Homemade incubator thermostat!

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After reading so many success stories I thought I'd try one of the water heater thermostats as well and had the same problem. Best I could get with it mounted in a small dorm fridge was 89 low 104 high. I gave up and went with the wafer from my local co-op for $21.00. Works great.
However, I'm building a seperate hatcher right now and plan to try the heater thermostat once more. This time I will attempt to mount the thermostat directly in front of my heat source. I suspicion that it will cause a much more sensitive response and lesson the temp swings. Will it be enough to suit me? I don't know yet but if I were you I would try mounting the stat directly above and close to your light bulb. I would not direct my fans airflow directly at the bulb/thermostat. As beardedchik mentioned, make certain your stat is NOT flat against the wall.
Best of luck chickenlittle77.
 
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The water heater thermostat will work you just have to get everything finished and put in some heat sinks(jars of water with lids). They helped my bator go from huge temp swings(88-112) to 97-101. You already have the water heater thermostat so try to use it and complete the bator before running out and getting another one. I'm certain that once you get it all finished and put in the jars it'll be just fine. Good Luck!!!
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Keep us posted!
 
Okay...I tried the suggestions I made in my first post and now have my temp swinging between 95-100. Putting the stat closer to the heat source did make it more sensitive it seems. My fan and heater setup are such that I actually have the stat in the airflow which blows through my heating element.
I have taken the suggestion of selinagil and placed a gallon size heatsink inside and will see how it does after stabilizing overnight.
If you are still tracking this post please let us know what you've tried and how it's going.
 
Hopefully it'll work out fine for you---once I got mine within 3 degrees either way I felt pretty safe with it. The eggs are not gonna cool down enough to hurt them in the short time it takes to click back on. Keep us posted!!
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If you are going to use the hot water thermostat i think your range should be different. I think you should be more like 98 to 101 which gives you an average temp of 99.5. I think the average between the 2 numbers should be aroung 99.5 to 100 . A little extra heat won't hurt anything but too little heat will result in late hatches, pipping and dying and coming out with crooked toes and necks also spraddle legs. Your eggs should always be finished hatching in 21 days not starting to hatch. You just have to keep adjusting until they hatch on time.
 
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This is as good or better for half of the price:

http://www.cheappetproducts.net/Repti_-_Temp_500WATT_THERMOSTAT_with_PROBE-P69363.html

I have one, works like a charm, only .5F temperature swing.

Has a probe and dial (no screw or opening the bator to adjust)

Plug and play, no wiring.

Can you water heater or wafer do that?

pascopol, thanks for pointing this out along with sharing your positive experience with it. Looks interesting and much cheaper than the GQF electronic one. I'll have to remember this one.

Ed
 

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