezing or like what is in the sportsmen

 

[BuckeyeDave]

I looked into building a “super 'bator” then my wife said one sentence to me, “so you'd literally be putting all of your eggs in one basket” I then scrapped the idea and bought a second sportsman. The price of a sportsman seems high until you realize the penalty of failure is higher.

My “super 'bator” was going to have 2 of the sportsman's heating systems in it for redundancy, I was going to wire each one totally of one another just in case of a blown fuse, bad wiring, etc.

Heat lamps give great heat in the light but 5” outside of the beam it's 15 degrees cooler. Forced air is the way to go.

 

[ozzie]

I think you can buy heating cords from reptile supplies pet stores. A lot of reptile keepers build extremely large incubators (and enclosures) and use heating cords to keep the heat up. Or you could try heat mats (also at reptile supply stores). Take a look at google for reptile incubators (homemade ones) - I vaguely recall seeing one as a fridge remodel and the guy put heating cords/heating mats on the back of it to supply the heat.

cheers
ozzie

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Heat lamp is no good for bator, gives radiant heat, does not heat surrounding air, but an object the light reaches.

 

[DANNY]

You will have to get a more powerful heating coil or ellement. You might even be able to use 2 of the gqf coils. I think what you might have to do is go down about half way and put in another fan and heating element. The gqf fans barely will get the heat to the bottom of a regular sized incubator. In order to heat one that big i think you will have to get a super sized fan and heating element and even then the faster the air moves the more its cooled and by the time it gets to the bottom of yours it might have cooled too much.

 

[countrypreacher]

Quote:
yea i came to conclusion today that i am going to make it into 2 incubators in one. Just going to divide it into to compartments with its own lights and fans and everything.....

 

[DANNY]

That's very similar to what i was talking about with 2 heating coils and fans.