Homemade incubator?

[oldchickenman]

If you were to build an incubator like this what would you use a wafer thermostat or electronic one like whats in the spoartsmen or both like useing the wafer for backupl?

 

[walkswithdog]

If I had all the money I wanted, I'd use both, one for backup.

The problem with that particular bator is that that expanded metal for shelving is actually a @#$#% to work with. Ick.

Other than that, that's a decent normal layout for a cabinet, except I don't see an air return plenum. Is that a false back design? Doesn't look like it.

Mine has a metal plenum - it's an antique. In a more modern one I'd be happier with a full depth plenum for better circulation. Two fans facing the door like that is going to shove every bit of warm out when you open the door and be less efficient than one good fan and a proper plenum.

It's an okay set up, but not a great one.

 

[oldchickenman]

there is a space behind the fans. its built so the turners form the hovabators will fit the rails. ok so im learing here what is a air return plenum.

 

[walkswithdog]

Essentially an air return plenum is a thin false fall at the back of an incubator, there's space at the bottom for air to move through, a fan in the space pulls cool air from below, pulls it up behind the wall and then pushes it out the top creating a smooth cycle of air... There's a picture in several of the homemade incubator threads.

Without that much air is lost when the door opens and air is not cycled as efficiently/evenly no matter how many fans are added.