Homemade incubator thermostat!

[Stephen in SoKY]

Although it isn't the best photograph, you can see the GQF unit in the upper left hand corner of my homemade cabinet bator. I started with the electronic unit early last spring, have hatched around 600 chicks, and have never had to adjust it at all. This spring I merely plugged in the bator & 24 hrs later the temp was rock steady.

 

[kingmt]

I am so glad I found this post. I built mine with the water heater stat & it started swinging last night & stopped working today. Now I need a new controller. I was wanting to start incubating today but unless I run down to the hardware store & get another controller that isn't happening. I think I've been sold on the Repti Temp 500R. I'm going to see if I can local perches it.

 

[quintinp]

you people need to drill a few holes in your thermostat, and the air flow will go into the thermostat more quickly, and the thermostat can shut off, and turn on the light, when the temp gets to certain point

 

[aprophet]

I think most who use the water heater successfully place the t-stat fairly close to heat source what ever it may be, that and have a fan to move the heat around I have been "playing "with a coupla different WH t-stats they can be tweaked a little, I use a wafer on my HB and a couple of high tech electronics for my homebuilts. like someone else mentioned I take the WH t-stat apart and drill holes and remove the limit stops polish the end of the screw but by the time you do all this a wafer is only $20 or so LOL

 

[galanie]

The key to using the hot water heater thermostat is:

Place it so the BACK of the thermostat is within 3-ish inches of the light bulb. You can tinker with the distance and end up with less than 1 degree variance. Look at the second link in my signature below.

 

[Davaroo]

Or spend about $15 on a genuine, made for purpose thermostat.

The thermostat is the heart of the incubator. You can cut corners, improvise and re-purpose in all kinds of ways when building an incubator. But be careful when selecting your thermostat.

Seriously - dont cheap out there.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Man this is an old thread..

Its not cheaping out. You can go to any hardware store an buy a WHT. If the thermostat fails you don't have to order off for a replacement, you can go get one an be back up an running in a hour, not days. Also having the money to buy a incubator thermostat may be an issue for some an may not even be available at all for other in some countrys.

My first incubator was made out of an old house thermostat an parts pulled out of an old car. I had a budget of $0 an still got a good incubator out of it.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Call it what you want, brother. And it all sounds good for YOU.

However, if there is one thing Ive learned from my exposure at BYC, it is that people have varying levels of expertise. At some point that may come into play.

 

[Pascal PicklePants]

Quote:
Any more info on the $15 dollar made for the purpose T-Stat?

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Save your money and get a therm as good or better for only around $25.00


No wiring necessary, 100% plug-and-play + 500W rating, thermostat outside the bator, probe inserted in the bator.

http://www.thefind.com/pets/browse-repti-temp-500r-remote-sensor

Sorry folks, I just see they raised the price on those, I got 2 of them for about 25 bucks.

But if they raised the price that means there is more demand for them.

I got my first one about 4 years ago, this year I got a second one.

Flawless performance, will buy third one if I can get coveted wine cooler shell for perfect and cheap large capacity bator, it will be just as good as Sportsman or Dickey.