help choosing a good heat element ?

[ser6io]

Is this cheap rice cooker heat a good option for heat element in a incubator?

AC220V 50W Power Rice Cooker Heat 5 dolars for two

 

[kim27]

Depends on how you plan to power the heating elements. How are you controlling the temperature?

 

[ser6io]

Depends on how you plan to power the heating elements. How are you controlling the temperature?

Control by Digital Thermosthat
Power 220 volts

 

[kim27]

Are you using Mechanical Relays or Solid State Relays?

It may be worth checking the specs of the relay of the digital control. Some relays have a shorter lifespan if used with 220 volts instead of 110 volts.

The new relay I ordered has the following expectation:

10 A, 250 VAC (general use), 6,000 cycles, 40°C (excluding -G type)
10 A, 125 VAC (general use), 100,000 cycles, 40°C (excluding -E, -G types)
(http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/307/G5LE_0513-248094.pdf)

As you can see, the life expectancy, or number of on/off cycles is dramatically smaller with a 250 Volt AC device than the 125 Volt AC device.

I am thinking about switching to a Solid State Relay to avoid the mechanical wear on the device.

http://pewa.panasonic.com/assets/pcsd/catalog/aq-h-catalog.pdf

 

[kim27]

As far as the heating elements goes, it depends on the size of your incubator and how well it is insulated. In my little incubator, I think the 60 Watt light bulb provides too much heating, causing the temperature to go up quickly. This causes the relay to cycle quickly, about three times a minute.

The relays I purchased have a life expectancy curve that when I'm using 0.5 Amps at a 125 Volts, should give me a 1,000,000 cycles, which means the relay should last for approximately 231 days of continuous use. Yes, I know I stated 100,000 before, but that is at the rating of 5 amps. You should be able to increase the lifespan of the electrical elements of your relay by using a smaller wattage element or light bulb.

Other than that, I don't have any experience with the heating elements themselves. They look like they'll work fine.