homemade incubator thermostat for ones with the bulbs as heat

[swiftfoot]

thanks for helping me explain guys

 

[speckledhen]

Seems like the problem with a dimmer in place of a regular thermostat is that you have to be there to know it needs adjusting, there is not sensor at all. So, in the middle of the night, when you're asleep, the temps could rise and cook the eggs. It requires more monitoring, IMO.

 

[swiftfoot]

yes this could happen but the lg incubators also do not have this feature
i dont know if the hovabators have this either

 

[skeeter9]

Both the Hovabator and the LG work off of a thermostat that shuts the heat element on and off automatically to maintain a constant temperature within 1/2 degree or so.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
The dimmer is being used *instead* of a thermostat. If you have a wafer thermostat, just leave out the dimmer and let it do it's job.

If you used both together, what you would effectively be doing is simply reducing the power output of your heater.

In this situation, the hatch would fail if the room temp dropped.

 

[tiki244]

After thinking about it overnight the dimmer switch seems like a geniuse of an idea----depending on how hard it is to keep a regulated room temperature (how hard is it?)------And the other question I have is how long does it take to regulate your dimmer switch to the proper setting?

My wafer thermostats have had heat spikes around the end of the first week and the end of the second week of incubation. Killing most of the embryos each time, and it is always in the middle of the night.

 

[tiki244]

twigg now I am thinking if you wired a wafer in series with the dimmer switch it would not even be turning the light on or off unless there was a temperature fluctuation. That is if you calibrated the dimmer switch and wafer seperately and then wired them up. Is there something wrong with my thought process here? lol

well we all know that but in this situation do you see a flaw? I am thinking of doing this, but dont want to risk any eggs if there is something wrong with it.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
The dimmer switch isn't a *genius* idea

it's a simple idea that can be made to work if you are very attentive to temperatures.

It is an idea that can reduce the cost of an incubator by cutting out one of the expensive parts. Most everyone who has ever used a dimmer, would fit a thermostat in a heartbeat were cost not a factor.

If your wafer thermostats are causing problems, then they need fixing, not removing ...... The thermostat bit of it is a very simple mechanical switch. Over time the contacts can become pitted due to arcing. Lightly sand them with paper suitable for metal, make sure they appear flat and clean.

While you are at it, replace the wafers ... they are cheap, and it's not worth the risk of keeping them more than a year or two.

Voltage spikes are NOT an issue with mechanical switches. They can affect electronic switches tho.

hth

 

[tiki244]

Thank You this makes sense now---I can sand it yes and can order wafers and not only that now I understand the way it works much better

 

[twigg]

Quote:
Glad I could help