Home made incubator- issues- need tech support

[Minky]

Hello and thanks for reading.
Homemade incubator made of plywood, rigid foam insulation, fan from computer, lightbulb.
Has a window and manual turner.

My thermostats are accurate to 1 degree ( I don't want to re-buy).

My first hatch was excellent. Began with 30 eggs, 7 were infertile (all my welsummer hens!) so 23 eggs at lockdown, 21 hatched. No one was sticky or anything gooey.
The only thing I found hard was keeping humidity up during hatch. Water was seeping out of the box in the end, and I was still struggling to keep it at 65%. It likes to stay around 47%. But finally I found a sponge works for a couple hours at a time.

THIS HATCH- I would check and the inside gauge would say 104.7 , and the other gauge (thermostat)would say 100.4. for example...
I added another gauge inside, and depending on where it was placed, it could range from 93.5 all the way to 105 !!!
I moved the receptor of the thermostat away from the fan, and I think that helped- but depending on which position my egg turner is in, the temperatures are variable to several degrees.

I only have one lightbulb. I have tried to not use any egg spaces near the lightbulb, and in the incubator that is currently full of eggs... I have placed tinfoil loosely around the lightbulb. I also added marbles to my trays below the hardware cloth as a heat sink after reading some articles on here.

It is still fluctuating..
I know photos will be requested so here goes..

PS. when I took photos, inside gauge read 95.3, thermostat read 98.6. It is set to 99.
It was set to 100 over night and when I checked this morning the inside gauge said it was 104.2. thermostat said 101

 

[Painted Calls]

@The Moonshiner

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have a few thoughts for you. First of all, I've had similar readings in my DIY incubator with comparable construction.
What are the inside dimensions of your incubator?
My thermometers are instant read so as the heat cycles on and off, I would get wild temperature swings. The way I dealt with it was to assume the internal egg temperature (what really matters) was somewhere close to the low readings because incubator temperature would dictate when the thermostat would cycle power on. So when heat would be blowing to maintain temperature, the heat temporarily blowing on the thermometers would indicate a higher temperature than internal egg temperature.

One thing I recommend is a guaranteed accurate thermometer.
For years, I recommended the Brinsea Spot Check (bought from Brinsea so you know it is authentic as there have been knockoffs).
I also love the speed and precision of the calibratable thermoworks RT301WA. Mine hasn't needed calibration.
https://www.thermoworks.com/RT301WA
The newest one I recommend if you have a smart phone is the Govee Bluetooth H5074 thermometer/hygrometer. Both features are incredibly accurate.
https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Bluetooth-Temperature/dp/B07R586J37
Those three are the most accurate that won't break the bank.

I also recommend a metallic heat element. They are more reliable than a light bulb.

Depending on the dimensions of the incubator, there may need to be changes in fan and heat source locations.
My incubator is a huge cabinet that has an incubator encased in a hatcher cabinet. So it is a bit tall for good temperature control from top to bottom.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Ya, pictures are gonna be worth 1,000 words here.
Dimensions will help also. The bigger they get the harder it is to maintain constant temps throughout. So size matters.

 

[Minky]

I have a few thoughts for you. First of all, I've had similar readings in my DIY incubator with comparable construction.
What are the inside dimensions of your incubator?
My thermometers are instant read so as the heat cycles on and off, I would get wild temperature swings. The way I dealt with it was to assume the internal egg temperature (what really matters) was somewhere close to the low readings because incubator temperature would dictate when the thermostat would cycle power on. So when heat would be blowing to maintain temperature, the heat temporarily blowing on the thermometers would indicate a higher temperature than internal egg temperature.

One thing I recommend is a guaranteed accurate thermometer.
For years, I recommended the Brinsea Spot Check (bought from Brinsea so you know it is authentic as there have been knockoffs).
I also love the speed and precision of the calibratable thermoworks RT301WA. Mine hasn't needed calibration.
https://www.thermoworks.com/RT301WA
The newest one I recommend if you have a smart phone is the Govee Bluetooth H5074 thermometer/hygrometer. Both features are incredibly accurate.
https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Bluetooth-Temperature/dp/B07R586J37
Those three are the most accurate that won't break the bank.

I also recommend a metallic heat element. They are more reliable than a light bulb.

Depending on the dimensions of the incubator, there may need to be changes in fan and heat source locations.
My incubator is a huge cabinet that has an incubator encased in a hatcher cabinet. So it is a bit tall for good temperature control from top to bottom.

14.5 by 14.5 are the dimensions. Sorry not sure why photos didn't upload first time. I will re-try. all the kids are having to do on line school here in Ontario due to province wide lockdowns so its like internet hell.

 

[Minky]

Ya, pictures are gonna be worth 1,000 words here.
Dimensions will help also. The bigger they get the harder it is to maintain constant temps throughout. So size matters.

14.5 inches by 14.5 inches are the dimentions

 

[Minky]

@ChickenCanoe @The Moonshiner
Have you had a chance to check out the pics?
I have looked at the links for the temp gauges, thanks.
Do you think I should switch to 40 watt bulb?
Wouldn't know how to get a metal heating element in there... would need to rebuild it completely, no?
Gotta save my "builder bucks" for some new broody pens/ chick grow out pens..... so trying to solve heating issues without asking for too many favours from my hubby.

 

[The Moonshiner]

So you didn't really change the set up between the first hatch and this current situation?
The first hatch had steady temps?

 

[Minky]

@ChickenCanoe @The Moonshiner
Nope, didn't change much. there were more eggs . Used less water (wanted to try a dry hatch (30-35% humidity) until lockdown

I cannot find any of those three thermometers Chicken Canoe recommends on amazon.ca. Is there anyway to calibrate the ones I have? They dont even agree with each other!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When your thermometers don't agree with each other, you can't expect much of a hatch rate.
You can supposedly calibrate any thermometer or hygrometer
Testing/calibrating incubator thermometers and hygrometers. | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens
I've encountered problems on occasion with calibration. I had a couple hygrometers I could calibrate with their adjustment screw and within a few hours they would be way off again.
I've had thermometers (from incubator companies) that were accurate at 75 and off by 4F at 100. Those kinds of aberrations tend to occur with junk sensors. I'm not saying yours are junk, I don't know what kind they are. I just know I don't have the time to dither around with things I don't know will work and I definitely won't trust eggs to thermometers I can't trust, I've been down that road and lost too many valuable potential birds because I tried to cut corners.

I have bought multiples of each of those thermometers. They are easy to purchase.
I know for a fact that the govee one is on amazon. I think that is the only way to get it.
https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Bluetooth-Temperature/dp/B07R586J37
I think the Spot Check may be available on Amazon but I would buy directly from Brinsea. They are also available from outlets like Walmart and Rural King but avoid the temptation.
For a few years there were knockoffs on the market.
For a few years there were knockoffs on the market.
Spot Check Digital Incubator Thermometer (brinsea.com)
I doubt you would find the Thermoworks pocket digital on Amazon.
They are their own manufacturer with an internationally accredited calibration lab with precision measurement equipment for a variety of instrumentation industries. Sometimes you just have to go to the source.
https://www.thermoworks.com/RT301WA